The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has pushed back the date for the rollout of the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) to autumn 2021, while also announcing that the cost of the new exam could be as much as £4,500.

The SQE – the introduction of which means aspiring lawyers will no longer need to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC) – will cost between £3,000 and £4,500, according to a "provisional fee range" published by the SRA today (8 November).

A launch date of autumn 2020 had been proposed but, in response to feedback, the SRA is now pushing back the start date by a year to give legal education providers and law firms time to develop training and transition to the new system.

Earlier this year, the SRA appointed professional education and training organisation Kaplan to develop and run the the new exam.

Kaplan, which will run the SQE but not provide training for it, was selected following what the SRA called "a rigorous year-long process". Under an eight-year deal, it will deliver the common assessment that all entrants to the profession must take, regardless of their chosen route.

The SQE was unveiled in April last year in response to concerns that LPC pass rates were too provider-dependent, inconsistent, and that the course was no longer suitable given changing market pressures.

The SRA expects the new model will "introduce transparency and competitive pressures to drive up standards and reduce cost", as well as removing "the LPC gamble", which can cost up to up to £16,700.

Split into two stages, under the SQE students will first focus on functioning legal knowledge – including professional conduct, commercial and corporate law, and dispute resolution. They will then be tested on practical legal skills such as drafting, interviewing and oral communication. 

Trainee solicitors will also no longer be required to complete training contracts – instead, they will need to complete at least two years of "qualifying legal work experience". This experience can be covered by as many as four different employers, including a university – for example, working for a university law clinic. Paralegal work can also count towards the work experience requirement.

The SRA is expecting that candidates will take stage one of the SQE before their work-based experience, and SQE stage two at the end of their work experience.

SRA chief executive Paul Philip said: "We want everyone to be ready to make the most of the SQE. We have listened to law firms and universities, who have told us that 2021 gives them the right amount of time to prepare.

"Our priority is creating a rigorous, value-for-money assessment that drives consistent high standards. The SQE also offers a fresh opportunity to increase access to the profession. A competitive training market, offering real choices, will help the profession attract the best talent."