SQE trademark
Updated 3 May 2022
Introduction
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) the single, robust assessment of a solicitor's competence to practise in England and Wales.
We own registered and unregistered trademarks in the terms "SQE" and "Solicitors Qualifying Examination" (SQE trademarks).
Training providers who deliver SQE education, tutoring or training services will naturally wish to use the SQE trademarks to advertise and market these services. This also applies to organisations who produce SQE-related study materials and resources.
We will therefore allow, without charge, all such training providers and organisations to use the SQE trademarks based on our Terms of Use. Please read these before using the trademarks as they provide clarity about permitted and prohibited uses.
Please note that we do not regulate, endorse, accredit or recommend training providers or their activities, products or services or websites. We also do not review or approve any training courses or materials, or any elements of the training courses which they provide.
We want to encourage a fair, open and competitive market for SQE training and resources, and our Terms of Use are designed to support this. They set out what we consider to be acceptable behaviour in relation to the trademarks and the importance we attach to public confidence in the SQE.
They also serve to protect consumers from relying on misleading or false claims. We can take enforcement action against training providers who use the SQE trademarks in ways which confuse people, for example by:
- suggesting they are endorsed or accredited by us, when they are not; or
- trying to register their own trademark which incorporates the SQE trademarks, and/or then preventing any others from using those terms.
Any organisation or individual who is not a training provider does not have the right to rely on the Terms of Use. They must seek written permission from us before using the trademarks.
We know providers and organisations may want to use the SQE trademarks only to explain the services they provide or the type of work they do. For example, a law firm may wish to explain that the training contracts they offer will help their trainees develop the competences assessed in
SQE 2.
Training providers and organisations can use the trademarks for descriptive purposes, for example to provide information about the SQE assessment. However, other non-descriptive uses are subject to the Terms of Use. Permitted and prohibited uses are set out in detail in the Terms of Use. Please read them carefully before using the SQE trademarks.
Training providers who wish to use the SQE trademarks other than for the purpose of describing the SQE (as explained above) must do so in accordance with our Terms of Use, which set out the terms, conditions and restrictions of such use. By using the SQE trademarks, you agree to the Terms of Use, so please review them prior to using the SQE trademarks and on a regular basis.
We set out below some examples of permitted and prohibited uses, under the Terms of Use. This is not a comprehensive or definitive list.
| Examples of permitted use | Examples of prohibited use |
|---|---|
|
You are required to sit the SQE in order to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. |
No 1 SQE Training Course in the UK (This is misleading unless the training provider can substantiate this claim with supporting evidence eg comparison data against all other providers in the UK. You should not imply that you are: (a) the provider of the SQE; or (b) the official assessment provider.) |
|
The SQE is assessed by Kaplan, the official SQE assessment provider. Study here to prepare for the assessment. |
The North London SQE School (The Terms of Use prohibit use of SQE in a company or trading name.) |
|
Website sub-page: NorthLondonSchool.org.uk/SQE (You can use the term SQE in the following format only (ie as a sub-page or subdirectory and not in the domain or subdomain name) to identify a specific sub-page on your website detailing the education, tutoring, training or pre-examination assessment services in connection with the SQE assessment that you offer.) |
Domain or subdomain names: www.sqe.com offering online training and tutorials for the SQE www.SQEtraining.co.uk www.OlivaMorrisSQE.co.uk sqe.lawtraining.com (The Terms of Use prohibit use of SQE and Solicitors Qualifying Examination in a domain name.) |
|
Email address: SQEprep@NorthLondonSchool.org.uk (You can use the term SQE in the following format only to identify and advertise yourself as a provider of education, tutoring, training or pre-examination assessment services in connection with the SQE assessment: SQEprep@[insert provider name][insert identifier eg ".co.uk"].) |
SQE@NorthLondonSchool.org.uk (The Terms of Use prohibit use of SQE in an email address, except in the approved format – see the previous column for the approved format.) |
|
A smart phone APP called 'NorthLondonSchool – SQE' |
A smart phone APP called 'SQE Prep' The Terms of Use prohibit use of the term SQE in a trading name. We will only permit the use of 'SQE' in an app if the app first clearly refers to the name or identity of the training provider and the term 'SQE' is only in a secondary way to describe the services that the app promotes) |
|
A LinkedIn group, Facebook or similar page called 'NorthLondonSchool – SQE' that accurately and clearly identifies that it has been set up by the training provider to promote its services and that it is not affiliated or connected with the SRA or Kaplan |
A LinkedIn group, Facebook or similar page called 'SQE' or with SQE in the title that does not explain that it has been set up by the training provider to promote its services and/or suggests or gives the impression that it may be affiliated or connected with the SRA or Kaplan |
|
SQE mocks available here! Study for the SQE here! |
SQE BY ABC Legal Training (This is misleading as Kaplan is the only SQE assessment provider.) |
|
The SQE is expected to come into force in 2021. |
SRA accredited SQE training provider (This is misleading as the SRA does not regulate, approve or endorse training provider.) |
|
We offer SQE revision courses. |
Sit the SQE here! (This is misleading Kaplan is the only SQE assessment provider.) |
Our Terms of Use are our standard terms and apply to all training providers who wish to use the SQE trademarks. The purpose of our Terms of Use is to ensure that all training providers use the SQE trademarks on the same basis. This will avoid the risk of confusion to consumers and provide an open and level playing field for training providers.
Anyone other than a training provider who might want to use the SQE trademarks in any way should email us for prior consent.
We will publish a list of providers and organisations who:
- deliver SQE education, tutoring or training services (or plan to in the future)
- produce SQE-related study materials and resources (or plan to in the future).