SQE1: January or July sitting?

SQE1 runs twice a year, in January and in July. On paper the two sittings look identical: same format, same fee, same pass mark. In practice they are not the same bet.

In 2025, the January sitting had a 56% pass rate. The July sitting had 41%. That is not a rounding difference, and it is worth understanding why before you pick a date.

This isn't about finding a "lucky" sitting. It's about matching the sitting to your prep time, your work situation and your QWE plans. Here is how to think it through.

The 2025 pass-rate gap, and what it probably means

The SRA publishes pass rates after every sitting. For SQE1 in 2025:

• January: 56% overall pass rate (60% for first-time sitters)
• July: 41% overall pass rate (46% for first-time sitters), the lowest SQE1 result on record so far

A 15-point swing is large for an exam that is meant to test the same knowledge either way. Nobody outside the SRA knows the exact cause with certainty, but a few patterns show up consistently across cohorts.

Cohort composition changes over the year. January sitters often include candidates who have been studying since the previous autumn on a steady plan. July pulls in a wider mix, including people racing to finish before summer deadlines. Resit density also shifts: candidates who narrowly failed January often resit in July, and second attempts can go either way. And July collides with graduation season. For students finishing a degree, a PGDL or an LLM, July is often the first sitting they're eligible for, right as dissertations, finals and moving house are also happening.

None of this means July is a bad sitting for everyone. It means the July cohort, on average, arrives with less consolidated prep time. If your circumstances don't match that pattern, the gap matters less to you personally than it does to the average sitter.

Read the numbers behind every recent sitting, not just SQE1, in pass rates decoded.

What actually drives the gap: time, not the calendar

The date on the exam paper doesn't cause a lower pass rate. Preparation time does. January and July only matter because of what typically happens in the months before each one.

Think about it as available weeks rather than which season you'd prefer:

If you're finishing a degree or conversion course, July is often your only realistic option for your first sitting; you simply aren't eligible earlier. In that case, the fix isn't switching sittings, it's protecting study time deliberately once term-time competing demands (dissertations, finals) are behind you, even if that only leaves a tighter runway.

If you're working full-time and self-funding, you get to choose more freely. A January sitting gives you the autumn to build a study routine without summer holidays, weddings and long daylight evenings pulling at your schedule. A July sitting gives you spring and early summer, which some people find easier to protect because there's no Christmas break disrupting momentum.

If you failed a sitting and are resitting, the calendar question becomes: how many weeks until the next window, and can you honestly close your gaps in that time? Six months, January to July or July to the following January, is usually enough if you know precisely what went wrong. It's tight but workable if your revision is targeted rather than starting from scratch.

A widely-cited benchmark puts SQE1 preparation at around 300 to 400 hours of focused study, though the right number for you depends on your background. For someone working full-time, that's roughly 10 to 15 hours a week over about six months. Whichever sitting you pick, work backwards from that number. Count the actual weeks you have, subtract holidays and known busy periods, and see whether the hours add up. A study planner that lays out weeks against your syllabus makes this concrete instead of a vague feeling of "I should be fine."

QWE timing: does the sitting date matter?

Qualifying work experience (QWE) runs on its own clock, separate from SQE1 and SQE2. You need the equivalent of two years full-time QWE, gained across up to four organisations, signed off by a solicitor or compliance officer for legal practice (COLP). You can accumulate QWE before, during or after your SQE assessments.

That flexibility means the SQE1 sitting you choose doesn't lock in your QWE timeline. What it does affect is sequencing:

• If you're doing a training contract or a structured graduate scheme, your QWE clock is usually tied to your employer's start date, not your exam date. Picking January or July mostly comes down to when the firm expects you to sit it.
• If you're building QWE informally, through paralegal work, a legal clinic or multiple part-time roles, the gap between SQE1 and SQE2 matters more than which specific sitting you choose. SQE2 now runs four times a year (January, April, July and October), giving more flexibility to fit around wherever your QWE stands.
• Passing SQE1 doesn't require any QWE at all. You can sit and pass with zero hours logged, then build QWE afterwards while preparing for SQE2. Plenty of candidates do exactly this.

In short: pick your SQE1 sitting based on prep readiness first. QWE is patient and can be arranged around almost any exam date.

Booking mechanics: don't let the calendar decide for you

Whichever sitting you're leaning towards, a few practical points apply either way:

1. Booking windows close roughly five weeks before the sitting. Waiting to "see how prep goes" before booking can mean losing your preferred test centre or, in a bad year, the sitting itself if it fills up.
2. Sitting dates are published around 12 months in advance. Check the SRA's official SQE dates for 2026 and 2027 rather than guessing from last year's calendar, since exact weeks shift slightly year to year.
3. Results take five to six weeks to come back. If you're weighing "January now, resit in July if needed" against "wait and sit July first," factor that delay into your real preparation weeks for the second option.
4. Fees are reviewed periodically. Always check the SRA's current fee page before booking. For the full cost picture including prep courses, see what the SQE actually costs.

So, January or July?

There's no universally "better" sitting. There is a better sitting for your situation, and it usually comes down to three questions:

1. How many focused weeks do I genuinely have before each date? Count them, don't estimate them.
2. Am I eligible for both, or does my degree, conversion course or job only leave one option realistically open?
3. If I'm resitting, is the gap long enough to fix specific, named weaknesses, not just "study more"?

Answer those honestly and the January-versus-July question mostly answers itself. The 2025 pass-rate gap is real and worth knowing about, but it describes an average cohort, not you individually. A candidate with a genuinely solid six-month run at July can easily outperform a January sitter who started prep late.

If you want a simple way to map your own weeks against the syllabus before you commit to a date, the free SQE study planner lays out what's realistic between now and either sitting.

Frequently asked questions

Is SQE1 January easier than July? The 2025 data shows a higher pass rate in January (56%) than July (41%), but this reflects cohort patterns, such as more resits and graduation-season time pressure in July, rather than the exam itself being different. Your own preparation time matters more than the calendar month.

How many times a year can you sit SQE1? SQE1 runs twice a year, in January and July. This is different from SQE2, which now runs four times a year: January, April, July and October.

Can I do QWE before passing SQE1? Yes. QWE can be gained before, during or after your SQE assessments, across up to four organisations, and confirmed by a solicitor or COLP. There's no requirement to complete QWE before sitting SQE1.

When should I book my SQE1 sitting? Booking windows typically close about five weeks before the sitting date, and dates are published roughly a year ahead. Book as soon as you're confident in your preparation timeline, since centres and slots can fill up closer to the deadline.

What if I fail SQE1 in July, when can I resit? The next sitting after July is the following January, giving you roughly six months. You get three attempts per part within a six-year window from your first sitting, so use the gap to target specific weak areas rather than restarting your whole revision plan.