SQE1 · Learn · 2 November 2026 · 5 min read
SQE1 format from January 2027: 170 questions per FLK paper
The SQE1 format from January 2027: two FLK papers of 170 questions, each sat as two 85-question sessions of 2 hours 33 minutes, single best answer.
From the January 2027 sitting, SQE1 has 340 questions in total: 170 in each of its two assessments, Functioning Legal Knowledge 1 (FLK1) and FLK2. Each assessment day has two sessions of 2 hours 33 minutes, with a one-hour break between them, and each session has 85 questions. Every question is single best answer: a short scenario, a question and five options, only one of them correct. The change cuts 20 questions from the old total of 360 while keeping the same session length, which gives you slightly more time per question.
This guide explains the new format, what changed and how to pace yourself.
The format at a glance
| Feature | From January 2027 | Sittings up to July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Assessments | FLK1 and FLK2, on separate days | Same |
| Questions in total | 340 | 360 |
| Questions per assessment | 170 | 180 |
| Sessions per assessment day | 2 | 2 |
| Questions per session | 85 | 90 |
| Session length | 2 hours 33 minutes | Same |
| Break between sessions | 1 hour | not checked |
| Time per question | about 1 minute 48 seconds | about 1 minute 42 seconds |
The SRA announced the change on 10 September 2026 as the first set of changes made after candidate feedback. The 90-question session figure for the old format comes from the SQE website, which we could not read directly, but it is consistent with the SRA's own figures.
What a question looks like
Each SQE1 question has three parts:
- The stem: a short scenario, usually a client situation.
- The lead-in: the question you must answer.
- Five options: all plausible, only one correct. You mark one answer.
The assessment is closed book. It tests whether you can apply the fundamental principles a newly qualified solicitor would know without looking them up. You do not need to cite case names or statute sections, except for authorities in very common use. Ethics and professional conduct are examined throughout both assessments, not in a separate paper.
Grouping by subject from January 2027
The SRA says that from January 2027, questions will be grouped by subject area within specific FLK sessions, morning or afternoon, and fully randomised within each session. Which subjects sit in which session is set out in a table on the SQE website. That site blocks automated access from our network, so we have not recorded the table here. Check it on the SQE website before your sitting. Our guide to FLK1 and FLK2 subjects lists the subjects in each assessment.
Pacing at 1 minute 48 seconds
153 minutes divided by 85 questions is 1 minute 48 seconds a question. That is six seconds more than the old pace, which adds up to about eight and a half minutes across a session. It is still tight. Some useful checkpoints for each session:
| Questions answered | Time used |
|---|---|
| 20 | about 36 minutes |
| 40 | about 72 minutes |
| 60 | about 108 minutes |
| 85 | 153 minutes |
Tips for pacing:
- Read the lead-in first. Knowing the question before you read the scenario tells you which facts matter.
- Do not get stuck. If a question is taking much longer than two minutes, choose your best answer and move on.
- Eliminate. With five options, ruling out two or three quickly turns a hard question into a fair guess.
- Practise in blocks. Build up to full sessions so that stamina, not just knowledge, is trained.
How results work
There is no fixed pass mark. The pass mark is set for each sitting, and set independently for each paper to allow for differences in difficulty. Results are reported as a scaled score out of 500, where the pass mark is always 300. Our guide to the SQE1 scaled score explains how this works.
Candidates may attempt SQE1 three times in a six-year period.
What is not changing
- Two assessments, FLK1 and FLK2, on separate days.
- Single best answer questions with five options.
- Session length of 2 hours 33 minutes.
- The same subjects, with ethics across both papers.
The SRA is also consulting, from 8 October to 3 December 2026, on changes to the Functioning Legal Knowledge itself. Any changes from that review would apply from the January 2028 sittings, not January 2027.
How to practise with us
Our SQE1 practice sets are built for the January 2027 pace:
- 45 questions in 81 minutes, one quarter of an FLK paper at 1 minute 48 seconds a question.
- Sets 1 to 4 are FLK1 and sets 5 to 8 are FLK2. Start with SQE1 practice set 1 or practice set 5.
- Every question has five options and an explanation of why each wrong option fails.
- Results show a percentage and a breakdown by subject. Because the real pass mark is set per sitting, they never claim a pass.
For subject-by-subject revision, use the subject pages, such as Contract or Property Practice, and the untimed subject drills. Everything is on the SQE1 hub.
Key points
- From January 2027: 340 questions, 170 per FLK assessment.
- Two sessions of 85 questions, 2 hours 33 minutes each, with a one-hour break.
- About 1 minute 48 seconds a question.
- Single best answer, five options, closed book, ethics throughout.
- Pass mark set per paper; scaled pass mark always 300.
Official sources: SRA news release "SRA announces first set of changes to SQE1 following candidate feedback" (10 September 2026), SRA blog "Understanding SQE1" (24 September 2026), SQE Update September 2026, SRA news on July 2026 results (29 September 2026), and the SQE1 FLK Assessment Specification (2019 edition) on sra.org.uk, all read on 1 November 2026.