The honest answer to "when should I start" depends on individual background and realistic weekly hours, not a single date everyone should follow. Here is a simple way to work out a personal start date.
First, estimate total hours needed. Most candidates need somewhere between 300 and 400 hours across FLK1 and FLK2. Anyone who already holds an SQE2 exemption and is only sitting SQE1 usually needs less.
Second, be honest about realistic weekly hours, not an optimistic one. A candidate working full time can often manage 10 to 15 hours a week without damaging health or job performance.
Third, divide total hours by weekly hours, then add two weeks at the end for mock exams and rest. That gives an actual start date rather than a guess.
As an example, a candidate who needs 350 hours and has 12 hours a week available needs about 29 weeks, plus two weeks, so roughly 31 weeks before the exam.
For January 2027, registration opens on 8 September 2026 and closes on 20 November 2026, with FLK1 sitting between 11 and 15 January 2027. Work backward from the exam date itself, not from the registration date, since study time does not wait for registration to open.
SQE Cracker's free plan is a fast way to sanity check whether a planned pace actually feels realistic before committing months to it, since it includes a full topic pack and a complete mock at no cost.