SQE after a University of London LLB
The SQE after a University of London LLB
A University of London LLB is a UK honours degree at Level 6, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority asks for a degree at that level in any subject. Neither the University nor the SRA says in so many words that this LLB meets the requirement: it follows from the SRA’s rule, and the degree is checked through mySRA like any other. So qualifying as an English solicitor does not depend on whether the Bar where you live recognises the degree. Practising law where you live still does.
- 6
- the LLB’s level on the UK Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, which is the level the SRA asks for (University of London programme specification)
- 60
- LLB teaching centres in 15 countries or territories in the University of London’s centre finder, read 12 November 2026
- 42
- of those 60 centres are in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, none of which has a city on the SRA’s list for sitting the SQE
- 10,000+
- current University of London students in Bangladesh and Pakistan combined, over 80% on undergraduate Laws (University of London, August 2024)
Does a University of London LLB count for the SQE?
Facts checked against the regulators’ own pages. Last updated .
- On the SRA’s own rule, yes. The SRA asks for a degree in any subject at UK level 6 or equivalent, and the LLB is a Level 6 honours degree awarded by the University of London. The SRA does not name the LLB, so read its degree page and have the degree checked through mySRA.
- You need the degree to be admitted as a solicitor, not to sit SQE1 or SQE2. It does not have to be a law degree, and "qualifying law degree" status no longer matters for new entrants.
- The SQE is a route to being a solicitor of England and Wales. It does not depend on your own regulator recognising the LLB, and it does not change what your own regulator requires for practice at home.
- Local treatment differs sharply. Malaysia accepts the external LLB for the CLP on conditions. Singapore and India do not recognise external degrees. In Pakistan the University is on the Bar Council’s list, and in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka recognition could not be confirmed.
- Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, six Indian cities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are on the SRA’s list of cities it aims to include for SQE1 and the SQE2 written papers. No city in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka is on it.
- The SQE2 oral assessments are held only in England and Wales. Unless you are already a qualified lawyer, you also need two years of qualifying work experience confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales.
Is a University of London LLB enough for the SQE?
What the University says, what the SRA says, and the step between the two.
| Question | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| What is the LLB? | A Bachelor of Laws with Honours at Level 6 of the UK Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. The awarding body is the University of London, with academic direction from Birkbeck, King’s College London, LSE, Queen Mary, SOAS and UCL. |
| What does the SRA ask for? | A degree in any subject, or an equivalent level 6 qualification. It need not be a law degree. |
| Does the SRA name the University of London LLB? | No. |
| Does the University say the LLB meets the SQE requirement? | No. It tells students to check with the relevant regulatory body and points to the SRA’s website. The only English recognition it states is by the Bar Standards Board, for the academic component of Bar training, "provided that certain criteria have been met". |
| How is the degree checked? | Through mySRA, by the SRA’s provider, Atlantic Data, at any time before admission. The fee is £36 for a UK or Irish degree and £54.84 for an international degree. |
| Do you need the degree to sit SQE1 or SQE2? | No. It is needed to be admitted as a solicitor. |
Put together: a completed LLB is a UK Level 6 degree awarded by the University of London, which is the kind of degree the SRA describes. That is a reading across two official pages, not a sentence on either of them, so confirm it on the SRA’s degree page before you pay an exam fee. Sources: University of London, LLB programme specification 2026 to 2027, the LLB course page and SRA, checking a qualification.
What the degree does not do
- It earns no exemptionSQE exemptions are for qualified lawyers only, so a law graduate sits both SQE1 papers and all of SQE2.
- It does not replace qualifying work experienceThe two years can be worked in your own country and need not involve English law, but a solicitor of England and Wales or a compliance officer for legal practice has to confirm them. A locally qualified lawyer cannot, unless that person is also a solicitor.
- It is not the last checkAt admission the SRA assesses character and suitability, and for someone who has lived only outside the UK that means an overseas criminal record check.
If nobody where you work is an English solicitor, read QWE confirmation for overseas work and who can confirm QWE. The rules every overseas candidate shares, from booking to visas, are on the SQE from outside the UK.
