First heading
Short answer: most people need 350 to 700 hours of focused study for SQE1, depending on their background. If you study 15 to 20 hours a week, that's about five to six months for a law graduate, and longer if you haven't studied law before. Below you'll find how to work out your own number, and a dated 26-week plan for the July 2027 sitting that you can follow week by week.
If you'd rather have a plan built around your own exam date, hours and weak subjects, use our free SQE study planner. It takes about a minute.
How long should you study for SQE1?
There's no official figure. The SRA doesn't publish recommended study hours, and every candidate starts from a different place. The guidance you'll see most often from careers sites and prep providers is 15 to 20 hours a week for five to six months, with many part-time courses running over 12 to 18 months.
Here are our planning estimates by background, and what they mean in weeks:
| Your background | Total study hours | At 15 hours a week | At 20 hours a week | Full time (35 hours a week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law degree, finished in the last 3 years | 350 to 450 | 24 to 30 weeks | 18 to 23 weeks | 10 to 13 weeks |
| Law degree, finished longer ago | 420 to 520 | 28 to 35 weeks | 21 to 26 weeks | 12 to 15 weeks |
| Law conversion course (GDL, PGDL or similar) | 380 to 480 | 26 to 32 weeks | 19 to 24 weeks | 11 to 14 weeks |
| Non-law degree, no formal legal study | 550 to 700 | 37 to 47 weeks | 28 to 35 weeks | 16 to 20 weeks |
| Qualified lawyer from another jurisdiction | 320 to 440 | 22 to 30 weeks | 16 to 22 weeks | 10 to 13 weeks |
These are LawSquads estimates, not SRA figures. Treat them as a starting point: if you work in a legal role, you can usually take a little off; if you're anxious about several subjects, add some on.
Why it's worth planning properly
SQE1 isn't an exam you can cram for. Three reasons to give yourself enough time:
- Pass rates are low. In January 2026, 53% of candidates passed SQE1 (58% of first-timers). In July 2026 it was 42% (47% of first-timers). Read our breakdown of the July 2026 SQE1 results.
- It's expensive. The SQE1 fee is £2,006 for bookings made from October 2026, and you pay again for any part you resit. Our SQE cost calculator adds up the full bill.
- Attempts are limited. You can sit each part of SQE1 a maximum of three times within six years of your first attempt, and you can only book a resit once you have your previous result.
It's also a long exam. From January 2027, each of the two papers (FLK1 and FLK2) has 170 questions, split into two sessions of 85, and each session lasts 2 hours 33 minutes. That's about 1 minute 48 seconds per question, so speed has to be practised, not just knowledge. Our guide to the January 2027 SQE1 changes explains which subjects sit in which session.
Key dates for 2027
| Sitting | FLK1 | FLK2 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | 11 to 15 January 2027 | 18 to 22 January 2027 | Booking closes 23 November 2026. Results on 9 March 2027. |
| July 2027 | 12 to 16 July 2027 | 19 to 23 July 2027 | Check the SRA website for booking dates. |
Sitting in January 2027? That's about nine weeks away. It's realistic only if you've already been through the syllabus once. In that case, follow the eight-week revision plan in our January 2027 changes guide. If you're starting from scratch, July 2027 is the better target.
Your 26-week SQE1 study plan for July 2027
This plan starts on Monday 11 January 2027 and finishes the week before FLK1 begins on 12 July. At 15 to 20 hours a week it gives you 390 to 520 hours, which suits most law and conversion graduates. If you're a non-law graduate, start earlier (late 2026) and give each subject in weeks 1 to 15 about a week and a half.
It has four phases: learn (weeks 1 to 15), practise (weeks 16 to 21), mocks (weeks 22 to 24) and final review (weeks 25 and 26).
| Week | Dates | Focus | By the end of the week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 to 17 Jan | Set-up, Legal System of England and Wales, Legal Services | Plan made, 30 untimed practice questions done to see the style |
| 2 | 18 to 24 Jan | Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law | Notes finished, 40 practice questions |
| 3 | 25 to 31 Jan | Contract | Formation to remedies covered, 50 questions |
| 4 | 1 to 7 Feb | Tort | Negligence, other torts and defences covered, 50 questions |
| 5 | 8 to 14 Feb | Business Law and Practice (part 1) | Business structures and company law covered |
| 6 | 15 to 21 Feb | Business Law and Practice (part 2) | Finance, insolvency and tax covered, 60 questions |
| 7 | 22 to 28 Feb | Dispute Resolution (part 1) | Pre-action to case management covered |
| 8 | 1 to 7 Mar | Dispute Resolution (part 2) | Evidence, trial, costs and enforcement covered; first timed 85-question FLK1 set |
| 9 | 8 to 14 Mar | Land Law | Estates, registration, co-ownership, leases, mortgages, easements and covenants covered |
| 10 | 15 to 21 Mar | Property Practice (part 1) | Investigating title to exchange covered |
| 11 | 22 to 28 Mar | Property Practice (part 2), Solicitors Accounts | Completion, leases, planning and the accounts rules covered |
| 12 | 29 Mar to 4 Apr | Trusts | Creation, trustees' duties and breach covered, 50 questions |
| 13 | 5 to 11 Apr | Wills and the Administration of Estates | Wills, intestacy and administration covered |
| 14 | 12 to 18 Apr | Criminal Liability | Offences, defences and participation covered |
| 15 | 19 to 25 Apr | Criminal Law and Practice | Police station to sentencing covered; first timed 85-question FLK2 set |
