Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) - for admission to UK

LNAT was developed by a consortium of UK universities as a fair way to assess a candidate’s potential to study law at undergraduate level, regardless of their education or personal background. It is a test of aptitude rather than educational achievement. The skills that candidates need to do well in the LNAT are also the skills that they need to do well in legal education. It is used alongside standard methods of selection such as A Level (or their global equivalent) results, university applications, and admissions interviews, to give a more accurate and rounded impression of the student’s abilities.

The LNAT is 135 minutes long and consists of two sections. The test taker is allotted 40 minutes to complete the essay and 95 minutes to answer 42 multiple-choice questions aimed at measuring reading comprehension and logical reasoning skills. The reading portion contains twelve short passages, with three or four questions about each passage. The questions typically ask for terms and arguments from the reading to be defined by inference. The essay portion is 40 minutes long and involves the candidate answering one of three available essay questions. The questions are generally open-ended prompts that can focus on any one of a wide variety of issues. The reading section is scored out of 42 and the essays are individually marked by proctors at the respective universities.

LNAT is not a test of knowledge; instead they are aiming to assess your ability to read, understand and think. The questions are designed to test your skills of comprehension, analysis and, to some extent, logical reasoning.
Part A of the paper is arranged in 10 sections and asks in total 30 questions. All the questions must be answered. Each section is based upon a page or more of text and then between 2 and 4 specific questions relating to the text. Each question offers a choice of 5 answers, one of which must be selected.
The test is not subject to negative marking; negative marking means that if you get an answer wrong, marks are deducted. In consequence, you must attempt all the questions asked, even if you guess. Of course, you can increase your chances of guessing correctly if you are able to discount some of the answers as incorrect.
The LNAT website asks whether it is better to read the extracts first and then consider the questions or to read the questions first and then read the extract, thus looking for the answers. The only advice that can be given is that you need to try the test for yourself and identify which approach works best for you. As you have only 80 minutes, or 8 minutes per section, you need to determine how to use the time to best

You need to take the LNAT during the September 2021 to June 2022 test cycle if you are applying for 2022 entry to UK undergraduate law programmes through the UCAS. Starting on 21 October, the first batch of LNAT scores (tests taken between 1 September to 20 October) are released to the universities to download. After that date, within 24 hours of finishing your LNAT, Pearson VUE will make your LNAT score and essay available for download by your chosen university or universities. They will see your score before you do. Each university’s admissions tutors will then refer to the candidate’s score as part of their application. The candidate’s LNAT score and the essays will be used by each university in the way that best suits its own admissions system. The LNAT does not replace A levels or their global equivalent but is used in conjunction with formal qualifications, the information on the UCAS or other application form, the candidate’s personal statement and, in some cases, performance at interview.

There is no fixed weight to the LNAT and different universities will utilise the LNAT in different ways. The use of LNAT essays varies and is dependent on each participating university’s admissions policy. Some universities may use it, for example, as the basis for interview questions. Others may compare it with the personal statement and school/college report on UCAS forms, or use it as a means of distinguishing between borderline candidates.

LNAT results are emailed to candidates twice a year, with test dates determining the results date. Candidates taking the LNAT on or before 20 January 2022 will receive their results in mid February 2022. Candidates taking the test after 20 January 2022 will receive their results in mid August 2022.