What each regulator does with the LLB, and where you sit
The middle column is your own regulator’s position on the degree. The right column is the SRA’s published list of cities it aims to include, which the SQE site calls illustrative: the cities for a sitting are confirmed when booking opens.
| Country (LLB teaching centres) | What the local regulator does with a University of London LLB | Where you can sit SQE1 and SQE2 written |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan (34) | "University of London, London" is on the Pakistan Bar Council’s list of recognised foreign universities. The list does not distinguish the distance LLB from the internal degree, so ask the Bar Council how it treats yours. Holders of a recognised foreign law degree must pass a special examination before enrolment, in Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984, the Specific Relief Act and the Constitution of Pakistan. | No Pakistani city is on the list. India and the United Arab Emirates are the nearest listed countries. |
| Bangladesh (6) | The 1972 Order admits a foreign law degree only from a university "recognised by the Bar Council", and names none. Whether the University of London LLB is recognised, and on what conditions, could not be confirmed from the Bar Council for this guide. Ask the Bar Council. | No Bangladeshi city is on the list. India is the neighbouring listed country. |
| Malaysia (6) | Recognised for sitting the CLP, as an express exception to the rule against distance and part-time degrees. Conditions: completed within six years of registration, at least a Lower Second, and the Qualifying Board’s general entry requirements. | Kuala Lumpur. |
| Sri Lanka (2) | Holders of a foreign LLB begun on or after 30 December 2020 reach Sri Lanka Law College only through its Special Entrance Examination, and the university must be recognised by the Incorporated Council of Legal Education. In September 2023 the College said it had not yet listed any foreign universities, and no list was found for this guide. Ask the College. | No Sri Lankan city is on the list. India is the neighbouring listed country. |
| Singapore (1) | Not recognised for the Bar. The Minister for Law told Parliament in 2012 that "External law degrees are not recognised", and the list of approved UK degrees has only the internal degrees of four London colleges. Exemptions are given "in a limited number of cases": 11 between 1994 and 2011. | Singapore. |
| Hong Kong (1) | An overseas LLB can be the starting point for the PCLL, subject to conversion requirements, but few get a place. At HKU in 2024/25, 26 applicants held a University of London LLB and 8 were admitted. | Hong Kong. |
| India (none in the LLB finder) | Not recognised for enrolment. The Bar Council of India’s list says external degrees are not allowed, and recognises the London LL.B. (External) only if it was obtained before February 1990. | Bangalore, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. |
| United Arab Emirates (1) | Dubai’s rules name no university. To register as a Legal Consultant a graduate needs a law degree accredited in the UAE, or an academic law qualification together with valid professional membership where they are authorised to practise. A foreign law degree alone is not enough. | Abu Dhabi and Dubai. |
- Pakistan, two further rulesA two-year LLB from a foreign university now means 18 months’ pupillage, not six. And a college needs the Bar Council’s No Objection Certificate to teach a foreign distance programme: where a college does not comply, the Council may ask Bar Councils not to license its students. Ask your college for its certificate.
- BangladeshThe Bar Council runs an equivalency certificate process for foreign law degrees. That is the place to get an answer about yours.
- Sri LankaAdmission to the Law College is limited to Sri Lankan citizens.
- Hong KongA graduate without a Hong Kong law degree must also cover three Hong Kong top-up subjects before the PCLL.
The SQE2 oral assessments are the same for every row: London, Cardiff, Manchester or Birmingham, in the same assessment window as the written papers. A candidate in a country with a listed city makes one trip to England or Wales. A candidate in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka travels for SQE1 as well.
Where each row comes from
- Teaching centres: the centre finder on the University of London LLB page. Centre lists change.
- Test cities: SQE1 and SQE2 written locations on the SQE site.
- Pakistan: Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules 2015, First Schedule and rules 15 and 36 to 40, and the Bar Council Rules 1976, rule 108-C.
- Bangladesh: Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order 1972, article 27.
- Malaysia: Legal Profession Qualifying Board, CLP Guidelines 2026, clause 10.
- Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Law College, Special Entrance Examination notice and notice of 18 September 2023.
- Singapore: Minister for Law, written answer of 28 February 2012 and SILE, qualified person.
- Hong Kong: Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training, annual report 2024, HKU PCLL report.
- India: Bar Council of India, foreign universities whose law degrees are recognised.
- Dubai: the Bylaw concerning the Registration of Legal Consultants, Administrative Resolution No. (51) of 2022, listed with the sources at the foot of this page.
The SQE does not need local recognition. Local practice does
Becoming an English solicitor and being allowed to practise in your own courts are two questions, answered by two regulators.
The first question has the same answer for every University of London graduate. The SRA’s admission criteria are a degree, SQE1 and SQE2, qualifying work experience and character, and they contain no residence or nationality condition and no reference to your home Bar. The second question has a different answer in each country, and in most of them the English title does not open the local courts.
- Pakistan and BangladeshThe statutes name "barrister" as a qualifying status and do not mention solicitors. A solicitor relies on the law degree underneath and on the local examinations. See Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- Sri LankaSri Lanka Law College sets out a shortened route for barristers of England, Scotland and Ireland. Solicitors are not mentioned. See Sri Lanka.
- MalaysiaThe Qualifying Board lists "Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales" as a qualifying title under a 2009 entry, and has published nothing on solicitors who qualified through the SQE. See Malaysia.
- SingaporeThe title is not a route to becoming a qualified person. An English solicitor can be registered, through a licensed law practice, to practise foreign law. See Singapore.
- Hong KongA registered foreign lawyer is prohibited from practising Hong Kong law. Admission as a Hong Kong solicitor means the Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination, which needs two years of post-admission experience first. See Hong Kong.
- IndiaThe Bar Council of India’s rules limit a registered foreign lawyer to non-litigious work on foreign and international law. They give an English solicitor no right to practise Indian law. See India.
- DubaiA Legal Consultant advises, drafts and acts in arbitration, and cannot plead before the Dubai Courts. For a non-UAE national, registration also needs practical legal experience, a UAE residence permit and a job with a firm licensed in Dubai. See the UAE.
SQE or the Bar course after the LLB
For court practice in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, the barrister title has a place in the local rules that the solicitor title lacks. The Bar course is taught at sites in England and Wales, with published fees for 2026/27 starting at £13,550, and call to the Bar needs ten qualifying sessions at an Inn of Court, while SQE1 and the SQE2 written papers can be sat abroad and only the oral assessments need the journey. Which is right depends on where you mean to practise: SQE or the Bar course sets the two side by side. Sources: Bar Standards Board, Bar Training 2026 and the vocational component.
Sitting the SQE when your country has no test city
Most University of London LLB teaching centres are in countries that are not on the SRA’s list of test locations.
Of the 60 LLB teaching centres in the University’s finder, 34 are in Pakistan, 6 in Bangladesh and 2 in Sri Lanka. None of those countries has a city on the list, and the SQE site does not say why. Malaysia has 6 centres, and Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates have 1 each: all four have a listed city. India has six listed cities and no centre in the LLB finder.
- SQE1 is two papers in two consecutive weeksFLK1 and FLK2 are each offered on five consecutive days, and you choose one day in each week, subject to seats. The days you are given decide how long you are away, so settle them before you book flights.
- Seats go in the order reservation forms arriveIf your preferred location is not available you are offered the closest available alternative, which may be a different city or country from the one you planned around.
- SQE2 needs England or Wales whatever you doThe written papers take three days and can be sat at a listed overseas centre. The oral assessments take two consecutive days in London, Cardiff, Manchester or Birmingham, in the same assessment window.
- Entry rules for a third country are your own checkWhat the UK’s visitor pages say about coming to sit an exam is on the overview. This guide does not cover the visa you may need to sit SQE1 in India, the United Arab Emirates or anywhere else.
Dates for every sitting are on our SQE1 and SQE2 exam dates page. Sources: SQE assessment locations and SQE booking windows.
