The SRA's own guidance on the SQE2 exemption is accurate but long, and it is easy to lose the two things that actually decide an application.
To qualify, the SRA needs two things. Practising rights in at least one of five areas it lists (criminal litigation, civil litigation, property, wills and probate, and business organisations), and at least two years of professional legal work experience that covers all the skills SQE2 tests. You also cannot apply if you have already failed SQE2. Experience from before you qualified may not be accepted, so check the SRA's guidance against your own record.
The application itself asks for proof of one thing, that past experience covers the same skills SQE2 tests, not knowledge of the law. SQE2 is a skills assessment, covering client interviews, advocacy, and legal drafting among others, so the form is really asking whether the applicant can already do the job, not whether they passed exams about it.
In practice, the application goes through mySRA. Add the qualifying jurisdiction under the profile section, then apply for the qualified lawyer exemption and upload the evidence. There is a fee, around £265 as last checked, and the SRA can take up to 180 days to decide, so it is worth submitting early rather than leaving it until closer to a sitting.
A few things consistently separate an application that succeeds from one that gets rejected.
Collect the evidence before starting the form. A letter from the relevant regulator confirming practice rights, and a clear, specific summary of work experience, broken down by area of law and time spent in each.
Be specific rather than general. A vague description of commercial litigation experience is far weaker than dates, matter types, and what was actually done on them.
Do not expect an SQE1 exemption alongside this one. The SRA grants very few of those, so plan for sitting SQE1 regardless, and treat any exemption as a bonus rather than a plan.
An SQE2 exemption is a separate question from Qualifying Work Experience, which has its own requirements. It is possible to need both, one, or neither, depending on individual circumstances, so check each on its own terms.