Kaplan QLTS is the sole authorised assessment provider for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) of assessments under The Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS). This website enables to you to find out about the QLTS assessment and, if you are eligible, to book a place on that assessment.

QLTS provides a route for lawyers from other recognised jurisdictions, and barristers from England and Wales to qualify as solicitors of England and Wales.

Information for candidates that have passed the QLTS MCT

QLTS candidates that have passed the QLTS MCT can decide which option to follow to seek admission as a Solicitor of England and Wales. If you have taken and passed the QLTS MCT, you can complete your qualifications and apply for admission either by sitting and passing the QLTS OSCE or the SQE2.

QLTS OSCE

The final QLTS OSCE sittings will take place in late March and early April 2022. The booking deadline for the final OSCE is 5pm UK time on 7 February 2022. If you pass the QLTS OSCE, you must meet the SRA requirements and apply for admission by 31 August 2022 (inclusive).

SQE2

The first SQE2 exams will take place in mid to late April 2022. If you pass SQE2, you must meet the SRA requirements and apply for admission by 31 August 2023 (inclusive). You would not need to sit SQE1. Further SQE2 assessments will take place in October 2022 and April 2023.

There are a number of things that you may wish to consider.

QLTS OSCE in November/December 2021. Candidates sitting the November/December 2021 QLTS OSCE will receive their results after the booking window for the April 2022 SQE2 has closed. We would kindly request candidates not to speculatively book a place in the April 2022 SQE2 assessment when booking opens on 25 January 2022, in advance of receiving their QLTS results. SQE2 is different to the QLTS OSCE and candidates will need adequate time to prepare to maximise their chances of success. Please be advised that a cancellation fee will be payable for SQE2 if candidates pass the November/December 2021 QLTS OSCE and cancel their booking for SQE2. Please refer to the SQE terms and conditions and the SQE costs and fees page.

The same principle applies in relation to the April 2022 QLTS OSCE; candidates will receive their results after the booking window for the April 2022 QLTS OSCE has closed. Therefore, if a candidate decides to also book the April 2022 QLTS OSCE in advance of receiving their November/December 2021 QLTS results, a cancellation fee will be payable if candidates pass the November/December 2021 QLTS OSCE and cancel their booking for the April 2022 QLTS OSCE. Please refer to the QLTS terms and conditions.

You can choose to sit the April 2022 QLTS OSCE or the April 2022 SQE2. There is an overlap between the booking window for the April 2022 QLTS OSCE and the April 2022 SQE2. Candidates can select which assessment they want to sit. If they do decide to attempt SQE2, candidates will need to register for an SQE candidate account and notify us that they are a QLTS transitional candidate to be able to move straight to book SQE2 (i.e. they do not need to sit SQE1). You will be able to do so from 6 December in your SQE candidate account if you decide to attempt SQE2 as an equivalent to the QLTS OSCE. Therefore you will have plenty of time in advance of the SQE2 booking window opening on 25 January, but you cannot do this at the moment. You can register as an SQE candidate now, but you should wait until 6 December when you will be able to select the “Existing QLTS candidate” option in your candidate account once that facility is activated. Again, we would respectfully request that candidates do not hold bookings for both exams as this will deny other candidates an opportunity to test. If a candidate books both the April 2022 QLTS OSCE and the April 2022 SQE2, they may incur a cancellation fee if they cancel one of their bookings. Candidates should refer to the SQE terms and conditions and QLTS terms and conditions as appropriate.

If candidates sit either the QLTS OSCE or the SQE2 in April 2022, they will have their results in time to sit the October 2022 SQE2 if they do not pass, however places are subject to availability.

COVID-19

Candidates are advised to familiarise themselves with the government requirements.

The UK government has recently announced changes to the quarantine requirements for those who are arriving into the UK from abroad. We strongly recommend that candidates monitor all and any changes which may impact upon their plans for the OSCE assessment. Kaplan QLTS will also monitor the situation. If there are any changes which may impact upon the OSCE assessments we will email candidates who have confirmed bookings directly in due course.

Priorities

At this time our priorities continue to be:

1. We will only run exams which can be delivered safely under the guidelines of the UK government and Public Health England.
2. The primary purpose of QLTS is protection of consumers of legal services by ensuring a consistent and appropriate standard at admission as a Solicitor of England and Wales. The security and integrity of the assessment must therefore be maintained
3. We are committed to ensuring that the QLTS can be administered to as many candidates as possible in 2021 (and beyond).


