Many factors influencing performance remain unknown
A new report suggests that where you studied and how well you did at university remain the strongest predictors of performance in the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).
According to the SRA’s report published this week, university ranking and undergraduate degree classification together account for over 22% of the total explained variance in SQE1 scores, far outweighing any other candidate characteristic.
However, the research also shows that much of what drives SQE performance is still unknown. The analysis could explain only about one-third of SQE1 score variation, leaving two-thirds unaccounted for. For SQE2, roughly half of the variation remains unexplained.
This suggests that there are many factors influencing outcomes which are not captured by the current data, with the SRA pointing to other possible influences such as work experience quality, study support or personal circumstances.
The findings highlight the continuing impact of educational background on exam performance, with SQE candidates from higher-ranked universities and those with first-class or upper-second degrees tending to perform significantly better in both SQE1 and SQE2.
Ethnicity was also found to play a role, explaining around 7% of score variance in SQE1 and 4% in SQE2, reflecting patterns of differential outcomes seen in the old LPC and GDL. By contrast, disability status did not significantly affect performance, suggesting that reasonable adjustments are effective.
The SRA highlighted the fairness measures built into the SQE’s design with all written papers blind marked, and question writers receiving equality, diversity and inclusion training. “We can be confident that differences in score between groups are a genuine measure of performance,” the report states. “They are not a product of exam design or biased marking.”
The study concludes that while academic pedigree remains the most reliable predictor of SQE success, much about what drives exam performance is still unknown.
One factor likely to influence the results is the level of preparation students have undertaken for the exam. The regulator had previously pledged to publish pass rates for different preparation providers by “late 2023.” However, after a series of delays, the Legal Services Board (LSB) expressed concerns and set its own deadline of autumn 2025 for the data to be released.
Last month, Legal Cheek reported that just 41% of candidates passed the latest SQE1 sitting — the lowest pass rate on record. The SRA later published an explainer defending its use of multiple-choice questions, saying the exam “does not test simple recall” but rather measures how aspiring lawyers apply legal knowledge in real-life scenarios.
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