Scottish solicitor (full practising rights)

Updated 4 March 2024

What you will need to do before applying for admission.

You'll also find a personalised SQE checklist within mySRA (in 'My profile') that tracks your progress to admission and highlights next steps.

Create a mySRA account and add your jurisdictions

Create a mySRA account and tell us you are a qualified lawyer.
You do this in the 'My profile' section under 'Jurisdiction'. Please click 'add jurisdiction', select your professional title, and add the date you qualified. This automatically tells us you do not need to have qualifying work experience.

Validate your degree

Your degree must be equivalent to a UK level 6 qualification and can be in any subject. This would be a qualification or apprenticeship at level 9 or above of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) or awarded by a Scottish degree awarding body.
You can also apply for equivalence to a degree using other qualifications and/or relevant work experience

Find out how we check and validate your degree or apply for an equivalence

Pass the SQE assessments and retrieve your results

You can apply for the agreed SQE2 exemptions for your legal qualification, as well further SQE1 exemptions based on your individual qualifications and experience
You will need to create an account on the SQE assessment website to book your exams and get your results
You'll then need to retrieve your SQE results so we can confirm you have either passed (or are exempt from) all the assessments. You should only do this after you have passed all your required assessments. Log into mySRA and in ‘Start a new application', you'll find the form to retrieve your results.

Create your SQE assessment account or go to mySRA

Checking your character and suitability and applying for admission

We check your suitability as part of your admission application. However, you can also get it checked early if you have any areas of concern
Before you apply for admission, you must do your screening and have your results
When applying for admission, you will choose ‘Solicitors Qualifying Examination route' on the application form
You will be asked to upload a copy of a certificate of good standing from all jurisdictions where you hold a legal professional qualification and have been admitted. The certificate(s) must be less than three months old (we recommend that the date of issue is no longer than two months on the date you make your application) and confirm:
your date of admission
that you are in good standing
that you have not been subject to any disciplinary proceedings
that there are not any pending disciplinary proceedings against you
that you are currently entitled to practise.

Take a look at what we check or find out how to apply for screening

Find out how to apply for admission, see Admission forms and fees.

Applying for a practising certificate

Once you have chosen your admission date, you can apply for a practising certificate. Find out how to apply.

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If you have passed the QLTS MCT

If you have passed the MCT this is not equivalent to passing SQE1. Therefore, you do not qualify for the agreed exemption for SQE2.

Unlike the MCT, SQE1 includes the procedural subjects of Business Law and Practice, Wills and the Administration of Estates, Property Practice, Dispute Resolution and Criminal Practice. This means that candidates who pass the MCT need to progress to the OSCE (or SQE2) to be assessed in these subjects.

Candidates who qualify through SQE are tested across the full range of topics we require solicitors of England and Wales to know in SQE1. Any agreed exemption for SQE2 is based on a candidate being assessed through SQE1 and their practice rights being the same as a solicitor.

If you have qualifications, or experience, over and above your Scottish qualification in the procedural subjects for English and Welsh law (or equivalent), and you have passed the MCT, please email us for more information.