How many students this affects
The University’s LLB pages give no LLB-only student number. Across all its programmes it says it has around 40,000 students in 190 countries. In August 2024 it said that, of more than 10,000 current University of London students in Bangladesh and Pakistan combined, over 80% were studying undergraduate Laws. Sources: University of London, about and University of London, 20 August 2024.
What the SQE costs a University of London graduate
The SRA’s fees are in pounds and are the same at every test centre. If your country has no listed city, travel for SQE1 is a cost on top of the trip to England or Wales for the SQE2 oral assessments.
Paid to the SRA, the same wherever you sit
- SQE1 assessment feeFLK1 and FLK2, paid to the SRA’s assessment provider when you book£2,006£2,006
- SQE2 assessment feeWritten and oral, paid when you book SQE2£3,086£3,086
- Both assessments£5,092£5,092
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SRA fees are for assessments from September 2026. FQPS prices include VAT.
Preparing for SQE1 after a University of London LLB
SQE1 is two papers of single best answer questions, FLK1 and FLK2, in a new format from January 2027. Every part of an FQPS plan is online, so it is the same course in Lahore, Dhaka, Colombo or Kuala Lumpur.
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What FLK1 coversWork experience with no English solicitor nearby
Qualifying work experience has to be confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales. Where none works in your organisation, a solicitor outside it can confirm the work after reviewing it.
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When the SQE is the wrong next step after the LLB
We would rather you chose the right route than our course.
- Your aim is to practise in the courts of Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. The rules there name barristers, not solicitors, and the English title gives no right to practise local law. Take the local route, and read SQE or the Bar course before adding a UK qualification.
- You hope an English title will mend a degree your regulator does not recognise. In Singapore the solicitor title is not a route to becoming a qualified person, and in India it gives no right to practise Indian law.
- You have no realistic way to get two years of legal work confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales. You can pass both exams and still not be admitted. Start with our QWE checker.
- You cannot travel. From Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka every assessment is abroad, and the SQE2 oral assessments are in England or Wales for everyone.
- You do not plan to finish the LLB. You can sit the exams without a degree, but you cannot be admitted without one or an equivalent qualification.
University of London LLB and the SQE: common questions
Your situation not here? A free 30-minute call with our team goes through your route and your dates.
Book a free callIs a University of London LLB accepted for the SQE?
The SRA asks for a degree in any subject at UK level 6 or equivalent, and the University of London LLB is a Level 6 honours degree awarded by the University of London. Neither the SRA nor the University says in terms that the LLB meets the requirement, so this is a reading of the SRA’s rule. The degree is checked through mySRA before admission, and the SRA’s degree page is the place to confirm it.
Is the University of London external LLB a qualifying law degree?
Under the SQE that question no longer decides anything for new entrants. The SRA asks for a degree in any subject, and qualifying law degree status matters only for the transitional route open to people who started before 2021. For Bar training, the University states that the Bar Standards Board recognises the LLB for the academic component, provided that certain criteria have been met.
Does it matter that I studied the LLB at a teaching centre and not in London?
For the SQE, the SRA’s requirement is a degree at UK level 6, and the LLB is awarded at that level by the University of London. The SRA does not name the LLB, so confirm it on the SRA’s degree page. Your own Bar may take a different view of how you studied: Singapore and India do not recognise external degrees, and Malaysia accepts the external LLB only on conditions.
Do the Bar Councils of Pakistan and Bangladesh recognise the University of London LLB?
In Pakistan, "University of London, London" is on the Bar Council’s list of recognised foreign universities. The list does not distinguish the distance LLB from the internal degree, so ask the Bar Council how it treats yours. In Bangladesh the law admits a foreign law degree only from a university recognised by the Bar Council, and this guide could not confirm the Council’s position on the University of London LLB.
Is the University of London LLB recognised in Singapore or India?
Not for local admission. Singapore’s Minister for Law told Parliament in 2012 that external law degrees are not recognised for admission to the Singapore Bar, with exemptions in a limited number of cases. The Bar Council of India’s list says external degrees are not allowed and recognises the London external LLB only if it was obtained before February 1990.
Where can University of London students in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka sit the SQE?
