New dates have been set for candidates unable to sit their SQE exams due to an IT fiasco, the exam provider said today.

At least 100 candidates were unable to sit the first of two functioning legal knowledge papers, known as FLK1, at a Hammersmith test centre last Thursday – waiting more than five hours before being told by invigilators that the exam was not going ahead. Worried that the ‘IT issue’ would not be resolved in time, exam provider Kaplan decided to cancel the second functioning legal knowledge paper, FLK2, that was scheduled to take place at the Hammersmith test centre on Monday.

Today, Kaplan confirmed that candidates can choose to sit the relevant rescheduled assessments next month – FLK1 on 4 August and FLK2 on 8 August. Alternatively, they can request a refund and sit the assessments in January, which is the next scheduled sitting.

A spokesperson said: ‘If candidates are unable - or choose not - to attend the rescheduled exam(s), we will provide them with a refund of either their assessment fee or a voucher to be used against a future booking of SQE1 assessment.’

Multiple candidates have told the Gazette that some candidates affected by the fiasco travelled from abroad and could be left thousands of pounds out of pocket. One candidate unable to sit the original assessments had to cancel their pre-booked holiday abroad so they could sit the rescheduled exams.

 

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