[CalebFudgeBrownie]

I haven't actually sat the test yet, but may well be doing in the near future, dependent on which universities I apply to. Anyway, I just wanted to ask anyone who has actually sat the test about their thoughts on it.

Thank you for your time

[michael321]

(Original post by CalebFudgeBrownie)
I haven't actually sat the test yet, but may well be doing in the near future, dependent on which universities I apply to. Anyway, I just wanted to ask anyone who has actually sat the test about their thoughts on it.

Thank you for your time

What exactly did you want to know?

[CalebFudgeBrownie]

I apologise for my vagueness... I suppose I just meant in terms of difficulty overall and the range of essay titles given for the second section - were there any that you were knowledgeable of, or did you just pick the one that you felt most comfortable with?

Thanks again

[michael321]

(Original post by CalebFudgeBrownie)
I apologise for my vagueness... I suppose I just meant in terms of difficulty overall and the range of essay titles given for the second section - were there any that you were knowledgeable of, or did you just pick the one that you felt most comfortable with?

Thanks again

Difficulty is entirely personal, and depends on how good you are at analysis and all that jazz. Some people say you can prepare for it but I didn't practise too much and I don't think it would have helped. It isn't easy just because it's multiple choice.

I can't remember what my questions were, apart from the one I did. I was forced into doing it because the other two really didn't inspire me, but I don't recall what they were. You just need to pick the one you can make the best argument about.

The best way to find out about the LNAT is to do some past papers.

[CalebFudgeBrownie]

Thank you very much for your feedback. I’ve heard that, obviously to test candidates' analytical skills (as you've said), the answers to the multiple choice questions are very similar to one another, to create the impression of equal suitability. I suppose there’s only so much that you can do to prepare for the test, but I’ll be sure to do some past papers over the summer, as you’ve suggested

Btw, at what point in the year did you choose to sit the test?

[Krydel]

Personal opinion? A pile of irrelevant horse ****.

Not once during the year i just finished have i ever thought that the skills used in my LNAT were also used during the reading or work in any of the modules. There's probably a reason my university doesn't consider it in their admissions process.

Having said that, it's just something we all have to grin and bear as part of the uni application process. As far as the test goes, the only way I found you can improve at it is to have solid essay skills and as above a high level of analytical skills. Read some difficult texts and pick out the salient points, the underlying points etc and you'll find it a lot easier. There is a large degree of luck though, i remember mine being pretty difficult, but still having substantially easier extracts/questions than friends who were arguably more intelligent than me but bombed the test as a result.

[CalebFudgeBrownie]

Thank you for your reply! I know it sounds a daft question, but is there a recommended time to sit the test?

[michael321]

(Original post by CalebFudgeBrownie)
Thank you very much for your feedback. I’ve heard that, obviously to test candidates' analytical skills (as you've said), the answers to the multiple choice questions are very similar to one another, to create the impression of equal suitability. I suppose there’s only so much that you can do to prepare for the test, but I’ll be sure to do some past papers over the summer, as you’ve suggested

Btw, at what point in the year did you choose to sit the test?

October 14th.

[ratio]

(Original post by CalebFudgeBrownie)
I apologise for my vagueness... I suppose I just meant in terms of difficulty overall and the range of essay titles given for the second section - were there any that you were knowledgeable of, or did you just pick the one that you felt most comfortable with?

Thanks again

1) Michael321's advice is sound. Do some practice tests. They give you a feel for the exam and your pacing. Depending on what schools you're aiming for, I would say if you're scoring comfortably in the 20's you're probably fine for the real thing.

