LNAT format
LNAT Section B: the essay
One essay from three questions, in 40 minutes. LNAT calls 500 to 600 words ideal and sets 750 as the recommended maximum.
Aim for 500 to 600 words.
LNAT calls that its ideal essay, inside a recommended maximum of 750 words. Write “much less than this” and the essay is “too short to be evaluated properly”. LNAT also warns that “a very long essay will also put you at a disadvantage”. The hard part of Section B is fitting a defended position into 600 words.
The rules LNAT sets
| Rule | What LNAT publishes |
|---|---|
| Time | 40 minutes |
| Choice | One essay from three questions |
| Ideal length | 500 to 600 words |
| Recommended maximum | 750 words |
| Editing | You can go back and change the essay |
| Section A closes | Once Section B starts you cannot return to Section A |
| Written English | A good command of it is needed |
To change an answer, LNAT says to click on the question number. Do not click End Review until the essay is done and you want the session to end.
How to use the 40 minutes
Take a side
“Don’t sit on the fence,” LNAT says. “We are interested in whether you can defend a position – which may or may not be your own personal position.” Arguing for a side you disagree with is allowed, and LNAT says it often tightens the argument.
Name your assumptions
“An argument based on assumptions can be just as good as an argument based on information,” LNAT says, and then sets the condition: “you need to say what your assumptions are.” Unstated ones read as gaps.
Cut the padding
“Economy of expression is important.” LNAT tells candidates to remove “repetition, surplus words and digressions”, and not to “try to impress with fancy words or elaborate style”. Spend the last five minutes deleting.
Our free tool reports a draft’s length, paragraphing and whether it states a position. It does not judge the argument.
Three you can mark yourself
LNAT publishes nine sample essay questions. These three are the ones with a downloadable answer beside them. Set a 40-minute timer and write one.
- Make the best case you can for public funding of the arts.
- Does it matter if some animal and plant species die out?
- What is ‘political correctness’ and why does it matter?
Section A is the other 95 minutes: 42 multiple-choice questions on 12 argumentative passages. Our own Section A bank is 83 questions, 10 of them free. All 83 cost £25 once, refundable for 30 days.
Questions candidates ask
How long should an LNAT essay be?
LNAT recommends a maximum of 750 words and says its ideal essay is 500 to 600 words long. LNAT says an essay much shorter than that is too short to be evaluated properly, and that a very long essay will also put you at a disadvantage. You get 40 minutes to write it.
How long is LNAT Section B?
The LNAT’s Section B is 40 minutes, in which you answer one of three essay questions. It follows Section A, which is 42 multiple-choice questions on 12 argumentative passages in 95 minutes. The whole LNAT runs two and a quarter hours.
Who sees your LNAT essay?
Your LNAT essay goes to the universities you applied to. LNAT releases the first batch of scores and essays for those universities to download on 21 October, covering tests sat from 1 September to 20 October; after that date Pearson VUE makes yours available within 24 hours of your test. Either way the universities see your score before you do. LNAT says what each one does with the essay depends on its own admissions policy: as the basis for interview questions, as a comparison with the personal statement, or to separate borderline candidates.
Can you edit the essay during the test?
You can edit your LNAT Section B essay while the test is still open. LNAT’s test format page tells candidates to click on the question number to review or edit an essay response, and warns you not to click End Review unless the essay is finished and you want to end the session. You cannot go the other way: once Section B has started, LNAT says you will not be able to return to the multiple-choice section.
What is LNAT looking for in the Section B essay?
LNAT says Section B asks you to demonstrate your ability to argue economically and to come to a conclusion. It tells candidates it is “not very interested in your opinions” and is interested in whether you can defend a position, which may or may not be your own. Its other stated priorities are stating your assumptions and economy of expression.
Primary sources
Every quote above is LNAT’s own wording. Guidance changes between cycles, so check these before you sit.
LNAT Section A: 42 questions · Which universities require the LNAT? · LNAT key dates · UniGenius is independent and is not affiliated with universities or test providers.