SQE1 January 2025 results, analysed

The SRA published the SQE1 January 2025 results with two headline numbers: 56% overall, 60% first-time. If you're trying to work out what that means for your own chances, or you're just trying to read the report properly before the next one lands, this is a worked example of how to do that.

Rather than treat one sitting's results as a trivia fact, it's more useful to use them as a template. Once you know how to pull apart a single SQE1 release, you can apply the same reading to every sitting that follows.

The headline numbers

SQE1 January 2025 produced an overall pass rate of 56%. Among candidates sitting SQE1 for the first time, the rate was higher: 60%.

That four-point gap between the two figures is the first thing worth noticing, and it shows up in pretty much every SQE1 report, not just this one.

• Overall pass rate (56%): every candidate in that sitting, first-timers and resitters blended together.
• First-time pass rate (60%): only candidates sitting SQE1 for the first time.

If this is your first attempt, the first-time figure is the closer comparison. The overall figure gets pulled down by resitters, who pass at a lower rate than first-timers as a group, for reasons that have nothing to do with how demanding that particular sitting was.

Why two numbers, not one

Publishing only the overall rate would flatten two very different populations into one figure. First-time candidates and resitters are not equivalent groups. Someone sitting SQE1 again after an earlier fail is, by definition, someone who has already found it hard once. A cohort that includes more resitters will show a lower blended pass rate even if nothing about the exam itself has changed.

That's why the SRA breaks results down by first-time versus overall, and why a results explainer, or any decent article on the topic, should always quote both. A headline figure on its own tells you less than it looks like it does.

How January 2025 compares to other sittings

Read a single sitting's numbers in isolation and you risk treating one data point as a trend. SQE1's pass rate has moved noticeably between sittings before. January 2025's 56% overall (60% first-time) was followed by a lower result in July 2025, when the overall rate fell to 41% with first-timers at 46%, the weakest SQE1 sitting on record at that point.

That's a swing of 15 percentage points on the overall rate across two sittings roughly six months apart, on the same syllabus and format. A few things plausibly explain gaps of that size:

1. Cohort composition. The mix of first-timers to resitters isn't fixed. A sitting with proportionally more resitters will post a lower overall rate almost mechanically.
2. Who chooses to sit, and when. Training contract start dates, visa timelines and personal readiness all influence who sits in January versus July. That's a selection effect the headline number can't show you.
3. Normal variation between question sets. Standard-setting is designed to keep the pass mark comparable across different versions of the exam, but some sitting-to-sitting variation in difficulty should still be expected.

The SRA doesn't publish a breakdown attributing the swing to any single cause, so treat any one explanation as a plausible contributor rather than the whole story. The practical takeaway is simpler: one sitting's result is a snapshot of that sitting, not a fixed benchmark for the exam going forward.

What the January 2025 result does not tell you

A cohort pass rate describes a group. It doesn't describe you.

Knowing that 56% of January 2025 candidates passed says nothing about how well you know your own weak topics, how your mock scores are trending, or how much of the syllabus you've actually covered. Two candidates sitting the same exam on the same day can have wildly different odds based on preparation alone, and the published rate averages straight over that difference.

A pass rate tells you how one group performed. It can't tell you how you will.

That's not a reason to ignore the figure. It's useful context for calibrating expectations and for understanding how the exam has behaved historically. It's just not a substitute for tracking your own readiness.

A five-step method for reading any SQE1 results release

Use this checklist the next time a new SQE1 report lands, whichever sitting it covers.

• Find the first-time rate before the overall rate. If this is (or would be) your first sitting, the first-time figure is the more relevant comparison.
• Check which sitting it is. January and July results have differed by double-digit percentage points before. A recent result doesn't automatically predict the next one.
• Look at the trend across two or three sittings, not just one. A single number can be an outlier. A short run of results tells you more about direction.
• Note what the figure can't tell you. It's a cohort statistic, not a personal prediction.
• Cross-reference with SQE2 if you're early in your planning. SQE2 pass rates tend to sit higher, partly because only candidates who already passed SQE1 are eligible to sit it, so the two numbers aren't directly comparable.

Where to find the source data

The SRA publishes a statistical report after every SQE1 and SQE2 sitting, including the January 2025 SQE1 results, on its own website. That's the primary source, and it's worth checking directly rather than relying on a secondhand summary, since figures are sometimes revised or clarified after initial publication.

If you're tracking your own progress toward a future sitting rather than reading about a past one, a free SQE study planner that logs your syllabus coverage against the exam date gives you a far more personal signal than any cohort-wide percentage.

For the fuller picture across both SQE1 sittings in 2025 and how SQE2 compares, see SQE pass rates explained. For the cost and date planning that usually follows a results release, what the SQE costs and SQE dates for 2026-27 cover the practical next steps.

Frequently asked questions

What was the SQE1 pass rate in January 2025?

The overall pass rate for SQE1 January 2025 was 56%. Among candidates sitting SQE1 for the first time, the pass rate was 60%.

Why is the first-time pass rate higher than the overall pass rate?

The overall figure blends first-time candidates with resitters, and resitters pass at a lower rate as a group. That pulls the overall number below the first-time number in most sittings, not just January 2025.

How does January 2025 compare to other SQE1 sittings?

January 2025's 56% overall (60% first-time) was followed by a lower result in July 2025, when the overall rate dropped to 41% (46% first-time). SQE1 pass rates have moved noticeably between sittings, so one result shouldn't be treated as a fixed benchmark for the exam.

Does the January 2025 pass rate predict my own chances?

Not directly. A pass rate describes how one cohort performed as a group. It doesn't account for your own topic coverage, mock performance or preparation time, which matter far more to your individual result than any published percentage.

Where can I check the official SQE1 results data?

The SRA publishes a statistical report for every SQE1 and SQE2 sitting on its website. That's the primary source for pass rate figures, and it's the place to check for the most current numbers rather than relying on older summaries.