1,342 candidates sat latest assessment
The latest Solicitors Qualifying Examination 2 (SQE2) results are in, with the overall pass rate climbing to 78% in the October 2025 sitting.
A total of 1,342 candidates sat the assessment between 30 October and 14 November, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s latest statistical report published this week. Of those candidates, just over three quarters were successful, continuing SQE2’s run of relatively strong outcomes.
The 78% figure represents a two percentage point increase on the previous July/August sitting, which recorded a 76% overall pass rate.
First-time candidates performed slightly better than the cohort as a whole, achieving a 79% pass rate.
SQE2 consists of 16 stations, including 12 written assessments and four oral exercises, designed to test practical legal skills alongside the application of functioning legal knowledge. Candidates can only attempt SQE2 once they have passed SQE1 or secured an exemption. While SQE1 pass rates have fluctuated in recent sittings, SQE2 continues to deliver results in the high seventies.
As in previous reports, the diversity data reveals persistent attainment gaps across certain groups. White candidates recorded an 85% pass rate, compared with 75% for Asian candidates and 63% for Black candidates. Candidates whose first language is English achieved an 81% pass rate, while those whose first language is not English recorded a 70% pass rate, maintaining a noticeable differential.
Candidates holding a first-class undergraduate degree achieved an 89% pass rate, compared with 77% for those with a 2:1 and 46% for candidates with a 2:2. Age also showed variation in outcomes, with 16 to 24 year olds achieving an 87% pass rate, compared with 76% among those aged 25 to 34.
One of the more eye-catching findings concerns qualifying work experience. Candidates who had not undertaken QWE achieved a higher pass rate of 84%, compared with 74% among those who had completed QWE. The reasons behind this gap are not explored in the report, though timing and preparation patterns may play a role.
