Qualifying Work Experience (QWE): Complete Guide

Use the table below to check whether your work is likely to qualify.

The SRA does not prescribe a list of approved employers. Any role where you carry out substantive legal work under the supervision of a solicitor (or other qualified lawyer) can count, provided your supervisor is willing to sign a confirmation statement.

You must complete the equivalent of two years' full-time legal work. Key points:

• Full-time basis. Two years assumes roughly 35 hours per week. If you work part-time, the calendar period will be longer but the total hours required stay the same.
• Multiple employers. You can split QWE across as many organisations as you like. There is no minimum period at any single employer, although very short stints may be harder to evidence.
• No fixed start date. QWE can be completed before, during or after passing SQE1 and SQE2. Many candidates begin accumulating QWE well before they sit the assessments.
• Retrospective counting. Legal work you did before the SQE regime launched in September 2021 can count, provided a solicitor confirms it meets the standard.

For each period of QWE you rely on, you need a signed confirmation from a solicitor who supervised your work (or who is otherwise able to confirm its nature). The process is straightforward:

1. Identify your confirming solicitor. This is usually your direct supervisor, but it can be any solicitor with first-hand knowledge of your work.
2. Complete the QWE confirmation form. The SRA does not prescribe a template, but most candidates use the SRA's suggested wording. The form records the period, employer, nature of work and a statement that you carried out legal work to the required standard.
3. Keep records. Maintain a log of the work you did, the skills you developed and the dates. This helps your confirming solicitor and protects you if there are queries later.
4. Submit at admission. You do not send QWE evidence to the SRA during your training. You submit all confirmations when you apply for admission to the roll.

There is no SRA approval step during QWE itself - the confirmation is a declaration by the solicitor, reviewed only at the point of your admission application.

Law firms. The most common route. Trainees, paralegals and legal assistants all accumulate QWE provided the work is substantive and supervised.

In-house teams. Corporate legal departments, government legal services and regulators all count. The supervising solicitor must hold a current practising certificate.

Legal clinics and pro bono. University law clinics, charities such as the Free Representation Unit, and pro bono schemes run by law firms can all provide QWE. Ensure a solicitor supervises the work and is willing to confirm it.

Overseas experience. Legal work done outside England and Wales can count if a solicitor (holding an English practising certificate) confirms it involved the application of legal knowledge and skills equivalent to those required in England and Wales.

Freelance and contract roles. Short-term contracts and secondments qualify, but you will need a confirming solicitor for each engagement. Keep thorough records.

• Assuming all legal-sector work counts. Only substantive legal tasks qualify. Reception, filing and general administration do not.
• Failing to arrange confirmation early. If your supervisor leaves the organisation, tracking them down later can be difficult. Ask for confirmation while you are still working together.
• Not keeping a work log. The SRA can ask for further details at the admission stage. A contemporaneous log is your best protection.
• Overlooking part-time calculations. If you work three days a week, two calendar years only gives you roughly 1.2 years of QWE. Calculate the full-time equivalent carefully.
• Confusing QWE with the old training contract. QWE is more flexible - there are no compulsory seat rotations, no minimum time at one employer, and no SRA-authorised training provider requirement.

There is no required order. The three most common approaches are:

QWE first. Many paralegals and legal assistants accumulate two years of QWE before sitting the SQE assessments. This lets you qualify as soon as you pass.

QWE alongside. Some candidates work in legal roles while studying for SQE1 and SQE2 part-time. This extends the calendar timeline but means you earn while you learn.

QWE after. Candidates who pass the SQE before finding legal employment can complete QWE afterwards. There is no time limit on how long after passing the SQE you must finish QWE.