What Is FLK?
Share
The Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) required for SQE1 assessments refers to the level of legal understanding and application expected of a newly qualified solicitor in England and Wales. You must demonstrate not just theoretical knowledge of the law but the ability to apply core legal principles and rules to real-world scenarios, including client-based and ethical situations, at a level that reflects the competence of a newly qualified solicitor. This means you must be able to navigate and apply the law effectively and appropriately to solve realistic legal problems.
Each question in the SQE1 FLK assessments follows a single best answer format, where you choose one correct answer from five options. The assessments are closed book, meaning you cannot refer to books or notes during the exam. The goal is to test you on your ability to apply fundamental legal principles without relying on external resources, reflecting the practical knowledge and decision-making skills a newly qualified solicitor would be expected to have without needing to consult detailed materials. The assessments are not designed to test minor details that a solicitor would typically look up, but rather focus on the core principles that they should be able to recall and apply.
The law tested in the assessments is based on its status four calendar months before the first assessment in an exam window. You will be tested on the law as it stood at that cut-off date, and you will not be required to know developments in the law after that point. However, any legal changes implemented on that cut-off date may still be examined.
The SQE1 assessments align with the Statement of Solicitor Competence, which outlines the competencies solicitors are expected to have. In these assessments, you are tested at level 3 of the Threshold Standard, which corresponds to the competence expected of a newly qualified solicitor. This standard ensures that you are able to apply legal principles in a manner consistent with the everyday practice of a solicitor.
Each question in the SQE1 FLK assessments follows a single best answer format, where you choose one correct answer from five options. The assessments are closed book, meaning you cannot refer to books or notes during the exam. The goal is to test you on your ability to apply fundamental legal principles without relying on external resources, reflecting the practical knowledge and decision-making skills a newly qualified solicitor would be expected to have without needing to consult detailed materials. The assessments are not designed to test minor details that a solicitor would typically look up, but rather focus on the core principles that they should be able to recall and apply.
The law tested in the assessments is based on its status four calendar months before the first assessment in an exam window. You will be tested on the law as it stood at that cut-off date, and you will not be required to know developments in the law after that point. However, any legal changes implemented on that cut-off date may still be examined.
The SQE1 assessments align with the Statement of Solicitor Competence, which outlines the competencies solicitors are expected to have. In these assessments, you are tested at level 3 of the Threshold Standard, which corresponds to the competence expected of a newly qualified solicitor. This standard ensures that you are able to apply legal principles in a manner consistent with the everyday practice of a solicitor.
