The Latest SQE2 Results - Trends and Analysis

It’s results season in the UK, with GCSE grades coming out last week for tens of thousands of young people across the country. However, there’s also another set of marks that have come out this week – the most recent set of results for the SQE (Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam).

This is the second part of the two-part exam, and, here at Douglas Scott Legal Recruitment, we’ve been keeping an eye on this for some time. So, with the results now out, we thought we’d look at what they all mean, and if there’s any interesting patterns that have developed in the next generation of newly-qualified solicitors.

Let’s start with the big number first – 77% of people who sat the exam in April passed, up from 71% in the previous cohort in October. While there has been some concern about the pass rate for the SQE in the past (as we have discussed), these results are showing a healthy upwards trend, as people come to understand the exam and how to pass it. To break these numbers down even more, for those who sat the exam for the first time, 80% passed, while the pass rate for those resitting the exam was slightly lower, at 77%. The results for those taking the exam for the first time are particularly impressive, and it looks like those who are now entering the system might be better prepared for the exam. Especially coming off the back of the poor results for SQE1 in March, this is an encouraging sign. Those with a higher level of degree did better: 95% of people with a first-class degree passed, 83% with a 2:1 and 63% with a 2:2, which is a trend that has continued from earlier exam results. It’s clear that those who have a higher degree grade are doing better, which might sound obvious, but doesn’t always bear results in practice.

Looking at the results from a more social perspective, there are some trends which need to be examined. One of the most concerning ones is to do with people from differing ethnic backgrounds, where there is still a great disparity in attainment. Pass rates for Black and Asian candidates remain lower than white candidates, with white candidates passing at 90%, Asian candidates at 71% and black candidates at 52%. This is especially disappointing considering the SQE was introduced specifically to boost diversity in the legal sector. This disparity has been flagged by the SRA, with a report currently underway that is due to publish its findings at the end of the year. However, it seems that, for the moment, the SQE still has some problems, especially in addressing this key principle of its founding. However, there is one area where the SQE looks to be closing the gap a little, and that is regarding social class. There were only minor differences between candidates from different educational backgrounds, with 86% of those educated in state schools passing, 87% from selective schools and 84% from fee-paying schools. These results show a levelling of the playing field regarding social background, something which the legal sector has, for some time, been looking to address. The gender statistics also show that women did better than men this time, but the gap was very narrow: 82% of women passed the exam, in contrast to 78% of men. Again, a statistic that does show that background factors are not playing a huge part in the results. Other than those troubling ethnicity stats, we are starting to see a more level playing field regarding external factors, something that can only be a good thing.

Overall, these results are a mixed bag. We can’t avoid the gaps in ethnic attainment, and it is clear this problem will have to be addressed going forward. More broadly, these results are more encouraging than the latest batch of SQE1 results (which, at the time of writing are the January 2023 results) and show a steady increase in the performance of candidates. While it remains to be seen whether this upward trend continues, it certainly looks more positive for the SQE than it did previously, and we’ll be watching this develop with great interest.