In November, some 1,090 candidates, including 27 solicitor apprentices, sat the first SQE1. Anna Bradley, chair of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Board, said the results ‘suggest it was a robust, fair and reliable exam’. LPC pass rates have varied between providers, ranging from 23% to 100%.
However, as with the Legal Practice Course (LPC) there were some disparities in the results, with a 65% pass rate for white students compared to 44% for Black, Asian and minority ethnic students. For the LPC, 65% of white students passed compared with 52% of Asian/Asian British students and 39% of Black students.
Expressing concern, Law Society president I Stephanie Boyce said: ‘The regulator needs to monitor closely whether the situation is worsening or improving with the move to SQE and if so why.’
