LNAT Advice Thread
I had my LNAT today so I thought I would share with you some advice to help with your preparation.
The most important thing is to familiarise yourself with the format of the test. It is very similar to AQA General Studies and OCR Critical Thinking so past papers from those specifications would help.
This link for AQA past papers, AS Units 1+2 is what you want to look at:
http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/humanities/general_studies_a_materials.php?id=10&prev=
The official LNAT website also has two official practice papers however I would do these last and treat them as mock papers. You can download an application which delivers them in the format of the actual test which is very useful.
Aside from those two sources which are free, you have to pay for LNAT practice papers. The cheapest are these, where you get 3 tests for £5.99, however I think they are slightly easier than the actual test:
http://www.lnat-test.com/prices.html
There are other websites selling LNAT practice papers, however beware that they may not reflect the actual difficulty of the test and are very expensive.
The other sources of LNAT advice and practice papers are the two most popular books.:
Passing the National Admissions Test for Law: Hutton, Hutton and Sampson
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Passing-National-Admissions-University-Entrance/dp/0857254855/
and
LNAT Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law: Shepherd
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LNAT-Mastering-National-Admissions-Test/dp/1845680103/
The Shepherd book contains 5 practice tests, however they use the old /30 test format as it in an old book and most importantly the tests are much harder than the real test. It does however have very good advice for the essay section.
The Hutton & Sampson book only has 1 practice test but it is in the correct format and more akin to the difficulty of the real test. It also contains more advice for the multiple choice section.
As far as tackling the test goes, I would recommend taking it very slowly, read the passages very carefully and try to follow the argument as best you can in your head. Practice reading argumentative passages from quality newspapers and the Economist. The Hutton & Sampson book goes into more detail with different approaches for the test which I would recommend reading. Also, trust your instincts when you go back to check answers. Make sure you are certain if you do change an answer because your instincts were probably correct first time round.
For the essay section, choose a title which you have some knowledge about and plan your answer carefully. Also try to show both sides of the argument and come to a balanced conclusion. Read the sample essays on the LNAT website, then have a go at some and ask a teacher to mark them.
Feel free to ask questions here or PM me and good luck!
The most important thing is to familiarise yourself with the format of the test. It is very similar to AQA General Studies and OCR Critical Thinking so past papers from those specifications would help.
This link for AQA past papers, AS Units 1+2 is what you want to look at:
http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/humanities/general_studies_a_materials.php?id=10&prev=
The official LNAT website also has two official practice papers however I would do these last and treat them as mock papers. You can download an application which delivers them in the format of the actual test which is very useful.
Aside from those two sources which are free, you have to pay for LNAT practice papers. The cheapest are these, where you get 3 tests for £5.99, however I think they are slightly easier than the actual test:
http://www.lnat-test.com/prices.html
There are other websites selling LNAT practice papers, however beware that they may not reflect the actual difficulty of the test and are very expensive.
The other sources of LNAT advice and practice papers are the two most popular books.:
Passing the National Admissions Test for Law: Hutton, Hutton and Sampson
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Passing-National-Admissions-University-Entrance/dp/0857254855/
and
LNAT Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law: Shepherd
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LNAT-Mastering-National-Admissions-Test/dp/1845680103/
The Shepherd book contains 5 practice tests, however they use the old /30 test format as it in an old book and most importantly the tests are much harder than the real test. It does however have very good advice for the essay section.
The Hutton & Sampson book only has 1 practice test but it is in the correct format and more akin to the difficulty of the real test. It also contains more advice for the multiple choice section.
As far as tackling the test goes, I would recommend taking it very slowly, read the passages very carefully and try to follow the argument as best you can in your head. Practice reading argumentative passages from quality newspapers and the Economist. The Hutton & Sampson book goes into more detail with different approaches for the test which I would recommend reading. Also, trust your instincts when you go back to check answers. Make sure you are certain if you do change an answer because your instincts were probably correct first time round.
For the essay section, choose a title which you have some knowledge about and plan your answer carefully. Also try to show both sides of the argument and come to a balanced conclusion. Read the sample essays on the LNAT website, then have a go at some and ask a teacher to mark them.
Feel free to ask questions here or PM me and good luck!
(edited 12 years ago)
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Hey, I took it yesterday. Obv we can't talk about what the questions actually were, but how did you find it in terms of difficulty? I thought the multiple choice went well.
Original post by Thegoodleftundone
Hey, I took it yesterday. Obv we can't talk about what the questions actually were, but how did you find it in terms of difficulty? I thought the multiple choice went well.
Yeah I agree. No really obscure/subjective questions so it was quite straightforward. I managed to finish with about 20mins left to check over my answers which was helpful. Thought the essay questions were do-able as well.
