LNAT

I'm super scared for my LNAT and I'm currently using Arbitio. In my first practice I got 17/42, which went up to 18/42, then 19/42, then 20/42, and then 21/42, before I had a massive decline and got 15/42 and 16/42, which are like 3 points below the average for the test that I did.
I'm worried I won't do well enough to secure an offer from Durham, and I also want to apply to Oxford. I also don't really know how to write the essay and don't think I know any examples of anything. Tips would be appreciated.

I'm super scared for my LNAT and I'm currently using Arbitio. In my first practice I got 17/42, which went up to 18/42, then 19/42, then 20/42, and then 21/42, before I had a massive decline and got 15/42 and 16/42, which are like 3 points below the average for the test that I did.
I'm worried I won't do well enough to secure an offer from Durham, and I also want to apply to Oxford. I also don't really know how to write the essay and don't think I know any examples of anything. Tips would be appreciated.

I'm super scared for my LNAT and I'm currently using Arbitio. In my first practice I got 17/42, which went up to 18/42, then 19/42, then 20/42, and then 21/42, before I had a massive decline and got 15/42 and 16/42, which are like 3 points below the average for the test that I did.
I'm worried I won't do well enough to secure an offer from Durham, and I also want to apply to Oxford. I also don't really know how to write the essay and don't think I know any examples of anything. Tips would be appreciated.

Hi OP - please don’t stress too much about this! Whilst I know this might be discouraging, I’m guessing it’s still early days for your exam practice since you’ll likely take the exam in September time, so you have plenty of time to improve. Part of the whole thing is to keep chugging away at it and I promise you will slowly see improvement.
Are there any other resources you can use to prepare? I didn’t use Arbitio for my LNAT (taken in September 2023, achieved 37/42) but did use the ‘Ultimate LNAT Guide’ book off Amazon as well as the LNAT website’s own resources, which may be of some further use. Else, (and I apologise for how marketing-y this sounds 😅), I am currently looking to tutor LNAT for both MCQs and essays, so I’d be happy to organise that with you if that would interest you.
But all other things aside, again, please don’t pressure yourself too much at this stage - you have a long way to go before the exam and discouraging yourself now will not help. If you’re still worried about it by September, apply to some non-LNAT unis to be on the safe side.
Hope that helps!

Hey there
I know how scary LNAT can be- I remember having a breakdown before I left my house to sit the exam 🤣
I've never used Arbitio myself, but I've heard that it's more difficult than the actual exam. I used the LNAT prep book that's often recommended. My fault was that I didn't dedicate enough time or thought to practice which got me a score below 20. Despite that, I still got an offer from Durham literally the next day after I applied.
This helped me understand that there's more to your application than just the LNAT. Your personal statement, LNAT essays which Durham doesn't tell you the score for, references and A-level grades all go towards deciding the outcome.
So what's the bottom line? Do your best while doing these practice tests. Give the answers actual thought unlike me who just did what seemed right. When you pick the wrong option, find out why the correct answer was correct. Understand what pattern these correct answers follow and use that pattern to answer the other questions. Practice makes perfect and you have a good amount of time left so don't worry too much. Just give it your best shot and learn from your mistakes. At the end of the day, you can only do so much to turn the odds in your favour so just leave the rest to fate.
You mention that you don't know how to write good essays. There are plenty of LNAT essay questions online- look them up and read the sample answers. It'll give you an idea of the kind of responses that get better grades. Practice typing out essays- the more you think, the better your ideas will get. After a while, start timing yourself. You'll only have about 40 minutes to write your essay which is too short to write the greatest essay- so focus on the topic and write the best possible essay you can.
I've given some tips on writing LNAT essays here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7245334#post97493832
Hope this helps
-Himieka