QLTS vs SQE: what replaced what

If you trained as a lawyer outside England and Wales and you're trying to work out whether you need the QLTS or the SQE, here's the short version: the QLTS is gone. The SQE is the only route into the profession now, for foreign-qualified lawyers and everyone else. A lot of pages still floating around the internet describe the QLTS as if it's a live option, and that's simply out of date.

This post sets out what the QLTS actually was, when it closed, and what to do with any QLTS-related qualifications or exam passes you might already hold.

The short version

• The QLTS (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme) was the previous route for foreign-qualified lawyers to requalify as solicitors of England and Wales. It's now closed: the SQE became the SRA's single qualification route on 1 September 2021, and the final deadline to complete admission via the QLTS transitional arrangements was 31 March 2024.
• The SQE has been the SRA's single qualification route since September 2021, and that applies to foreign-qualified lawyers just as it applies to UK law graduates.
• If you passed part of the old QLTS, that doesn't automatically transfer into an SQE exemption, and a QLTS MCT pass on its own is unlikely to be treated as equivalent to SQE1. You have to apply for exemption and get it confirmed by the SRA, with evidence beyond the MCT result.
• Some overseas qualifications and experience can still shorten the SQE journey, particularly around SQE2 and qualifying work experience (QWE), but the mechanism for getting there is different from how QLTS worked.

What the QLTS actually was

The QLTS ran for years as the standard way for lawyers qualified in another jurisdiction, whether a US state, an EU member state, a Commonwealth country, or elsewhere, to convert their existing qualification into an England and Wales solicitor qualification without starting from scratch.

It had its own structure: a Multiple Choice Test (MCT) covering legal knowledge, and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) covering practical skills, similar in spirit to what SQE1 and SQE2 do now. Candidates could sometimes get exemptions from parts of it based on their existing qualifications and experience, assessed case by case.

When the QLTS closed and why

The QLTS stopped taking new candidates when the SRA introduced the SQE as the single qualification route for everyone, solicitors trained abroad included, from 1 September 2021. The SRA's stated reasoning was consistency: rather than running a separate assessment for foreign-qualified candidates alongside the domestic route, it folded requalification into the same SQE1 and SQE2 framework that UK candidates use, with exemptions available where they're justified.

It wasn't an overnight cutoff for everyone already partway through, though. The SRA ran transitional arrangements for people who'd passed the QLTS MCT but not the OSCE before the SQE launched, giving them a window to finish the OSCE (or sit SQE2 as an equivalent) and apply for admission. That window closed for good on 31 March 2024, which was the final deadline to apply for admission via the QLTS route.

That means there's no parallel QLTS-style scheme still quietly running in the background today. If you're starting your requalification now, the SQE is where you start, not the QLTS.

Is the QLTS still available at all?

No. It's not possible to newly enrol in or sit the QLTS, and the transitional deadline for finishing an in-progress QLTS application (31 March 2024) has also passed. Any page, forum thread, or old advice suggesting you can still take the QLTS MCT or OSCE, or still finish an in-progress QLTS application, is describing a route that no longer exists. If you're seeing that kind of guidance, check the date on it. A lot of QLTS-era content is still indexed and ranks well in search results despite being years out of date, which is exactly the kind of thing worth double-checking against the SRA's own current guidance before you plan around it.

If you already completed the QLTS in full and were admitted as a solicitor, that admission stands. This is only about people who hadn't finished, or hadn't started, before the route and its transitional deadlines closed.

What happens if you already passed part of the QLTS

This is the part that trips people up most. If you sat and passed the QLTS MCT, or completed part of the OSCE, before the scheme closed, that pass doesn't automatically convert into an SQE exemption. It isn't carried over in the background the way some outdated advice implies.

Instead, you need to apply to the SRA for exemption, and the SRA assesses your situation individually. Here's the part that catches people out: a QLTS MCT pass on its own is not treated as equivalent to SQE1, because SQE1 covers procedural subjects (including business law and practice, wills and administration of estates, property practice, dispute resolution, and criminal practice) that the MCT didn't test. The SRA's own guidance is that MCT candidates are unlikely to get an SQE1 exemption from the MCT result alone, though it can be used as part of a wider evidence base if you contact the SRA before applying. Don't assume a QLTS MCT pass gets you out of SQE1. Confirm your position with the SRA directly rather than relying on what may have been true under the old scheme.

