The SRA have confirmed that the candidate fee for the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) will be £3,980. The costs are in line with £3,000-£4,500 figure set out in the SRA’s original 2018 fee range estimates. The fees do not include training costs, which will vary depending on a candidate’s choices. They also confirmed that they would give greater flexibility for universities and students around transition to the new assessment, in the light of Covid-19. Read more…
An independent report on the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) has concluded that the assessment design is fair and overall the SQE could help address diversity issues in the legal profession. In its report, it recognises that a major problem with the “current, fragmented system” is a lack of dependable, comparable data. Standardised data from the SQE could help the sector better understand diversity issues and inform potential solutions. This data could also help both employers and aspiring solicitors make choices.