Wondering what some of the essay titles were for those who have already done it? I know they wont come up again, but I want to do some more practice essays before I do mine and am running out of titles! so if anyone could remember any at all, i would be so grateful
Original post by silverspoonmess
Wondering what some of the essay titles were for those who have already done it? I know they wont come up again, but I want to do some more practice essays before I do mine and am running out of titles! so if anyone could remember any at all, i would be so grateful
Sorry but I'm not going to tell you what the essay questions were, as they almost certainly will come up again.
Hi,
Thanks for the advice, I was just wondering it is 42 multiple choice questions and then a choice of 3 essays isn't it? I think that's what it says on the website but I have books which are obviously older but they all say different things!
Also about the essay, did you find there was a good choice and were they easier or harder to what you were expecting? Obviously I understand why you don't want to say the question, but some of the questions in some of the books are really random and obscure and I was wondering if you found that in the exam?
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the advice, I was just wondering it is 42 multiple choice questions and then a choice of 3 essays isn't it? I think that's what it says on the website but I have books which are obviously older but they all say different things!
Also about the essay, did you find there was a good choice and were they easier or harder to what you were expecting? Obviously I understand why you don't want to say the question, but some of the questions in some of the books are really random and obscure and I was wondering if you found that in the exam?
Thank you so much!
Original post by Charlotte13
Hi,
Thanks for the advice, I was just wondering it is 42 multiple choice questions and then a choice of 3 essays isn't it? I think that's what it says on the website but I have books which are obviously older but they all say different things!
Also about the essay, did you find there was a good choice and were they easier or harder to what you were expecting? Obviously I understand why you don't want to say the question, but some of the questions in some of the books are really random and obscure and I was wondering if you found that in the exam?
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the advice, I was just wondering it is 42 multiple choice questions and then a choice of 3 essays isn't it? I think that's what it says on the website but I have books which are obviously older but they all say different things!
Also about the essay, did you find there was a good choice and were they easier or harder to what you were expecting? Obviously I understand why you don't want to say the question, but some of the questions in some of the books are really random and obscure and I was wondering if you found that in the exam?
Thank you so much!
Hi, that's ok, glad I could help!
Yeah you're correct, there are 12 passages with 42 multiple choice questions and 3 titles for you to choose from for the essay. All the titles that I've seen, not only in my test, are pretty much all based on current affairs/political and philosophical issues; there are no random ones like 'describe the function of the heart'. There was a reasonably good choice but within the political/philosophical area and they are do-able, planning beforehand does help! Keeping up-to-date with a newspaper, or reading the Guardian online will be the most help with the essay part in terms of knowledge. Make sure you do some practice essays and ask a teacher to mark them. It's also important to show both sides of the argument and come to a balanced conclusion. I can PM you one of my practice essays if you like? Good luck!
(edited 12 years ago)
Thanks! Also just wondering is it 40 mins for the essay and 90 for the multiple choice? and how much did you write for the essay? because I've read some which say 500-600 words and others 600-700 and others which say they don't look after 750? and my teacher was completely useless when I asked!
Also thanks for the reassurance about the essay, I just panicked when I saw some of the past questions and they were completely random, but political/philosophical sounds ok and I read a newspaper so hopefully that bit could be ok?! I tried to get a teacher to mark a couple of past essays which I've done and then had about 2 comments on it but it would be so helpful if I could see one you've done thank you! I just have no idea how formal to write and my teacher doesn't really know much about the exam!
Also thanks for the reassurance about the essay, I just panicked when I saw some of the past questions and they were completely random, but political/philosophical sounds ok and I read a newspaper so hopefully that bit could be ok?! I tried to get a teacher to mark a couple of past essays which I've done and then had about 2 comments on it but it would be so helpful if I could see one you've done thank you! I just have no idea how formal to write and my teacher doesn't really know much about the exam!
Original post by Charlotte13
Thanks! Also just wondering is it 40 mins for the essay and 90 for the multiple choice? and how much did you write for the essay? because I've read some which say 500-600 words and others 600-700 and others which say they don't look after 750? and my teacher was completely useless when I asked!
Also thanks for the reassurance about the essay, I just panicked when I saw some of the past questions and they were completely random, but political/philosophical sounds ok and I read a newspaper so hopefully that bit could be ok?! I tried to get a teacher to mark a couple of past essays which I've done and then had about 2 comments on it but it would be so helpful if I could see one you've done thank you! I just have no idea how formal to write and my teacher doesn't really know much about the exam!
Also thanks for the reassurance about the essay, I just panicked when I saw some of the past questions and they were completely random, but political/philosophical sounds ok and I read a newspaper so hopefully that bit could be ok?! I tried to get a teacher to mark a couple of past essays which I've done and then had about 2 comments on it but it would be so helpful if I could see one you've done thank you! I just have no idea how formal to write and my teacher doesn't really know much about the exam!