Not at home. No city in those three countries is on the SRA’s list for SQE1 and the SQE2 written assessments, read on 12 November 2026. The SRA’s advice is to consider a neighbouring country or city, and India and the United Arab Emirates are on the list. The SQE2 oral assessments are held only in England and Wales.
Should I take the Bar course or the SQE after a University of London LLB?
It depends on where you want to practise. In Pakistan and Bangladesh the statutes name barristers as qualified and do not mention solicitors, and Sri Lanka Law College sets out a route for barristers and none for solicitors. The Bar course is taught in England and Wales, while most of the SQE can be sat abroad. The SQE leads to practice as a solicitor of England and Wales, not to your home courts.
Do I need work experience to qualify as a solicitor after a University of London LLB?
Yes, unless you are already a qualified lawyer. The SRA requires two years of full-time or equivalent qualifying work experience. It can be gained in your own country, paid or unpaid, in up to four organisations, and need not cover English law, but it must be confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales or a compliance officer for legal practice.
Other routes to the English title
SQE in PakistanNo test city in Pakistan, an 18-month SQE2 exemption for advocates, and a title that Pakistani law does not name.SQE in Malaysia, and the CLPWhat the Qualifying Board’s list says about English solicitors, the CLP compared step by step, and sitting in Kuala Lumpur.SQE or the Bar course (Bar-at-Law)Two different professions: which one the rules at home name, what each costs and where you must be.All 15 international guidesWhere you can sit, what has to be done in the UK, and a guide for each country.Sources for this page (43)
- University of London: LLB programme specification 2026 to 2027
- University of London: LLB course page and teaching centre finder
- University of London: about the University
- University of London, 20 August 2024: the LLB in Bangladesh and Pakistan
- SRA: degree or equivalent
- SRA: checking and validating a qualification
- SRA: the SQE route
- SRA: SQE questions and answers
- SRA: qualifying work experience
- SRA: SQE exemptions
- SRA: screening for admission
- SRA: Authorisation of Individuals Regulations
- SQE: assessment locations
- SQE: SQE1 and SQE2 written locations
- SQE: SQE2 oral locations
- SQE: SQE2 assessment days
- SQE: booking windows
- SQE: how to book
- SQE: costs and fees
- Pakistan Bar Council: Legal Education Rules 2015
- Pakistan Bar Council: Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Rules 1976
- Pakistan Code: Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act 1973
- Laws of Bangladesh: Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order 1972, article 27
- Bangladesh Bar Council: equivalency certificate for a foreign law degree
- Legal Profession Qualifying Board, Malaysia: CLP Guidelines 2026
- Legal Profession Qualifying Board, Malaysia: qualifications to be a qualified person
- Sri Lanka Law College: curriculum and exemptions
- Sri Lanka Law College: admission guidelines 2026
- Sri Lanka Law College: Special Entrance Examination notice 2026
- Sri Lanka Law College: notice of 18 September 2023 on foreign LLB degrees
- Singapore Ministry of Law: written answer of 28 February 2012 on external law degrees
- Singapore Institute of Legal Education: qualified person
- Singapore Ministry of Law: alternatives for working in the legal field
- Singapore Ministry of Law: registering an individual
- Hong Kong Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training: annual report 2024
- Law Society of Hong Kong: Becoming a Solicitor (February 2023)
- Hong Kong Conversion Examination for PCLL Admission: information package, September 2026
- Law Society of Hong Kong: Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination information package 2026
- Bar Council of India: foreign universities whose law degrees are recognised
- Gazette of India: Bar Council of India rules on foreign lawyers and law firms, 13 May 2025
- Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department: Administrative Resolution No. (51) of 2022, bylaws on advocates and legal consultants
- Bar Standards Board: Bar Training 2026 statistics report
- Bar Standards Board: the vocational component of Bar training
Each source was read on or before 12 November 2026. Rules change: check the regulator's own page before you act on anything here. This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice. FQPS Academy is an independent SQE preparation provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or Kaplan. The SQE and SOLICITORS QUALIFYING EXAMINATION trade marks are the property of and are used under licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