  • Booking for QLTS Assessments – upcoming deadlines

    You are advised to book early to secure a place on all QLTS assessments, and in any case well before the booking deadline. Places are limited and candidates who wait until close to the booking deadline risk finding that the assessment is already full. Payment must be made in full to secure a booking.

    November 2021 OSCE - Booking Window Opens: 10:00 UK Time on 16th August 2021.
    November 2021 OSCE - Booking Deadline Closes: 17:00 UK Time on 11th October 2021.

    Please note bookings for QLTS exams are not finalised until full payment has been made.

  • Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) Transitional Arrangements

    The SQE will be introduced on 1st September 2021, replacing the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS). More information on the SQE can be found on the SQE website.

    It is in the public interest for SQE to be introduced without unnecessary delay. However, it is recognised that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected candidates’ ability to sit QLTS assessments. The SRA have therefore reviewed their transitional arrangements for QLTS candidates who will have passed the multiple choice test (MCT) before 1 September 2021. These candidates will now be able to complete their qualifications and apply for admission EITHER by sitting and passing the OSCE OR by sitting and passing SQE2.

    If you have been granted a full exemption from the whole MCT, you will not fall within the transitional arrangements for the QLTS. However, in light of the impact of the pandemic, the SRA are introducing a waiver from their requirement to have applied for admission before 1 September 2021, thereby allowing those with the MCT exemption to take the July 2021 OSCE, subject to availability.

    More details on all of the amendments to the transitional arrangements can be found on the SRA website.

  • Breaches of Assessment Regulations

    All candidates for QLTS assessments are required to acknowledge that the content of each assessment is confidential and that they will not disclose or discuss any of the content to any other party. It has come to our attention that candidates are breaching this regulation and thereby committing an assessment offence by discussing past assessments with Training Providers. Please note that the SRA regard any deliberate assessment offence as a potential character and suitability issue which could lead to a candidate being refused admission as a solicitor of England and Wales. If you are asked by a Training Provider or anybody else to provide information about QLTS assessments you have sat we would ask that you report this matter to both Kaplan and the SRA for investigation.

  • Kaplan QLTS Communications Update

    Due to remote working we have been unable to receive any hard copy post since 20th March 2020.

    All communications to Kaplan QLTS will need to be done via email at qlts@kaplan.com.

  • Coronavirus Legislation - November 2021 OSCE

    In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the governments of England and Wales have introduced primary and secondary legislation which amends or relaxes existing legislation.

    Candidates will NOT be assessed on any change to the law of England or Wales nor on the content of any other legal notices introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic in the November 2021 OSCE. Assessment scenarios and characters in them should be treated as being unaffected by the coronavirus.

    Due to the changing nature of such legislation and the potential for further changes prior to the November 2021 assessments, it is not possible to provide a definitive list of coronavirus legislation but further information is available at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/coronavirus.

    Candidates are therefore not expected to familiarise themselves with changes introduced into the law as a result of the pandemic, and candidates should aim to answer assessment questions without taking account of these changes. However, if in an OSCE Part 2 assessment, your search in one of the legal databases provides you with legislative provisions which incorporate or reflect changes made in response to the pandemic, in the absence of any specific instructions in your assessment materials you would not be expected to find the pre-covid provision/s. Assessors marking the legal research, writing and drafting assessments will be aware of both the pre-covid and post-covid position and candidates will not be penalised where their answer reflects post-covid law, except where they have specifically been instructed to ignore it.

  • Training & Kaplan QLTS

    Kaplan is the authorised assessment provider for the SRA and accordingly Kaplan is not authorised to provide training courses preparing candidates to attempt the QLTS. Kaplan has recently become aware some candidates have been contacted by an entity purporting to be Kaplan QLTS offering training courses. Such person(s) are not associated with Kaplan. Both the SRA and Kaplan would ask candidates to refer all such communications to them for investigation.

  • EU Referendum

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority will require solicitors of England and Wales to continue to have a working knowledge of EU law in order to be able to advise clients in the short and medium term. Until specifically stated otherwise, QLTS candidates will be assessed on EU law as set out in SRA Day One Outcome A1.