Guide
SQE1 practice questions and mock exams
How SQE1 questions work, where to find the SRA's own sample questions, and how to practise so the exam format stops being the thing that catches you out.
The short version
SQE1 is two exams, FLK1 and FLK2, made entirely of single best answer questions. Knowing the law is only half of it: you also need to apply it to a long scenario in under two minutes. Start with the SRA's free sample questions, practise by topic, then move to full mock sessions.
1What an SQE1 question looks like
Every SQE1 question has a scenario (the stem), a lead-in that asks the question, and five options. Each option is plausible, but only one is correct. The questions test applying the law to a scenario, not recall.
Source: SRA, Single best answer questions, checked 16 October 2026
In practice, that means every question has three parts:
- the stem: a scenario about a client or matter, often a long paragraph
- the lead-in: the question you are actually answering
- five options, where more than one can look right
SQE1 is two assessments, FLK1 and FLK2, each with 170 single best answer questions. Each is split into two sessions of 85 questions, with 2 hours and 33 minutes per session: about 1.8 minutes a question. Ethics and professional conduct come up throughout both.
Source: SRA, SQE1 sample questions, checked 16 October 2026
From January 2027 SQE1 has 340 questions in total instead of 360, and each FLK session covers a set group of subjects. Within a session, questions are still fully randomised, and the time allowed stays the same.
Source: SRA, Changes to SQE1, checked 24 September 2026
2The SRA's free sample questions
The SRA publishes free SQE1 sample questions for FLK1 and FLK2, online and as PDFs, in English and Welsh. Many have appeared in real assessments. The SRA says they are not a full mock, because SQE1 is timed and closed book.
Source: SRA, SQE1 sample questions, checked 16 October 2026
Work through a few early on to see the style, then keep some back as a check later. Open the SRA's sample questions.
3How to practise
This is our suggestion, not an official method.
- Learn a topic, then test it straight away. Untimed questions on the topic you just studied show what stuck and what did not.
- Review every wrong answer. Find the fact in the stem that decided the question, and why the option you picked was plausible but wrong.
- Move from topic practice to mock sessions. On Barex, choose FLK1 or FLK2, then Session 1 or Session 2. Each mock session has 85 questions and a time limit of 2 hours and 33 minutes.
- Rehearse the session you will sit. Work without notes. Questions are randomised across that session's subject group, with Ethics and Professional Conduct possible in every session. Review your mock report afterwards to find the topics that need more work.
Not sure where to start? The SQE1 study map shows how the subjects fit together, and our guides on when to start studying and study hours with a full-time job help you plan the weeks. If English is not your first language, read our guide to reading long questions under time pressure.
4Practice questions and mocks on Barex
Barex has SQE-style multiple-choice questions you can filter by exam, subject and topic, and full mock exams in the January 2027 format. After a mock, your report points you back to the topics that need work, and you can ask the live AI law tutor about any question as you go. Cheat sheets group recurring exam themes and the traps candidates most often miss.
The free preview gives you one topic pack per subject, one full mock and a monthly allowance of AI tutor time, with no time limit. Use it on its own or alongside a course from another provider. If you would rather sit a full mock in a real exam room, join Mockathon, our in-person SQE1 rehearsal in London.