Fresh questions are being asked about the merits of the multiple choice SQE1 test after pass rates sank to their lowest-ever level.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s latest report for the July assessment revealed a pass rate of 41% among the 5,896 candidates. This was down from 44% in July 2024 and is the lowest rate since the exam was first taken in 2021.

The falling pass mark is partly explained by the rising percentage of candidates resitting exams. Members of this cohort are more likely than first-timers to fail the exam. But even among those taking it for the first time, the pass rate was just 46%.

The report once again exposed disparities between ethnic groups: 55% of white candidates passed the SQE1, compared with 39% of Asian candidates and 28% of black candidates.

Over the summer, hundreds of people signed a petition calling for the SQE to be reformed, saying it took a severe toll on their mental, financial and physical wellbeing.

Sallyann Mellor, a SQE tutor, said there is a deeper problem with multiple-choice questions written in a way where all five answers can be correct, forcing candidates to second-guess what the examiner thinks.

She added: ‘When intelligent, hardworking candidates, including career-changers, parents, and mature students and cross-qualifiers are consistently falling short, the issue isn’t simply “they didn’t prepare enough”. The issue is how this exam is constructed.’

 

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