SQE2 format and timings: all 16 stations at a glance
SQE2 is 16 stations across five half-days. Here is the full structure, the exact timing for every station, and the five practice contexts it is set in.
The 16 stations: 12 written, 4 oral
Twelve written stations run across three half-days: three Case & Matter Analysis, three Legal Drafting, three Legal Research and three Legal Writing. Four oral stations run across two half-days: two Advocacy and two Client Interview (each interview paired with a written attendance note). Six skills in total (SRA).
Exact timings for every station
| Station | Timing |
|---|---|
| Legal Writing | 30 min |
| Legal Drafting | 45 min |
| Legal Research | 60 min |
| Case & Matter Analysis | 60 min |
| Client Interview | 10 min to read + 25 min interview |
| Attendance Note | 25 min (handwritten) |
| Advocacy | 45 min to prepare + 15 min submission |
SRA specification.
The five practice contexts
SQE2 is set in five practice contexts: Criminal Litigation; Dispute Resolution; Property Practice; Wills & Intestacy, Probate Administration and Practice; and Business Organisations, Rules and Procedures (SRA).
How the half-days are structured
Written stations run across three half-days; orals across two. The specification gives per-station durations rather than a fixed daily timetable (SRA).
What is not examinable in SQE2
Solicitors' accounts, the legal system of England and Wales, constitutional & administrative law and EU law, and legal services (apart from money laundering and financial services) are explicitly excluded. Family and Employment are not among the five practice contexts (SRA).