Kaplan LNAT practice - useful?

I'm considering using the Kaplan LNAT service. Has anybody used them before? What did you think?

Thanks

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I wouldn't bother using any of those services. The best preparation you can do is to try the Practice Paper(s?) on the LNAT site and get yourself a good Critical Thinking book from the library or something. That will put you in better stead than some strange course. The test isn't really something that you can revise or overly prepare for so spending money on courses which purport to offer preparation are likely to be pretty useless.

Reply 2

ghtrevgy

TommehR

Thanks for the advice. I will have a look at the LNAT website. I've just spent a year doing AS Critical Thinking so hopefully that will help.

Thanks again :smile:

Reply 3

TommehR

seaspray

Thanks for the advice. I will have a look at the LNAT website. I've just spent a year doing AS Critical Thinking so hopefully that will help.

Thanks again :smile:

A year doing AS Critical Thinking? I think that sounds like ideal preparation. You're not going to learn much more on the Kaplan course. :smile:

Reply 4

Lewisy-boy

Ive looked at the LNAT a few times and got bored of it because I didnt need to do it. At first I wanted to know how well I would do at the multiple choice bit but then it was too long, so I just didnt bother. Done tests like that before and many law firms employ them prior to interview. For one firm I had to online tests, one numerical and one just like that.

Reply 5

superdillon

I used Kaplan services to prepare for the LNAT. I sat the test the year that it was piloted. Spent a few hours to begin with going over strategy to answer questions and then did some timed practice questions.
The strategy that I was taught came in useful. It really ensured that you understood the fine points about the extract and was tailored in a way to answer the questions best. These are all strategies that you can pick up your self though, either by reading LNAT books or developing your own strategy. It suited me at the time because I was able to get my hands on some more practice papers that were pretty scarce at the time.

TommehR

The test isn't really something that you can revise or overly prepare for so spending money on courses which purport to offer preparation are likely to be pretty useless.

The LNAT test is like any other test- one that you should be adequately prepared for. You can't "revise" for it because it doesn't require you to have any knowledge going into the test but you can and should prepare for it and one of the ways in doing that is going courses such as that offered by Kaplan.
Absolutely any preparation that you do before a test, be it by by yourself doing practice papers or on a course developing strategy to answer the questions, is not "useless".

Reply 6

Prax

theres actually a book on hw to prepare on the lnat . . . saw it in waterstones 2day! maybe buy it?

Reply 7

Haineko

i bought one of them. one of the book had 5 practise tests, but only a short part on strat. the one i got was one with a more detailed strat part but only 1 practise test with multiple essay questions.

I think the one with more practise tests would be better, ujust need more practise and getting into the particular mode of thought.

Reply 8

superdillon

I remember using the Cataga-LNAT preparation guide and finding it very good for strategy and practice questions. The strategy part is particularly detailed and I remember really trying to internalise it in the lead up to the test.
Here's the link if anybody wants to read more about it:
http://www.lnat-prep.com/LNATPracticeTests.htm

Reply 9

John Gardner

The LNAT website says:

We advise you to be sceptical about anyone's claims to be able to help you do well in the test by coaching. In our view there is nothing that anyone can do to help you get a high LNAT score that you cannot equally do for yourself, if you approach your preparation in a disciplined way.

Notice that this does not claim that Kaplan, Cataga, etc. are no help. It only says that you could do all the same things without their help.

Reply 10

superdillon

John Gardner

Notice that this does not claim that Kaplan, Cataga, etc. are no help. It only says that you could do all the same things without their help.

Not really sure that was the main point of that extract you quoted there, minus one mark on your LNAT score!

Reply 11

Dreama

From looking back at my LNAT experience I have come to the conclusion that trying to memorise a "strategy" or an artificial thought-process would only cloud your attempts in the test itself...

Reply 12

Lewisy-boy

What is the LNAT out of? And what are the average marks etc, I cant be bothered to do my own research and i figure there must be at least 1 person on here knwos!

Reply 13

TommehR

I can't find that information on the website but the test for 2006 entry was out of 30 and the average was 16 point something.

Reply 14

Onearmedbandit

Apart from additional practice tests they may provide, LNAT preparation schemes are a waste of money really. You can learn far more from the LNAT website and TSR :biggrin:

Reply 15

Teehar

I did it, tbh it wasnt really anywhere near value for money and the stuff i learnt wasnt really stuff that i couldnt have picked up from other LNAT books. I could have probably got the 21 without wasting that much money

Reply 16

superdillon

6+6=6

Which service did you use to practice for the LNAT? Which year?

Reply 17

Teehar

superdillon

Which service did you use to practice for the LNAT? Which year?

Kaplan and did it this year, ie 2005/2006

Reply 18

Lewisy-boy

Still you'd have felt awful if you hadnt done it and you got a drosss mark.

Reply 19

superdillon

Lewis-HuStuJCR

Still you'd have felt awful if you hadnt done it and you got a drosss mark.

Well, I don't think that there are that many people who sit the LNAT that use preparation courses such as Kaplan. Its quite possible to do fine on the test just as long as you are aware what it involves at an early stage and are able to develop the kind of thought-processes required to do well on it by reading up on questions and practicing them. All of which you could do through the books available on the subject and using practice papers even from different subjects/tests like critical thinking and the LSAT.

At the end of the day, I guess its better that you try to figure these things out by yourself rather than be told how to do it- which may be in a way that you don't like as much.