SQE resits: how many attempts do you get?

Short answer: three attempts per part, and you have six years from your first sitting to use them. Miss a pass on one attempt and you still have others left. Run out, and the standard SRA route closes to you for that part.

That is the rule in full. But the details around it, what the six years actually cover and what happens if you exhaust your chances, matter just as much as the headline number. Here is what to know before you book a resit.

The core rule: 3 attempts, 6 years

The SRA allows candidates three attempts at each part of the SQE. SQE1 and SQE2 are counted separately, so you get up to three attempts at SQE1 and, once you pass it, up to three more at SQE2.

The six-year window runs from the date of your first sitting. Every attempt at both parts has to fall inside that window. It is one clock covering the whole journey, not six years per part and not a fresh clock each time you resit.

That timeline is generous compared with a single exam cycle, but it is not infinite. If you space sittings out, take breaks for work or personal reasons, or need more than one attempt at a part, the years can go quicker than expected. It is worth mapping your likely path against the SQE dates calendar early, rather than assuming the clock has plenty of room left.

You cannot resit a pass

One rule catches people out: once you have passed a part of the SQE, that result stands. You cannot sit it again to try for a better outcome, and no resit attempt is available for a part you have already passed.

This matters for planning. Some candidates wonder whether a narrow pass is worth retaking to feel more secure about it. It is not an option. Once a part is passed, it is done, and your remaining attempts, if you have any, only apply to whichever part you have not yet passed.

It also means the three-attempts rule is really about failure, not preference. You are not choosing whether to resit; you are given a fixed number of chances to land a pass.

What happens if you exhaust your attempts

If you fail a part three times, the standard route to qualification through that part is no longer open to you. There is no routine fourth attempt built into the rules.

If you think you are approaching this position, the SRA is the authoritative source on what, if anything, applies to your specific circumstances, and it is worth a direct conversation with them or with a careers adviser at your course provider rather than relying on general guidance like this post.

Running out of attempts, or running out of time within the six-year window, is a serious outcome, which is why it should shape your approach from the first sitting rather than only after a fail. Practically, that pushes two things up the priority list:

• Treat your first attempt at each part as the one you want to pass, not a trial run to "see how it goes."
• If a first attempt does not go to plan, use the result to diagnose specifically what went wrong before booking the next sitting, rather than resitting on the same preparation that did not work the first time.

Resit fees

Resits are not discounted. You pay the standard fee for whatever you are resitting, at whatever the current SRA fee is when you book. SQE1 is priced per paper, so if you only failed one of FLK1 or FLK2 you pay for that paper alone, not the full SQE1 fee; fail both and you pay for both again. SQE2 is priced as a whole, so an SQE2 resit means the full SQE2 fee. For the current fee amounts, including the September 2026 increase, see what the SQE costs or check the SRA's current fee page directly, since these are regulator-set and can change between sittings.

Because a resit fee is a real possibility for a meaningful share of candidates, it is worth budgeting for one from the start rather than treating it as a shock. Setting aside even a modest resit fund before your first sitting takes some of the financial pressure off if things do not go to plan.

How to reduce the chance you need a resit

Since resits cost time, money, and a chunk of your six-year window, most candidates are better served by reducing the odds of needing one than by planning around having one. A few things that tend to help:

1. Use your diagnostic results properly. If you fail, the breakdown of your result tells you roughly where the gaps were. Go back to that rather than re-studying everything evenly.
2. Space repetition, don't cram. A free SQE study planner that spreads topics out over weeks, rather than one that front-loads everything into a final sprint, tends to produce steadier recall on exam day.
3. Treat mocks as a rehearsal for the real format, not just content review. SQE1's time pressure and SQE2's stamina demands both catch people who only ever studied the material in isolation.
4. Book with realistic prep time, not the earliest available date. Booking a sitting because it is the next one on the calendar, rather than because your preparation is actually on track, is a common route to an avoidable fail.
5. Check pass rate context for the sitting you're planning around. Rates vary between January and July sittings and between cohorts; our piece on cohort pass rates explains why the numbers move and what that does and doesn't tell you about your own chances.

Frequently asked questions

How many times can you resit the SQE?

Three attempts per part (SQE1 and SQE2 counted separately), within a six-year window that starts from your first sitting.

Does a fail on SQE1 use up an SQE2 attempt too?

No. The two parts have separate attempt counts. You get up to three attempts at SQE1 and, once you pass it, up to three separate attempts at SQE2.

Can I resit the SQE if I already passed it?

No. Once you have passed a part, you cannot resit it. Your remaining attempts, if any, only apply to a part you have not yet passed.

What happens after three failed attempts at the same part?

The standard SRA route to qualification through that part is closed to you. If you are approaching this situation, speak directly to the SRA or a careers adviser about what options remain.

Is there a discount on the resit fee?

No. Each attempt, including a resit, is charged at the standard fee for that component. SQE1 is priced per paper, so resitting only FLK1 or only FLK2 costs less than the full SQE1 fee; SQE2 always costs the full SQE2 fee. Check the SRA's current fee page before booking, since fees can change between sittings, most recently rising from September 2026.