SQE vs LPC: which route, and is the LPC dead?

If you're asking "SQE or LPC," the honest answer is that for almost everyone starting out now, there isn't really a choice left to make. The SQE has been the default route to qualifying as a solicitor of England and Wales since September 2021, and the LPC route is only open to a shrinking group who were already on it before the switch. Here's what actually separates the two routes, who still qualifies for LPC transitional arrangements, and why cost and structure look so different.

The short version

• The SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) is the SRA's single assessment route for everyone starting their qualification journey from September 2021 onwards.
• The LPC (Legal Practice Course) was the taught, provider-run course that used to sit between a law degree or conversion course and a training contract.
• LPC transitional arrangements exist for people who were already partway through the old system when the SQE launched, not for new starters.
• If you're only now researching how to qualify, you're almost certainly looking at the SQE, whether or not you'd have preferred the LPC.

Why the SQE replaced the LPC

The SRA introduced the SQE to standardise how solicitors qualify. Under the old system, the LPC was taught and assessed by individual course providers, so standards and content could vary between institutions even though everyone ended up with the same qualification. The SQE centralises assessment: everyone sits the same SQE1 and SQE2 exams, set and marked externally, regardless of which prep course they used to get ready. It also doesn't require a qualifying law degree or a traditional training contract, replacing the latter with qualifying work experience (QWE), a change the SRA framed as widening access to the profession.

September 2021 is the reference point most people mean when they say "the SQE replaced the LPC." From that date, it became the standard route for anyone starting their qualification. It didn't retroactively invalidate qualifications already earned, and it didn't force everyone mid-course onto the new system overnight, which is where transitional arrangements come in.

Is the LPC still valid?

For people who already hold an LPC, or who were already enrolled on one before the cutover, yes, that route generally remains valid to complete. The SRA built transitional provisions specifically so students and firms who had planned their training around the old system weren't left stranded when the SQE launched. Once you're admitted as a solicitor, the Roll doesn't distinguish between someone who qualified via the LPC and training contract route and someone who qualified via SQE1, SQE2, and QWE. It's the same qualification either way.

But the practical window for starting the LPC route from scratch has effectively closed. If you haven't already started an LPC or locked in a training contract under the old system, you won't be able to begin that route now. New candidates go through the SQE.

The rules on exactly who qualifies for transitional treatment, and the precise deadlines that applied, are detailed and depend on when you started your course, your degree, and your training contract status. If any part of your situation involves a training contract or LPC study that began around September 2021, don't rely on a summary like this one. Check your position directly with the SRA or your course provider, since this is exactly the kind of eligibility detail that's easy to get wrong from memory.

Structure: what actually differs

The two routes are built very differently, which is part of why comparing "cost" or "difficulty" between them isn't quite apples to apples.

The LPC route, broadly: a qualifying law degree (or a non-law degree plus a conversion course), then the LPC itself, a taught, coursework- and exam-assessed course typically running one year full-time, then a two-year training contract at a firm, usually offered before or during the LPC, then admission.

The SQE route, broadly: a degree in any subject (no law degree required, though most non-law graduates still do a conversion course in practice), then SQE1 (360 multiple-choice questions across two days), then SQE2 (sixteen practical skills stations over roughly five half-days), plus two years of qualifying work experience (QWE) that can run before, during, or after the exams and be split across up to four organisations, signed off by a solicitor or compliance officer. Admission follows once SQE1, SQE2, QWE, and the character and suitability requirement are all satisfied.

The biggest structural shift is the work experience piece. A training contract was a single, fixed, usually firm-offered two-year placement. QWE is more flexible on paper: it can be pieced together from multiple roles, including work done before you start SQE prep. Whether that flexibility helps in practice depends on how you're getting into the profession, since firms with structured graduate schemes still tend to offer something that looks a lot like a traditional training contract.

Cost: the comparison is not as simple as "SQE is cheaper"

You'll often see the SQE described as the cheaper route, and the assessment fees alone back that up. The LPC itself typically ran into five figures at many providers, on top of a conversion course if you needed one. The SQE's own SRA assessment fees are lower by comparison: SQE1 and SQE2 together currently total £4,908, rising to £5,092 from September 2026.

But assessment fees are only part of the picture. Most candidates also pay for a prep course, and prep prices vary hugely, from budget self-study options up to well over £10,000 for full-service courses with a university-style structure. Add a conversion course if you're a non-law graduate, and total self-funded cost can end up closer to the old LPC route than the headline SQE fee suggests.

If cost is the deciding factor, it's worth working through the actual total for your situation rather than comparing headline numbers. What the SQE actually costs breaks the fees and prep-course price ranges down in more detail, and it's worth reading alongside the September 2026 fee change if your timeline puts you close to that date.

For recruitment purposes, most firms are now fully focused on the SQE route simply because that's what nearly all new candidates are on, but that doesn't disadvantage anyone qualifying under the transitional rules. The transitional period exists precisely so nobody is left worse off by the switch.

What this means for your planning

If you're at the very start of deciding how to qualify, the practical decision usually isn't "SQE or LPC," it's "how do I approach the SQE route well." That means mapping out SQE1 and SQE2 sittings, working out whether you need a conversion course, and figuring out how QWE fits around your finances and any job you're already in.

A free SQE study planner can help lay QWE, SQE1 prep, and SQE2 prep out on one timeline so you can see where they overlap and where they don't. It's worth checking the current SQE sitting dates early too, since booking windows close well before each exam and the earlier you plan, the more flexibility you have over when you sit.

Frequently asked questions

Is the LPC still valid in 2026? Yes, for people who already hold an LPC or were already on that route before the SQE became the default in September 2021. It's not a route new candidates can start now.

Can I still start the LPC instead of the SQE? No, not as a new starter. The window for beginning the LPC route from scratch has closed. Transitional arrangements only cover people already committed to the old system before the cutover.

What's the main difference between SQE and LPC? The LPC was a taught course assessed by individual providers, sitting between a law degree (or conversion course) and a training contract. The SQE is a single, centrally set and marked assessment (SQE1 and SQE2) combined with QWE, which is more flexible than a traditional training contract.

Is the SQE actually cheaper than the LPC? SRA assessment fees for the SQE are lower than typical LPC course fees. But once you add a prep course and, if needed, a conversion course, total self-funded cost can land closer to the old route than the headline SQE fee suggests.

Does it matter to employers which route I qualified through? Not once you're admitted. Both routes lead to the same qualification. Firms hiring now are focused almost entirely on the SQE route because that's what the vast majority of current candidates are on.