The University of Law has guaranteed places on its Solicitors Qualifying Exam preparation course for graduates from four universities, as training providers prepare for the introduction of the ‘super-exam’.

The University of Southampton, the University of Surrey, the University of Leicester, and Birkbeck, University of London, have all struck agreements with the University of Law. The partnerships will mean students can automatically progress onto ULaw’s SQE course after graduation.

The university already has existing partnerships with the University of Chester, the University of East Anglia, the University of Exeter, the University of Reading, the University of Liverpool, and the University of Sheffield.

So far, most UK law schools have not disclosed what, if any, impact the SQE will have on undergraduate courses. A study by Dr Andrew Gilbert, senior law lecturer at the Open University, found that 61% of law schools make no mention of the SQE on their websites and three quarters do not indicate that the shake-up will affect their courses from autumn 2021.

The new examination has yet to be formally approved by the Legal Services Board. The super-regulator is expected to make a decision by the end of the month.