Some law grads asked us whether they should opt for the LPC or SQE route to qualify. We prefer the SQE route because it is a lot cheaper and easier to get QWE. Here is our analysis:
The LPC route is pretty expensive. Take a look at what they charge:
ULaw - LPC / LPC LLM / LPC MSc
£14,300 - Chester, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield
£15,350 - Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Guildford, Norwich, Reading, Southampton
£19,500 - London (Bloomsbury and Moorgate)
BPP - LPC / LPC LLM
£13,930 - Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Online
£13,038 - Leeds, Manchester
£17,706 - London Holborn
According to the Law Society, the LPC pass rate has been around 58% in recent years. Figures for 2011-2019 show that an average of 9,978 graduates start the LPC every year but only 5,757 go on to complete a recognised period of training. Of these, 5,407 are admitted as solicitors. This means about 40% of LPC students could not getting training contracts. If you can pass LPC but fail to get a training contract, you will end up in the SQE route.
The SQE offers a more cost-effective option:
£1,622 - SQE1
£2,493 - SQE2
In July 2022, there were 1,829 candidates who completed both parts of SQE1, with an overall pass rate of 53 per cent. In April 2022, 77% of the 726 candidates who sat SQE2 in April passed. Based on this information, we can calculate the percentage of candidates who passed both SQE1 and SQE2, which was around 40.81%, similar to that of LPC students who could get training contracts.
This means that the difficulty of qualifying through the LPC and SQE is more or less the same but the latter is a lot cheaper. All you need to pass the SQE is good study materials and commitment.
It should be noted that after passing both SQE1 and SQE2, the candidate must gain 2-year QWE (qualifying work experience) before he can qualify, same as training contracts. However, QWE is more flexible, allowing you to gain QWE before passing the SQE and to work for a maximum of 4 employers instead of sticking with one. Read our blog post on QWE for further information
