SQE1 explained: FLK1, FLK2 and single-best-answer questions

SQE1 tests functioning legal knowledge. It is delivered as two separate assessments, FLK1 and FLK2, and you sit both. Each is a computer-based test of single-best-answer questions taken in two sessions with a break between them.

What each assessment covers

• FLK1 brings together business law and practice, dispute resolution, contract law, tort law, the legal system of England and Wales, constitutional and administrative law, and legal services.
• FLK2 brings together property practice, wills and the administration of estates, solicitors' accounts, land law, trusts and criminal law and practice.
• Ethics and professional conduct is not a separate paper. It can be tested within any subject, so it is worth revising alongside everything else instead of leaving it to the end.

How a question works

A typical question gives you a short scenario and then asks something specific: which of five options is the best statement of the law, the correct next step or the most appropriate advice. Only one option is the best answer, but the other four are usually plausible. Several are accurate statements of law that simply do not answer the question that was asked.

That has three practical consequences:

1. Read the final sentence first. Knowing whether you are being asked about liability, remedy, procedure or conduct tells you what to look for in the facts.
2. Rules are applied, not recited. You will rarely be rewarded for knowing a rule in the abstract; you need to apply it to a scenario in under two minutes.
3. Details matter. A date, a party's status or a stated intention is often the fact that separates the best answer from a near miss.

Format and dates can change

The number of questions, the length of each session and the sitting dates are set by the SRA and can change between sittings. Do not rely on a blog post, including this one, for current figures. Check the SRA's published assessment information for the sitting you plan to take. Our mock exams follow the format configured for the sitting you choose and show you which format is being simulated.

Turning the format into a plan

Because both assessments are broad, revision that only re-reads notes tends to leave gaps unnoticed. Mixing short retrieval practice into every study week shows you quickly which areas are firm and which are not. Our free sample questions give you a feel for the style before you commit to anything.

General educational information only. It is not legal advice, it does not predict any exam result, and UK SQE Course is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Check the SRA website for current exam information.