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The statement cites member reports of lengthy online queues, website crashes, prolonged call queues, confusing voucher-related messaging, and inadequate communication for candidates relying on a Kaplan liaison. It highlights unfairness, additional travel costs for displaced candidates, and concerns that the block booking system creates a two-tier access structure.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/statement-on-sqe-1-booking-october-2023/340168/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/statement-on-sqe-1-booking-october-2023/340168.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Rizky","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-09","2026-09-21",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"Who does YLAL call on to review the SQE-1 booking process?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"YLAL calls on the SRA and Kaplan, the contracted administrator of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, to urgently review the booking process.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What booking problems were reported by YLAL members on 4 October 2023?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Members reported having to queue online for up to 6.5 hours, the website crashing at the front of the queue and redirecting candidates to call Kaplan, and the online system not working well for candidates with voucher codes.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How does YLAL describe the effect of the block booking system?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"YLAL states that selected providers can book places en masse, which avoids the long queues and uncertainty for those candidates, and argues this effectively creates a two-tier system.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},340168,1790377394,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":81,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":39,"preview_page_count":4},962085564807,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Statement on SQE-1 Booking, October 2023  \nYoung Legal Aid Lawyers (‘YLAL’) is calling on the SRA and Kaplan (the company contracted to ad minister the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, SQE) to carry out an urgent review of the booking process for SQE-1 exams and confi rm what changes will be implemented, following feedback from our members that they had to wait between 2.5 and 6.5 hours yesterday (4 October) to secure an exam spot.  \nYesterday marked the opening of the booking window to secure a seat in the January 2024 sitting of the SQE-1. There have been concerns raised previously about the booking process for the SQE, as well as the actual administration of the exams, and its troubling ethnicity attainment gap.  \nOur members who tried to book an exam place yesterday have reported a number of issues to us, including:  \n● Having to queue online for up to 6.5 hours to book a place. The earliest anyone from the cohort we have spoken to managed to book was after 2.5 hours of queuing online;  \n● The website crashing once candidates made it to the front of t he queue. The website then directed candidates to call Kaplan, where they were left on hold for hours (at times in a queue of 650 people) ;  \n● The online system simply not being fit for purpose for those with a voucher1, with mixed messaging on the booking system only contributing to the overall feeling of uncertainty.  \nWe were particularly concerned to hear what happened to candidates who are taking the exam with reasonable adjustments, who had been told that a Kaplan ‘ liaison’ would book  \n1 Voucher codes are given out to those who do not have to pay to sit the exam  \non their behalf. Kaplan’s communication was particularly inadequate for this group of people. Individuals who were relying on a ‘ liaison’ to book their exams reported feeling stripped of agency and found it impossible to make contact with their liaison on the day. Those relying on a liaison did not receive confi rmation at the end of t he day to reassure them that they had been booked onto an exam. This made an already stressful situation worse.  \nOur members, who are studying for the SQE alongside working in legal aid (often with very vulnerable clients), had to unexpectedly take time off work due to the issues with the booking system and the long delays. Many simply could not afford to miss booking on to the January 2024 sitting of the exam.  \nSome members who were able to make it through to book were left with no choice but to book a spot on the other side of the country, and will have to incur train and accommodation fees to sit their exams. One of our members in the North East of England will have to travel to London for two days to sit their exams. They will not receive any compensation.  \nWe know that not all SQE candidates experienced what our members did. Kaplan and the SRA offer a block booking system to ‘selected’ providers. The block booking system allows selected providers to book, en-masse, places for their candidates. Candidates going through block booking will not have had to end ure a 6. 5-hour queue, a day full of uncertainty, or having to take much of a working day off with no notice. None of our members benefited from block booking, and we have serious concerns that the block booking system effectively creates a two-tiered system.  \nThe SQE is meant to widen access and reduce barriers to the legal profession. SRA/Kaplan’s shortcomings in administering booking onto the exam, which has introduced unfairness into the booking process are contrary to that stated ambition. It is not unreasonable to expect better.  \nYoung Legal Aid Lawyers  \n5 October 2023  \n[http://www.younglegalaidlawyers.org](http://www.younglegalaidlawyers.org)[ylalinfo@gmail.com](ylalinfo@gmail.com / @YLALawyers)[ / @YLALawyers](ylalinfo@gmail.com / @YLALawyers)  \nAbout Young Legal Aid Lawyers  \nYoung Legal Aid Lawyers (‘YLAL’) is a group of aspiring and junior lawyers committed to practising in those areas of law, both criminal a","cbCaigM6svhyjnLD","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigM6svhyjnLD","pdf",109208,"English","# Statement on SQE-1 Booking\n## Urgent call for review\n## Reported booking issues\n## Impact on candidates and fairness\n## Position on block booking","[{\"question\":\"Who does YLAL call on to review the SQE-1 booking process?\",\"answer\":\"YLAL calls on the SRA and Kaplan, the contracted administrator of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, to urgently review the booking process.\"},{\"question\":\"What booking problems were reported by YLAL members on 4 October 2023?\",\"answer\":\"Members reported having to queue online for up to 6.5 hours, the website crashing at the front of the queue and redirecting candidates to call Kaplan, and the online system not working well for candidates with voucher codes.\"},{\"question\":\"How does YLAL describe the effect of the block booking system?\",\"answer\":\"YLAL states that selected providers can book places en masse, which avoids the long queues and uncertainty for those candidates, and argues this effectively creates a two-tier system.\"}]","Statement on SQE-1 Booking - October 2023 | PDF",1790034629]