National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT) Preparation

What is the LNAT?

The LNAT is taken on a computer and is made up of two sections. The first section is multiple choice, consisting of 42 questions which are to be answered in 95 minutes. The questions in this section will be around a series of texts (12 texts, to be precise), for each of which there will be 3-4 questions. The second section of the test is a 40-minute essay section. You will be able to pick one out of three possible prompts from which to write an essay that demonstrates your ability to argue a point of view concisely and effectively.

What courses require the LNAT?

Applicants for a Law course at most of the top UK universities will most likely be required to take the LNAT, including Oxford and Cambridge universities. Other UK law schools which require the LNAT are: University of Bristol, Durham University, UCL, University of Nottingham, University of Glasgow, King’s College London, and SOAS.

If you’re applying for Cambridge and have heard of the CLT, or Cambridge Law Test, then you might be asking yourself ‘does Cambridge require LNAT’? The CLT is an older, Cambridge-specific admissions test that Cambridge University used to use instead of the LNAT, but from this admissions cycle onwards, the LNAT has replaced the CLT as the current Cambridge law admissions test.

How is the LNAT used?

Top UK universities use the LNAT as a standardised format for assessing and benchmarking their applicants. The exam rewards problem solving over knowledge of the law itself, so that students taking different qualifications at school can access the syllabus. Oxford and Cambridge use students’ marks in the LNAT to make decisions about which applicants they should invite to interview. Other universities use the LNAT score as additional context in their decision-making process for admissions to maths-based courses.