What is the LNAT?
The Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) is a pre-university test used by some UK universities (and two overseas universities) to help decide on their cohort. The test comprises of two sections: a 42-question multiple-choice test and an essay question. The test lasts for a total of 2 hours 15 minutes, with 95 minutes assigned to Section A, and 40 minutes to Section B.
The LNAT is designed to test whether a law degree would be right for you by assessing your skills in comprehension, interpretation, analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction. It was designed as a fair way to assess students, regardless of educational or personal background. For this reason, there is no need to have ever studied law before- the test doesn’t judge your knowledge of the law, it assesses the skills that are necessary to succeed in a law degree.
Section A of the LNAT is made up of 42 questions. These questions are based on 12 argumentative excerpts of texts, and each passage will have 3 or 4 questions. Here, the idea is to pick the answer that most closely matches what the text infers. This can be quite difficult as a lot of the choices may be similar. Try not to leave any of these questions unanswered, as you won’t lose any marks for choosing incorrectly. In Section B, you will write an essay. You can pick the title of your essay from a choice of three. As you only have 40 minutes for this section, the ideal essay length is approximately 500-600 words. In this section, it is important to demonstrate your written advocacy, making sure that you conclude- don’t sit on the fence!
Although you will receive a score for the multiple-choice section of the LNAT, there is no pass or fail boundary. The LNAT is only one of the ways a university may assess you- they will also take into consideration other factors such as your grades, personal statement, and academic reference. Many students are able to have successful applications even with a ‘below average’ score.
Who needs to sit the LNAT and when?
You only need to take the LNAT if it is a specified requirement of a university
you are applying to via UCAS. Universities (as of October 2020) that require prospective students to sit the LNAT are:
University of Bristol
Durham University
University of Glasgow
King’s College London
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
SOAS, University of London
University College London
If you are applying to study Law at one or more of the universities listed above, you will need to take the LNAT. In order to guarantee that your application is considered, you must meet both the UCAS deadline and the LNAT deadline for your institution. For the University of Oxford, you must have submitted your UCAS form by the 15th October, and sat the LNAT on or before 15th October. For all other universities, your UCAS application must be submitted by 15th January and you are required to sit the LNAT before 20th January (you must book your test slot before 15th January).
How to Prepare
The design of the LNAT means that (in theory), students should be able to sit the examination without much preparation. This is to make the test fair- it shouldn’t be easier for certain students simply due to being able to afford extra tuition or resources. However, it is recommended to practice for the LNAT as the structure of questions is very different to other tests.
It is not recommended to purchase any products or services related to the LNAT, but there are plenty of resources you can access freely online.
The first free resource is the LNAT website (lnat.ac.uk). Not only does it explain what the LNAT is, but it also has free practice papers and sample essays for you to try out. I would definitely recommend doing at least two practices of the multiple-choice element, and writing a few sample essays within the 40-minute time limit.
I also made use of videos on YouTube, especially by Eve Cornwell (see video featured) and Elle the Law Student. Recently, an academic at Jesus College, University of Oxford has made a great in-depth video which goes through how best to approach the LNAT.
My final recommendation is to get help from others! If you have friends also sitting the LNAT, try a test together or make up essay questions for one another. Other free programmes you can use include mentoring programmes such as Project Access and Target Oxbridge, although these may have specific access requirements.
A lot of the LNAT uses very technical language in fields you may not study such as medicine or theology. These texts are used to challenge you, so do not be put off if you don’t understand every word. A good way to help yourself approach this hurdle is to read outside of your comfort zone, and from academic sources which use technical terminology. You can read articles from broadsheet newspapers, or from academic journals. If you are studying the EPQ, you will already be accessing lots of these materials for your essay.
On the Day
Sitting any exam or test can be stressful. Think about stress relief tools that help you in an exam situation- what helped you to stay calm during mock exams or GCSEs for example? Before the exam, you could maybe read a book you like, make some art, chat to a friend, or have a hot drink like herbal tea or hot chocolate. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, so the best way to stay calm is to know yourself and the tools that benefit you. When you get into the exam room, my most important tip is to breathe- you can’t think if your brain can’t get oxygen!
It is important to remember that everyone can have a bad day or struggle in an exam, so try not to beat yourself up if the LNAT doesn’t go how you expected. Sometimes you may be thrown a curveball you really didn’t expect, such as an essay question on a topic you haven’t heard of. You may get overwhelmed or run out of time. I can assure you that all scenarios have probably come about before, and you will not be alone. After the exam, I would suggest simply not thinking about it until you get your result. There is no good reason to worry about something you cannot change.
After the LNAT
From the 21st October, your university or universities will be able to download and view your LNAT score and essay transcript. Each university will then use this information, along with any other relevant information such as your personal statement and predicted or obtained grades to decide whether to invite you for interview or offer you a place on their courses.
Provided you sat the LNAT test on or before 20th January, your score will be sent to you in mid-February. By this point, you may already have received some offers or rejections from your university.
Good luck, and don’t forget to breathe!
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