Demonstrating an equivalence to a degree 

Updated 22 April 2022

Who can apply

Applicants who wish to demonstrate that their work experience and general standard of education is equivalent to a UK degree (level 6 - an undergraduate degree).

To apply for an equivalent, you will need to prove:

• a sufficient standard of general education and learning (Level 3 equivalent of the Regulated Qualifications Framework)
• work-based learning in support of your application.

You do not need to apply for an equivalence if you already have a level 6 degree/diploma. This will be checked when you apply for admission.

If you are a CILEX member with a level 6 qualification, you do not need to apply for an equivalence. Find out more about becoming a solicitor.

Evidence we will need

You will need to tell us about:

• your general education and diplomas
• your work experience and where this was completed

General education and diplomas

If you have a qualification gained outside the UK, you will need to confirm that it is equivalent to a UK level 3 qualification. You can do this by getting a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability and submitting it as part of your application.

Work experience and where this was completed

We will be looking at whether you have had the opportunity to develop the type of skills that you would on an undergraduate degree. 

This includes skills such as working independently, managing your own workload, and problem solving. However, this is not an exhaustive list. 

Your work experience also does not need to have been completed in the legal sector. 

You should provide specific examples to demonstrate these skills including:   

• your job role
• your duties and responsibilities
• details of any training or courses completed
• how your work was appraised or assessed.

You must include a detailed reference from your employer in support of your application.

Guidance for referees

You must make sure that your referee(s) have read this information.

References must:

• be for the period of experience claimed
• be written for the purposes of this application and dated within the last three months
• include examples from the referees of their direct knowledge of your work
• confirm that the referee has read your application and that they corroborate your experience

A general employment reference is not sufficient because it will not include the detail that we need.

Payment

The fee for this application is £160. You can pay by debit or credit card.

Making your application

First, you will need to create an account. If you already have a mySRA account, you will need to log in.

Once logged in, select 'Start new applications' on the homepage. The application is called 'Apply to check that your qualification or work experience is equivalent to a degree'.

If you have already started it, you will find your draft application in ‘My profile' under 'Applications and documents'.

You may find it useful to have this guidance open in a separate device or browser window to help you complete the form.

We aim to let you know our decision within 90 days from receiving your application.