After you have applied to all of the universities you can and have sat all of your exams, you may be thinking that all you need to do is sit and wait. However, this is not the case at all for some courses! You may have heard of extra tests needing to be taken by prospective students who want to go to Oxbridge universities. However, these universities are not the only ones which require students to take extra tests! The LNAT test is an exam which you may have not heard of. However, it is important to know about if you are thinking of doing law.
The National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT) is a computer-based exam. It is used to assess students who want to study law at university. It is two hours and fifteen minutes long and requires candidates to answer two sections. Section A is based on multiple choice questions and section B requires students to write an essay. Only certain universities require students to take this exam and it is only completed by students hoping to study law.
If you are thinking about studying law for university, check out this article to learn about the test you may need to take in order to get in!
Table of Contents
What is the LNAT test used for?
The LNAT test is just another one of the university exams some courses require you to sit before you are offered a place. Law is a very competitive course. Therefore, it can be hard for tutors to decide which applicants to choose – especially when they all have similar grades!
As a result, when students who want to take law take an LNAT exam, their scores can help tutors to decide who would be the best candidates for the course.
Further to this, it can be difficult to see which students have better grades if the tutors have to compare A-Levels, Advanced Highers or other differing qualifications. This means that this test can be essential for selecting the right students for the course.
You can find out more information about why you may have to take the LNAT test on this UniAdmissions article, if you click here.
Many university courses actually require students to take extra university admissions tests. You can find out more about them and all of the different ones on this article from Think Student.
What does the LNAT test assess you on?
You may be thinking that this test is used to assess your intelligence or knowledge of law. However, this is not the case at all!
The exam is used to assess your reasoning skills and how well you can understand and interpret information. It also measures how well you can analyse information and draw conclusions. The test is split into two sections.
Section A is mostly used to assess how well you can think creatively and it is also used to measure your comprehension skills. The questions will be focused on different topics, such as politics, history, science and technology.
In comparison, section B measures how well you can write in a persuasive way. It also measures your ability to write logically and capability to create a well thought out argument.
The essays tend to focus on controversial topics which allow you to express strong opinions and formulate your own arguments. For example, ‘Should women in the US have access to abortions?’. For more about this, check out this page on the LNAT website.
What is the LNAT test structure?
The LNAT test is split into two sections. Section A contains 42 multiple choice questions. These questions are assessed on 12 argumentative blocks of text.
There are then about three or four multiple choice questions for each of these passages. You will be given ninety-five minutes to answer all of these questions. More information about section A can be found on this article from The Lawyer Portal website.
Section B requires you to write an essay! You will be given three essay options to choose from and will then have forty minutes to write your essay.
More information about section B can also be found on an article from The Lawyer Portal website, if you click here.
Is the LNAT test used by all universities?
The truth is that the LNAT test is only used by ten UK universities and two international universities. Nine out of the ten UK universities are known as Russel Group universities. Three of the UK universities are also in London!
One of the international universities which require students to take this test is Singapore University of Social Sciences in Singapore. The other one is the IE School of Law in Spain.
Therefore, it is important that you check which universities require you to take this test so that you can prepare for it!
You can find all of the names of the universities on this LNAT guide from The Lawyer Portal website, if you click here.
What is a good LNAT test score?
Different universities score the LNAT test in different ways. Some universities place a lot of weight on the essay question. However, some universities don’t take this section into account at all!
For example, the University of Durham bases 60% of the overall score on the multiple-choice questions and bases 40% on the essay. In comparison, King’s College London only assesses section A.
There is no pass or fail mark for the LNAT test. However, it is marked out of a score of forty-two. Good scores differ depending on which university you have applied for.
For example, the University of Oxford may require a higher score on the LNAT test in order for the result to be seen as a good achievement, compared to a different university.
Oxford and Cambridge are definitely hard universities to get into. Check out this article from Think Student to see how difficult it actually is.
It has been found that a good score for section A for King’s College London was 26 and for the University of Oxford, it was 29. These scores are higher than average. Whereas, for the University of Glasgow, a good score to achieve was 23.
Therefore, whether a score on the LNAT test is good or not depends on each individual university. More information about scoring can be found on this article from the UniAdmissions website, if you click here.
How do you book the LNAT test?
In order to book yourself a test, you must create an account on the LNAT website. Then, you must log yourself in and use the menu at the top left of the screen to make a booking.
There will be plenty of appointment slots you can choose from. This is especially true if you book earlier! Make sure that you don’t leave booking this test to the last minute.
However, you need to be aware that if you have certain requirements that need to be taken into consideration when booking an exam, do not book a test online.
For example, if you have poor vision or need extended time, you must fill out an Examination Access Requirements form. More information about this form can be found on this article on the LNAT website.
However, if you have no special requirements and just want to book a test, visit the LNAT website and book one! You can do this if you click here,if you have already set up an account.
Is the LNAT test free?
Sadly, the LNAT test is not free! If you live in the UK or sit the test at an EU test centre, the fee is £75. However, if you are sitting the test outside of the UK and the EU, the test will cost you £120 to sit. Please note that this is true as of January 2023 and the cost may have changed if you are reading at a later date.
However, this fee can be altered if you are a UK or EU student who is eligible for benefits. If this is the case, then you could end up with having to pay no fee. However, if you are worrying about having enough money to pay for the test, a LNAT bursary is an option.
You have to apply for the bursary before you book the test and only certain candidates are entitled to it. There is a certain criteria you must meet in order to be allowed to take this LNAT bursary. More detail about this criteria can be found on this LNAT website, if you click here.
Due to the money that needs to be spent on this test, it is important that you make sure that law is the right course for you. For more information about how you know if you are right for a certain course, check out this article from Think Student.
How do you prepare for the LNAT test?
The best thing you can do to prepare is practice! Complete as many practice questions as you possibly can.
It can be useful to learn important strategies for how to tackle the test. These can be learnt from LNAT workshops or online LNAT courses.
If you are really struggling, it could be useful to find an LNAT tutor, who specialises in this particular test. For more tips, check out this article from The Lawyer Portal.
Good luck!