2) Past a certain score, somewhere in the 20's, what is much more important, in my view, is the essay. Practice thinking or writing in an argumentative manner about both sides in an objective way, but coming to a strong conclusion for one side. I cannot stress the importance of having a clear, concise argument enough. I know many people with decent LNAT multiple choice scores (20-26) who got rejected from UCL and their feedback claimed it was weak, descriptive rather than argumentative, essays that was the problem. Read a good broadsheet like the Times, or, if you're really keen, two contrasting ones like the Telegraph and Guardian. There will be at least one question, if not all 3, based on something that has been big in the news in the past year. You can usually predict a few essay questions if you check Radio 4 and the BBC to see the big news issues over the last year and think of support and weaknesses on both sides of the debate.

3) If you don't intend to apply to Oxford (October 20th deadline), I would take the test after some sort of brain break. I know a couple of people who took it right after exams as they felt their brain was working at optimum level and none did as well as those who took it after a holiday. I took it in January as I was really stressed out with various pieces of work, exams and interviews in the first term so I needed a break where I could calm down. If you're taking modular A-levels then you will have January exams so that timeline might not work for you and you might want to take it before the Oxford deadline when things are not really busy.

4) Don't panic if the real thing is harder than the practice tests and expect Pearson Vue to be incompetent close to results day. If you find that your practice multiple choice scores aren't satisfactory, get a critical thinking book. Gtfo, a poster on these forums, has some good advice and book reviews on his blog. He did things a little differently from me and we got the same score so just remember everyone has their own style and the difficulty is relative. He was more thorough than I was so he probably has better advice.

(Original post by gtfo)

[tehforum]

(Original post by ratio)
1) Michael321's advice is sound. Do some practice tests. They give you a feel for the exam and your pacing. Depending on what schools you're aiming for, I would say if you're scoring comfortably in the 20's you're probably fine for the real thing.

2) Past a certain score, somewhere in the 20's, what is much more important, in my view, is the essay. Practice thinking or writing in an argumentative manner about both sides in an objective way, but coming to a strong conclusion for one side. I cannot stress the importance of having a clear, concise argument enough. I know many people with decent LNAT multiple choice scores (20-26) who got rejected from UCL and their feedback claimed it was weak, descriptive rather than argumentative, essays that was the problem. Read a good broadsheet like the Times, or, if you're really keen, two contrasting ones like the Telegraph and Guardian. There will be at least one question, if not all 3, based on something that has been big in the news in the past year. You can usually predict a few essay questions if you check Radio 4 and the BBC to see the big news issues over the last year and think of support and weaknesses on both sides of the debate.

3) If you don't intend to apply to Oxford (October 20th deadline), I would take the test after some sort of brain break. I know a couple of people who took it right after exams as they felt their brain was working at optimum level and none did as well as those who took it after a holiday. I took it in January as I was really stressed out with various pieces of work, exams and interviews in the first term so I needed a break where I could calm down. If you're taking modular A-levels then you will have January exams so that timeline might not work for you and you might want to take it before the Oxford deadline when things are not really busy.

4) Don't panic if the real thing is harder than the practice tests and expect Pearson Vue to be incompetent close to results day. If you find that your practice multiple choice scores aren't satisfactory, get a critical thinking book. Gtfo, a poster on these forums, has some good advice and book reviews on his blog. He did things a little differently from me and we got the same score so just remember everyone has their own style and the difficulty is relative. He was more thorough than I was so he probably has better advice.

sheet

you got 30 as well?

[ratio]

(Original post by tehforum)
sheet

you got 30 as well?

Yes I did, luckily.

[gtfo]

Ohh, I don't think I've been summoned to a thread before

I'd largely echo the sentiment already expressed that the best preparation is practice tests.

If you haven't done A-Level critical thinking, I'd suggest you pick up a copy of Fisher's "critical thinking: an introduction"; I think that's what made the biggest impact on me.

Reading the comment sections of a couple of broadsheets every day is a good way to get used to the passages in the multiple choice questions, as that's where the bulk of them are drawn from.

Practicing for the essay is quite straightforward, there are so many sample essay titles available online or in books that you could pretty much so a practice one every day (which I'd definitely recommend in the weeks preceding the test).