LNAT Section B example
This Section B example is Margin’s own practice work, not LNAT material. It shows a clear position, a tested counterargument and a conclusion.
The prompt is original too, so read it as a worked model rather than a past question.
Sources checked · Official LNAT test format
What does the original prompt ask?
It asks whether universities should give admissions preference to applicants who have overcome significant disadvantage. The prompt and response below were written by Margin, not LNAT.
Should universities give admissions preference to applicants who have overcome significant disadvantage?
How does one possible response work?
The response takes a qualified position, explains why context can reveal potential, tests the risk of inconsistent decisions, then reaches a limited conclusion.
Original responseWritten by MarginOne possible practice response, not a prescribed answer.
Universities should give some preference to applicants who have overcome serious disadvantage, but only as part of a wider assessment. Academic results matter, yet they do not record the conditions in which those results were achieved. Context can therefore make selection more accurate rather than less demanding.
A student who earns strong grades while caring for a relative or attending an under-resourced school may have shown persistence and judgment that raw grades conceal. If two applicants have similar results, evidence of sustained achievement under harder conditions can reveal greater potential to cope with university study.
The objection is fairness. Disadvantage is difficult to compare, personal claims can be incomplete, and applicants with quieter forms of hardship may be overlooked. A broad preference could also make applicants feel that places were awarded for background rather than ability.
Those risks justify limits, not indifference. Universities should publish the evidence they consider, check it consistently and use context as a modest weighting rather than an automatic offer. Preference is defensible when it helps selectors judge achievement more accurately; it is not defensible when it replaces judgment.
What should you notice in the response?
Each paragraph has one job: position, reason, counterargument, then reply and conclusion. That is Margin commentary, not a university marking rubric.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Position | Preference can be fair when it adds context rather than replacing academic judgment. |
| Reason | Opportunity affects attainment, so identical results need not show identical potential. |
| Counterargument | Disadvantage is difficult to compare and may produce inconsistent decisions. |
| Reply and conclusion | Published evidence rules and a limited weighting answer that risk without creating an automatic offer. |
How should you use this example?
Use it to inspect structure, not to memorise wording. LNAT gives 40 minutes for one of three questions and recommends a maximum of 750 words on its sample-essay page.
Independent practice feedback. Not affiliated with or endorsed by LNAT Consortium Ltd. It does not predict an LNAT score or admissions outcome.
Check my essayThe other 42 questions
Reading a finished response shows you what an argument looks like when it lands. Your LNAT score itself is 42 multiple-choice questions, scored separately. 10 of the 83 questions on the practice page are free. Founder access is £25 for the other 73, each with the passage sentence your answer turned on.