Candidates and their characteristics

We publish statistical reports following each of the SQE assessment sittings which take place every year. We also publish an annual report that includes information on how candidates performed in the different parts of the assessment. The report includes demographic information about the candidate cohort and how candidates in different groups performed.

The data shows that, generally:

Prior attainment

Candidates who have performed well in previous qualifications do better than others.

Ethnicity

White candidates and candidates of mixed/multiple ethnicities have higher pass rates than candidates of other ethnicities.

Disability

There is no difference in pass rates between those who tell us they have a disability and those who say they do not, or between those who have a reasonable adjustment and those who do not.

Age

Younger candidates have higher pass rates than older candidates.

Sex

Men have higher pass rates on SQE1and women have higher pass rates on SQE2.

Ethnicity and candidate performance

One of the objectives of the SQE was to remove unnecessary barriers to qualification, while also making sure all those who qualify meet the same, high standard. While the SQE on its own cannot diversify entry to the profession, by removing barriers, new and varied pathways are developing which can help to promote a diverse profession. For instance, there are more affordable training options and a greater range of earn-as-you-learn options.

Actions to address differential outcomes

Before the SQE was introduced, we commissioned research from the University of Exeter into the potential causes of differential outcomes by ethnicity in legal professional assessments. We did this because White candidates had higher completion rates on the LPC than other candidates (also seen in other sectors and at earlier stages in education).

We are working collaboratively with others to address the causes identified by the research, including by:

  • sharing good practice and research from within the legal and other sectors
  • understanding how firms recruit and retain new talent and how they monitor their success in doing so, to promote good practice
  • investigating how better to support training providers’ understanding of the types of question used in SQE1
  • exploring how to increase candidates' understanding of the assessments in order to improve performance
  • mapping how law schools and legal practices work together to support aspiring solicitors fulfil their goals and identifying gaps that could be filled.

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