The SRA is cutting 20 questions from SQE1 and splitting subjects between sessions from the January 2027 sitting. Candidates aiming for that sitting have until 5pm on 24 September 2026 to reserve a seat.
- Total questions 340 was 360
- Per session 85 was 90
- Time per session 2h 33m unchanged
- Average per question 108 seconds was 102
What is changing in SQE1?
The SRA announced on 10 September 2026 that each Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) assessment will fall from 180 to 170 questions from the January 2027 sitting. Because each FLK is sat in two sessions, candidates will answer 85 questions per session rather than 90, and 340 across SQE1 rather than 360.
Session time stays at 2 hours 33 minutes. By our calculation, that gives candidates an average of 108 seconds per question, up from 102.
The second change is to how questions are arranged. Until now, every subject in an FLK could appear in either session. From January 2027, each session draws on a fixed group of subjects. Both changes apply to first sitters and resitters.
Which subjects are in each session?
| Assessment | Session 1 | Session 2 |
|---|---|---|
| FLK1 | Business Law and Practice; Dispute Resolution; Legal Services | Tort; Contract Law; Legal Systems (Legal System of England and Wales; Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law) |
| FLK2 | Wills and the Administration of Estates; Solicitors Accounts (in the context of Wills); Trusts Law; Land Law | Property Law and Practice; Solicitors Accounts (in the context of Property); Criminal Liability; Criminal Law and Practice |
Questions will still be randomised within each session, so subjects will not appear in blocks. Ethics and Professional Conduct can be tested in any session.
Why is the SRA making the changes?
The SRA said some candidates had told it that SQE1 “can feel rushed and pressurised in terms of the amount of time allowed to answer a question”. It said the cut follows a review of data from every previous SQE1 window, which gave it confidence the change would improve the candidate experience while keeping the assessment accurate. Splitting subjects will let candidates “focus on fewer subjects in each session”, while randomisation is kept for exam security.
What stays the same?
The assessment blueprint, which sets the share of questions in each subject area, is unaffected. Questions stay randomised, and Ethics and Professional Conduct remains pervasive. The SRA has updated the SQE1 assessment specification to reflect the changes.
What are the key dates for January 2027?
- Examinable law and practice cut-off
- Seat reservation forms emailed to candidates
- Deadline to complete the seat reservation form and accept any reasonable adjustments
- to Payment requests emailed. Pay within 48 hours or the seat is cancelled
- to Rescheduling, plus limited direct bookings. Booking closes at 5pm on 23 November
- FLK1
- FLK2
- Results
Candidates who have not registered, verified their ID and completed the pre-booking steps, including the diversity survey and the reasonable adjustments question, will not receive a seat reservation form.
What should candidates do now?
Anyone aiming for January 2027 should check those steps are complete before the form goes out. Revision plans built around the old format need rechecking against the updated specification: each session now covers a fixed set of subjects, but ethics can come up anywhere. Firms and training providers running SQE1 programmes should check their mock papers against the new 85-question sessions.