If your QLTS progress or professional background is genuinely relevant to your case, it's worth raising it directly with the SRA rather than relying on general guidance like this one, since exemption decisions are made on individual facts.

How foreign-qualified lawyers requalify under the SQE now

For anyone requalifying today, the practical shape looks like this:

1. Check your exemption eligibility. Foreign-qualified lawyers with existing professional qualifications and experience may be able to apply for exemption from some SQE assessments, most commonly SQE2, depending on their jurisdiction and background. This is assessed individually by the SRA, not granted automatically.
2. Prepare for and sit whichever SQE assessments you're not exempt from. For many overseas-qualified lawyers this ends up being mainly SQE1, since SQE1 tests functional legal knowledge that can differ significantly between jurisdictions, while relevant practical experience elsewhere may support an SQE2 exemption request.
3. Confirm your QWE position. Foreign-qualified lawyers are generally exempt from the standard two-year qualifying work experience requirement, since their existing professional practice already stands in for it, but this again depends on individual circumstances and SRA confirmation rather than being automatic for everyone.
4. Meet the SRA's character and suitability requirement, which applies to every candidate regardless of route.

If your situation is even slightly unusual (dual qualifications, a jurisdiction not commonly seen by the SRA, gaps in practice), raise it with the SRA directly rather than assume a general description like this covers your case.

Why this confusion is so persistent

The SQE launched in September 2021, and QLTS-era content from before that date is still widely published and indexed. Search results for "requalify as a solicitor" or "foreign lawyer UK" can easily surface pages written when the QLTS was current, with no update flagging that the scheme has since closed.

If you're comparing course providers, forums, or older guides, check the publication or last-updated date before trusting anything that mentions the QLTS as an active option. The rule of thumb is simple: if a source treats the QLTS as something you can currently sit, it's out of date.

Planning your SQE route as a foreign-qualified candidate

Once you know which parts of the SQE you actually need to sit, the planning question becomes the same one every candidate faces: fitting exam prep, booking windows, and any outstanding QWE requirement into a realistic timeline. Current SQE sitting dates are worth checking early, since booking windows for both SQE1 and SQE2 close well ahead of each sitting. It's also worth reading what the SQE actually costs, since assessment fees rise from September 2026 and, if you only need SQE1, your total spend can look quite different from a candidate sitting both parts.

A free SQE study planner can help you lay out exam prep against your exemption applications and any remaining QWE confirmation, so you're not making these decisions one at a time as deadlines approach.

Frequently asked questions

Is the QLTS still available in 2026? No. The QLTS stopped taking new candidates when the SQE became the SRA's single qualification route in September 2021, and the final deadline for anyone finishing an in-progress QLTS application was 31 March 2024. It's not possible to newly enrol in, sit, or complete the QLTS now.

What replaced the QLTS? The SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) replaced the QLTS, alongside replacing the LPC and training contract route for UK-trained candidates. Foreign-qualified lawyers now requalify through SQE1 and SQE2, with exemptions available where relevant.

If I passed the QLTS MCT, do I get an automatic SQE1 exemption? No, and it's not likely even on application. A QLTS MCT pass alone is not treated as equivalent to SQE1, since SQE1 covers several procedural subjects the MCT didn't test. You'd need to apply to the SRA and provide evidence well beyond the MCT result, and exemption from a whole SQE1 assessment isn't granted lightly. Confirm your specific position with the SRA before assuming anything.

Do foreign-qualified lawyers still need to complete QWE? Generally, foreign-qualified lawyers with recognised professional experience elsewhere are exempt from the standard two-year qualifying work experience requirement, but this is assessed on individual circumstances and confirmed by the SRA rather than automatic for every applicant.

Where can I check my exact exemption position? Directly with the SRA. Exemption and QWE decisions depend on your specific jurisdiction, qualification, and experience, so general guidance (including this post) is a starting point, not a substitute for an individual check with the regulator.