PQE stands for "Post-Qualified Experience" and is used in the legal sector to refer to the experience built up by a solicitor after they have become fully qualified. PQE is usually represented in years or half years for solicitors and legal executives. It refers to each year a solicitor has held a practicing certificate for, regardless of whether they have practiced during that year. PQE is still a useful benchmark for solicitors and law firms, as it helps to determine the level of experience a solicitor has and what tasks they are legally allowed to undertake. For example, a 1-year PQE solicitor is legally unable to supervise an office, while a 3-year PQE solicitor is allowed to do so and must have passed a management course recognized by the Law Society. PQE is also used as a benchmark for recruitment, as it helps firms to determine the level of experience they require for a particular role and the salary levels they are willing to offer.