| 16 | 26 Apr to 2 May | FLK1 session 1 subjects: BLP, Dispute Resolution, Legal Services | Mixed sets daily, one timed 85-question session |
| 17 | 3 to 9 May | FLK1 session 2 subjects: Contract, Tort, legal systems | Mixed sets daily, one timed session |
| 18 | 10 to 16 May | FLK2 session 1 subjects: Wills, Trusts, Land Law, Solicitors Accounts | Mixed sets daily, one timed session |
| 19 | 17 to 23 May | FLK2 session 2 subjects: Property Practice, Criminal Liability, Criminal Law and Practice, Solicitors Accounts | Mixed sets daily, one timed session |
| 20 | 24 to 30 May | Your two weakest sessions | Error log reviewed, weakest topics relearned |
| 21 | 31 May to 6 Jun | Buffer week | Catch up on anything that slipped; rest if you're on track |
| 22 | 7 to 13 Jun | Full FLK1 mock | Both sessions sat under exam timings, every wrong answer reviewed |
| 23 | 14 to 20 Jun | Full FLK2 mock | Both sessions sat under exam timings, every wrong answer reviewed |
| 24 | 21 to 27 Jun | Fix what the mocks showed | Weak topics relearned, second mock of your weaker paper |
| 25 | 28 Jun to 4 Jul | Final review | Short timed mixed sets each day, error log and ethics |
| 26 | 5 to 11 Jul | Light week | Short sets only, travel and ID sorted, early nights |
Between FLK1 and FLK2, use the weekend for short FLK2 sets and your error log, not new material.
Ethics and professional conduct isn't in the table because it shouldn't be a separate block. It can come up in any session, so add a few ethics questions to every practice set from week 1.
What a good study week looks like
Fifteen hours a week sounds a lot, but it fits around a full-time job if you protect it. A typical week:
- Monday to Thursday: 2 hours each evening. Learn the week's topic in the first hour, then do 15 to 20 questions on it.
- Saturday: 4 to 5 hours. A longer question set, then review every wrong answer.
- Sunday: 2 hours. Recap the week and add anything you got wrong to your error log.
- Every day: one quick question, for example our SQE question of the day.
In the learning phase, spend about two-thirds of your time on learning and one-third on questions. From week 16, flip it: most of your time should go on questions and reviewing them.
How to review your mistakes
Doing thousands of questions doesn't help if you don't learn from the wrong ones. For each mistake, note the reason:
- Knowledge gap: you didn't know the rule. Relearn it and do five more questions on it.
- Misread facts: you missed a date, a name or a detail. Slow down on the facts.
- Misread lead-in: you answered a different question. Read the last line first.
- Timing: you ran out of time or rushed. Practise with checkpoints, roughly 28 questions every 51 minutes.
Look at your log each Sunday. The patterns tell you what to fix next week.
Signs you should move your exam date
Moving to a later sitting costs less than a resit. Consider it if, by week 22, your mock scores are well below where you'd like them, if you've lost more than three weeks to work or illness, or if you haven't covered every subject at least once. Our SQE mocks and quick quiz help you check where you are.
Want a plan made for you?
Our free SQE study planner builds a dated timetable from your exam date, background, weekly hours and weak subjects.
If you'd like help from a tutor, book a 15-minute consultation. After the call, we'll send you a free plan of action: a week-by-week timetable built around what you've told us, and the next step we'd recommend. If you'd like to study with others, our SQE squads are small groups that work through the syllabus together.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours a day should I study for SQE1?
If you work full time, about 2 hours on weekday evenings plus a longer session at the weekend gets you to 15 hours a week. If you study full time, 5 to 7 focused hours a day is plenty. Beyond that, most people stop taking much in.
Can I prepare for SQE1 in 3 months?
Only if you can study close to full time and already have a strong law background. By our estimates, a recent law graduate studying 35 hours a week needs about 10 to 13 weeks. If you work full time, three months is rarely enough.
How long should a non-law graduate study for SQE1?
Plan for 550 to 700 hours. That's about 28 to 35 weeks at 20 hours a week, or 37 to 47 weeks at 15 hours a week. If you work, start at least nine months before your exam.
Should I study FLK1 and FLK2 at the same time?
Most people learn the FLK1 subjects first, then the FLK2 subjects, then revise both together. The two papers are sat a week apart, so your last weeks of practice should mix both.
When should I start doing SQE1 practice questions?
From week 1. Do a few questions on each topic as soon as you've learned it. Once you've covered all the subjects in a session, move on to mixed, timed sets of 85 questions.
Is it too late to book SQE1 for January 2027?
Booking for the January 2027 sitting closes on 23 November 2026. If you haven't started studying yet, the July 2027 sitting (FLK1 from 12 July) gives you a more realistic run-in.
How many times can I resit SQE1?
You can sit each part (FLK1 and FLK2) up to three times within six years of your first attempt. You can only book a resit once you have your previous result.
Sources
- SRA: SQE assessment dates and timings
- SRA: SQE fees from October 2026
- SRA: Important changes to SQE1 for January 2027 onwards
- SRA: SQE resits
- SRA: SQE1 January 2026 results published
- LawCareers.Net: SQE1 pass rate falls to 42% in latest sitting
- LawCareers.Net: How to successfully prepare for the SQE assessments