Overview
The LNAT (National Admissions Test for Law) is an admissions test used by a number of universities in the UK and a handful overseas to help select candidates for undergraduate law degrees. It does not test legal knowledge. Instead it has two parts: a multiple-choice section that checks how well a candidate reads and reasons through unfamiliar argumentative text, and an essay that lets the candidate show they can build and conclude an argument. The test is set and run by LNAT Consortium Ltd, a group of participating law schools, and delivered on computer through Pearson VUE test centres.
Who can apply
Anyone applying to an undergraduate law course at a university that asks for the LNAT needs to sit it, alongside the normal UCAS (or direct) application to that course. The set of universities that require the LNAT is decided independently by each admissions office and is reviewed every year, so it changes — a course that asked for LNAT one year may not the next, and vice versa. Candidates should always confirm the current requirement on their chosen university's own course page rather than assuming last year's list still applies.
Exam pattern
The test runs 2 hours 15 minutes in total, split into two timed sections that cannot be returned to once finished.
| Section | Content | Questions/task | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — Multiple choice | 12 argumentative passages, 3–4 questions per passage | 42 multiple-choice questions | 95 minutes |
| B — Essay | One essay chosen from three set questions on a range of subjects | 1 essay | 40 minutes |
Candidates can review and change their answers within Section A for as long as the 95 minutes lasts, but once Section B begins there is no way back to Section A.
Marking and results
Section A is machine-marked and produces a score out of 42; there is no pass or fail mark. Section B, the essay, is not scored by the test centre and does not feed into the numeric score at all — instead, the essay text itself is forwarded, together with the Section A score, directly to each university the candidate is applying to, and admissions tutors there read and weigh it alongside the rest of the application as they see fit. Results are not shared publicly and are not carried forward between admissions cycles — a candidate who reapplies in a later year has to sit the LNAT again.
Important dates
For the cycle covering entry in September 2027, registration and booking opened on 1 August 2026, and test appointments became available from 1 September 2026. Universities set their own internal deadlines within this window: candidates applying to Oxford or Cambridge courses that require the LNAT needed to register and book between 1 August and 15 September 2026, and had to sit the test by 15 October 2026 (in step with the earlier UCAS deadline these two universities use). For other participating universities, the usual deadline is to register before 20 January 2027 and sit the test by 25 January 2027. Exact cut-offs can vary by university, so candidates should check their own university's published deadline rather than relying on a single date.
Fees
For the 2026/27 test cycle, the LNAT costs £75 at test centres in the UK and the EU, and £120 at test centres elsewhere in the world. Candidates who already hold certain means-tested support — for example the 16–19 Bursary in England, the top rate of the Education Maintenance Allowance in Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland, Pupil Premium funding, free school meals, or household eligibility for child tax credits with income under £30,000 — can apply for an LNAT bursary that waives the fee entirely. This bursary scheme is open only to UK and EU candidates testing at UK/EU centres, and the application must be made and approved before the test is booked.
How to apply
Candidates register for an LNAT account on the LNAT website, then log in to book a test appointment at a Pearson VUE centre of their choice; the earlier a slot is booked, the more choice there is over date and location. Payment (or an approved bursary voucher) is required at the time of booking. On the day, candidates attend the chosen centre in person with valid photo ID, since the test can only be taken on a supervised computer at a test centre and is not available online or on paper.
After the exam
Each candidate is emailed their own Section A score after the test. The score and the essay are sent on to every LNAT-requiring university named in the candidate's application, where they are considered alongside academic results, the personal statement and any interview as part of that university's own admissions process. LNAT itself does not set a cut-off score or make admissions decisions.
Preparation tips
LNAT provides a free online tutorial and full-length practice test on its own site that mirrors the on-screen look of the real test, along with downloadable past papers and a marking scheme for Section A. Working through these is the most direct way to get used to the timing pressure in Section A — 95 minutes across 12 passages leaves under two minutes per question — and to practise planning a 40-minute essay without being able to go back and revise Section A answers afterwards.
Does the LNAT test legal knowledge?
No. It does not assume or test any knowledge of law. It checks reading comprehension, reasoning and argument-building skills that are useful for studying law.
Is the LNAT essay scored?
Not numerically. The essay is not machine-marked and does not change the Section A score out of 42. It is sent to admissions tutors at the candidate's chosen universities, who read it themselves as part of the application.
Can I resit the LNAT if I think I did badly?
No. Only one sitting per candidate is permitted within a test cycle; a second attempt in the same cycle is invalidated. Resits are allowed only in exceptional circumstances, such as a significant technical failure during the test.
Which universities require the LNAT?
The list changes from year to year because each university sets its own admissions requirements. Universities that have asked for it in recent cycles include the University of Bristol, Durham University, SOAS University of London, UCL and King's College London in the UK, along with a small number of universities outside the UK. Always check the specific course page of the university being applied to for the current year's requirement.