How Do You Register to Take the QLTS Assessments?

The assessments are administered by a sole assessment provider, Kaplan QLTS, which has been appointed for this purpose by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Once you have applied for your Certificate of Eligibility, the next step is to register your details with the assessment provider. You do not need to have a Certificate of Eligibility to register your details, but will not be able to book a specific assessment date until you have received it.

After you have obtained your Certificate of Eligibility, you could then book onto one of the scheduled assessment dates. Following your registration to sit the QLTS assessments, you will be sent an acknowledgement letter or email with an examinee number by the assessment provider. The letter will also include more information about testing centre locations and detailed exam schedule.

Candidates who have special needs that may require specific examination arrangements should supply full details of their disability with supporting documentation at the time of applying to take the exam, or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter.

When and Where will the Assessments Take Place?

All the assessments are offered twice a year in the UK (the MCT will also be offered in New York City in January 2013 - exact date, fees and location - TBC):

*You must first pass the MCT before enrolling for either the OSCE or the TLST.
**The OSCE and the TLST may be taken in any order.
***Bookings for each assessment will close 4 weeks before the actual date of each assessment sitting.
****Subject to demand, the OSCE and TLST may also be offered on 5-7 October and 27-29 September, respectively.

Assessment Results and Admission to the Roll of Solicitors

Assessment results are usually made available within a few weeks after the assessments. Once you have passed all the three assessments and fulfilled any other outstanding requirements set by the SRA, you may apply for admission to the Roll of Solicitors of England and Wales and get your practising certificate.

To apply for admission to the roll, you should complete an AD1: Application for admission as a solicitor form. You will also need to complete and return to the SRA a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure application form, so the SRA could check if you have a criminal background. Once the SRA has received a satisfactory result from these checks, it will be able to process your application for admission to the roll of solicitors.

Please be aware that the SRA will request a further Certificate of Good Standing when you apply for admission to the roll of solicitors. This must not be older than three months at the point the SRA receives your application for admission.

How to Get Started?

Becoming an English solicitor through the QLTS route is a few steps process that may take several months to complete. Each step is dealt with by a different authority and has its own requirements to satisfy. 

The steps can be summarised as follows:

• Obtain a Certificate of Eligibility and satisfy the English language requirement
• Sign up for the Ultimate QLTS Preparation Course
• Register to take the exams with the assessment provider
• Fulfil any other outstanding requirements of the SRA and apply to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales

Candidates do not need to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility in order to sign up for the course. You may begin your studies and then apply to the SRA for your Certificate of Eligibility.

QLTS Training

QLTS School offers the Ultimate Preparation course for the assessments, combining comprehensive textbooks, online resources and tutor support. Our course programme will give you everything you need to complete the assessments successfully and become an English solicitor.