What happens if you fail LNAT?

Mar 05, 2024

Written By Thomas Cserep

Preparing for the LNAT can be a daunting experience and the thought of failing it can make preparations even more stressful. But how can you fail the LNAT? We have gathered everything you need to know about passing the LNAT.

What is the LNAT?

Most universities only require you to submit a UCAS application if you want to study one of their law programmes. However, the most prestigious institutions also call candidates to sit The Law National Aptitude Test, or LNAT for short.

This examination tests whether you have the credentials to study law in higher education.

The LNAT is divided into 2 sections, Section A and Section B. Section A consists of 42 multiple-choice questions, which you have 95 minutes to complete. It will test a range of skills, including interpretation of information, verbal reasoning and abstract reasoning.

Section B will require you to write an essay in the space of 40 minutes. You will have to pick one question to answer from three possible options. This part of the exam is designed to test your ability to put together a comprehensive and convincing argument.

Unlike Section A, Section B does not have a grading criterion and thus is not assigned a mark. In fact, your final LNAT mark will be out of 42 based on Section A.

This leaves many candidates tempted to dedicate less time to prepare for Section B. However, as we will discuss later, your application is not just about your LNAT score; universities will spend time reading and analysing your performance on Section B. This is because essay writing and constructing arguments is a key trait of a successful law student and an aspiring solicitor or barrister.

It is therefore crucial that you write practice essays. You can use the example questions on the LNAT website to get a feel for the kind of questions that you may need to prepare an answer for.

The best way to prepare for the exam in general is to do practice tests so that you get the hang of answering questions within the time limit. The LNAT website has a bunch of hints and tips that will help you succeed in the exam.

It is important that you look up when the deadline is for sitting the LNAT for each university. The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are known for having earlier deadlines than anyone else, so make sure you check what date you have to take the exam by if you are considering applying there.

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Failing the LNAT

Strictly speaking and contrary to popular belief, you cannot actually fail the LNAT as there is no pass mark. Some universities set cut-off marks, meaning applicants will have to reach a certain grade before their application is considered.

This means that if your mark is not good enough for your first choice university, you may still get an offer from your second choice.

However, while there may be a cut-off mark, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get an offer if you pass it. Your LNAT score and your UCAS application will be considered together and an offer will be based on whether the university thinks that you’re a strong candidate as a whole.

Nevertheless, the average LNAT scores of successful candidates tend to vary from university to university. For example, while the average score of University of Oxford law undergraduates stood at 29, successful University of Glasgow applicants only averaged 23.

So all in all, the LNAT cannot be failed. However, if your mark is too low, your chosen university may not process your application any further.

LNAT