Does the LNAT essay matter?

Is it part of your score?

Published LNAT informationSection B is not marked by the test centre and does not contribute to your LNAT score. Your score and your essay are both made available to the participating universities, and the LNAT Consortium says their use varies with each university's own policy.

What each university says

1. University of Oxford Marks it

   Your essay will be seen and marked by Oxford tutors. Its 2025 admissions report gives the shortlisting rank: 10% on each of the two LNAT scores and 80% on contextualised GCSEs, and for candidates without a contextualised GCSE score the two LNAT scores are ranked equally instead.

   Oxford Law admissions FAQsOxford Law admissions report 2025 (PDF)

2. University of Cambridge Marks it

   Cambridge says the essay component will be marked centrally at Cambridge.

   Cambridge Law LNAT page

3. Durham University Reads it

   Durham says it refers to your score out of 42 and your LNAT essay when considering your application, and sets no minimum score.

   Durham LNAT score answer

4. University of Bristol Collects it

   Bristol says it downloads your scores and essays directly from LNAT. It publishes no essay weight.

   Bristol LNAT page

5. University of Glasgow Collects it

   Glasgow uses the LNAT alongside academic qualifications and the personal statement. On the essay it repeats the consortium line, that participating universities are free to use it as they wish, and adds nothing of its own. It publishes no essay weight.

   Glasgow School of Law LNAT page

6. University College London Marks it

   An admissions tutor marks your LNAT essay, and UCL says it therefore carries considerable weight in the selection process. You have to clear a multiple-choice threshold first: UCL sets one each year from the average score of previous applicants.

   UCL Laws entry requirements

7. London School of Economics Mostly ignores it

   LSE says it uses only the multiple-choice score for most applicants, and that a selector may wish to consider the essay for applicants who would otherwise have sat the UGGA.

   LSE LLB page

8. King's College London Says nothing

   King's requires the LNAT by 31 December and publishes nothing about how it uses the essay.

   King's Law LLB requirements

9. SOAS University of London Says nothing

   SOAS does not require the LNAT from applicants with standard qualifications, and says it will consider a lower offer for those who take it and perform promisingly. It publishes nothing about the essay.

   SOAS LLB page

What to do about it

Four of the nine read or mark it, Oxford and Cambridge among them.

Write one inside 40 minutes against a real question, then paste it into the free checker. It says whether any sentence commits to an answer, and names the paragraph holding the objection you never answered.

That essay can tip a close call. The score all nine rank you on first is Section A's. Founder access is £25 for the other 73 of the 83 questions, each with the passage sentence the answer turns on. Oxbridge applicants sit by 15 October 2026.

Common questions