40 mins for the essay, 95 mins for the multiple choice. I wrote 556 words precisely, LNAT recommend 500-600 words with 750 as the maximum which I think is about right. Yeah, most of my teachers haven't heard of the test other. PM me your essays and I'll have a look at them. My essay is saved on my other computer, so I'll send it to you in a bit
Original post by Grenville
Hi, that's ok, glad I could help!
Yeah you're correct, there are 12 passages with 42 multiple choice questions and 3 titles for you to choose from for the essay. All the titles that I've seen, not only in my test, are pretty much all based on current affairs/political and philosophical issues; there are no random ones like 'describe the function of the heart'. There was a reasonably good choice but within the political/philosophical area and they are do-able, planning beforehand does help! Keeping up-to-date with a newspaper, or reading the Guardian online will be the most help with the essay part in terms of knowledge. Make sure you do some practice essays and ask a teacher to mark them. It's also important to show both sides of the argument and come to a balanced conclusion. I can PM you one of my practice essays if you like? Good luck!
Yeah you're correct, there are 12 passages with 42 multiple choice questions and 3 titles for you to choose from for the essay. All the titles that I've seen, not only in my test, are pretty much all based on current affairs/political and philosophical issues; there are no random ones like 'describe the function of the heart'. There was a reasonably good choice but within the political/philosophical area and they are do-able, planning beforehand does help! Keeping up-to-date with a newspaper, or reading the Guardian online will be the most help with the essay part in terms of knowledge. Make sure you do some practice essays and ask a teacher to mark them. It's also important to show both sides of the argument and come to a balanced conclusion. I can PM you one of my practice essays if you like? Good luck!
Could you PM me the practice essay? Please
Original post by buxmann
Could you PM me the practice essay? Please
Yeah sure
Original post by Grenville
Yeah sure
Really good advice, thank you! Mine is on Friday
Would you people to pm me your essay too? I'd be interested to see how it should be structured.
Original post by Perseverance
Really good advice, thank you! Mine is on Friday
Would you people to pm me your essay too? I'd be interested to see how it should be structured.
Would you people to pm me your essay too? I'd be interested to see how it should be structured.
Of course, good luck for Friday!
Can I also request your practice essay please!? I've been so focused on getting my PS done, and sending off my UCAS (tomorrow...eep!) that I haven't even looked at the LNAT. I just took the first practice test and got 21, which i'm not too thrilled about but i'm putting it down to watching 'The Great British Bake Off' which was distracting me! lol
How did you find the actual test conditions? My test centre is in the middle of the city and in a random office building, I am worrying that i'll be distracted by being in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people.
How did you find the actual test conditions? My test centre is in the middle of the city and in a random office building, I am worrying that i'll be distracted by being in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people.
Original post by Elle408
Can I also request your practice essay please!? I've been so focused on getting my PS done, and sending off my UCAS (tomorrow...eep!) that I haven't even looked at the LNAT. I just took the first practice test and got 21, which i'm not too thrilled about but i'm putting it down to watching 'The Great British Bake Off' which was distracting me! lol
How did you find the actual test conditions? My test centre is in the middle of the city and in a random office building, I am worrying that i'll be distracted by being in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people.
How did you find the actual test conditions? My test centre is in the middle of the city and in a random office building, I am worrying that i'll be distracted by being in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people.
Yeah sure
All Pearson test centres are practically identical. You go in to a waiting room and register, then when your time comes you go into another room where the invigilator sits in a glass booth and the computers are arranged in a semi-circle infront of him. He then sets up your test and then you take it. The test room itself isn't distracting at all, it's really quiet and all you can see is your screen and a partition around your work area. I actually preferred it to doing exams in school which I wasn't expecting! It's also the same place where people do theory tests so ask people who have done that for advice about the centre
Original post by Grenville
Thank you! That's incredibly helpful!
Original post by L-C
Thank you for this thread - it's so useful! I have my LNAT in a week and sorry could I also please see one of your practice essays!? Thanks!
Of course, good luck!
Hey ! i have my LNAT on tuesday ahh! I don't want to be a huge pain but is it possible if you could message me your essay as well? so sorry! i know many have asked.
Good luck to everyone on their LNAT!
Also how is the test actually set out? like i know it's on a computer but do you get paper to test out your ideas rather than scramming it on the computer? Is it set out like a Word Document?
You are so helpful! God bless you
Good luck to everyone on their LNAT!
Also how is the test actually set out? like i know it's on a computer but do you get paper to test out your ideas rather than scramming it on the computer? Is it set out like a Word Document?
You are so helpful! God bless you
Me too, Inbox me pleaseeee, LNAT on saturday, And i havent done anything yet 
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