FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should take the LNAT

I am a graduate who wants to take an undergraduate law degree as a second degree. Should I still take the LNAT? Yes.

Are there any exemptions from the LNAT?
There are no general exemptions. In extreme cases, an individual university may grant an exemption to an individual candidate. For more information see exemptions.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to Do I need to sit the LNAT?

When to take the LNAT

Can I take the LNAT early, before the summer holiday?
No. You must take your LNAT and submit your UCAS form during the same cycle. If you are applying to UCAS in 2022-2023 you must also take the LNAT during the 2022-2023 testing year. This begins on 1 September 2022. If you take the LNAT in an earlier testing year your result will not be downloaded by the universities and you will have to take the LNAT again at the correct time.

Must I take the LNAT before or after I send off my UCAS application?
It does not matter if you take the LNAT before or after you send off your UCAS application.

If I took the LNAT last year, is my result carried forward?
No. If you are reapplying through UCAS this year, you must also take the LNAT again this year. Results are not carried over from one year to the next.

What happens if I apply to study law at an LNAT- participating university but fail to take the test in time?
Your application will be rejected. You will have to apply again the following year, and take the LNAT then.

I will be travelling or working abroad on a ‘gap year’ when the LNAT starts. What do I do?
You must still take the LNAT. If you will not be at home before the relevant deadline, you must register to take the LNAT before the relevant deadline in the country where you are working or travelling. There are test centres all over the world. Pearson’s test centre locator.

I am applying for deferred entry in 2024. Should I still take the LNAT?
Yes. Since you are applying in the 2022 -2023 admissions round, you must take the LNAT in 2022-2023.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to Timescales and Deadlines.

Registration

When should I register?
As soon as possible. Every LNAT-participating university has deadlines for sitting the LNAT. If you miss these deadlines, your application is liable to be rejected. You can register any time up to 12 noon two working days before your test sitting, and hence any time up to 12 noon two workings day before a university’s deadline. (A working day is Monday to Friday excluding English Bank Holidays.) However, if you leave registration this late you risk not being able to find an available slot at a local test centre, so you risk having to make a long journey. There are plenty of slots at each centre, but we expect there to be high demand as the deadlines approach, especially at city-centre test centres in the UK. Register early and sit the test early to avoid problems. More on deadlines.

Are there any exceptions to online registration?
No, all candidates should register for the LNAT on line and obtain an LNAT ID Number. However, if you have special Examination Access Requirements you should not book your test on line as only standard tests can be booked in this way. If you book an on-line test before finalising your access arrangements the booking will have to be cancelled and a test incorporating the special arrangements booked instead. In this case, the cancellation/rescheduling conditions will apply – see information on rescheduling polic at the bottom of the page on payments.  You should notify us of your requirements on an Examination Access Requirements form following the instructions here. More on examination access requirements.

Where do I find my UCAS personal identifier number?
Your UCAS personal identifier is a 10-digit number in the format 123-456-7890 that should be shown on all correspondence you receive from UCAS. It is also displayed whenever you log in to the UCAS ‘Apply’ module using your username and password and you can obtain it as soon as you have registered online with UCAS – even before you have applied to any universities. You should enter the ten digits in our system – without hyphens. Go to the UCAS ‘Apply’ module now  Or open the UCAS apply module in a new window instead.

What if I will not be applying through UCAS?
If you are using the LNAT only to make an application to one or more non-UK universities (i.e. NUI Maynooth or IE University) you will not be applying through UCAS and you do not need a UCAS personal identifier number. You should follow the onscreen instructions in our registration system.

What if I forget my LNAT password?
You can reset your password from the Pearson VUE website. Go to the log in page and follow the link “I forgot my password” beneath the sign in fields.

What if I forget my LNAT username?
If you have forgotten your username you can try retrieving it from the Pearson VUE website. Go to the log in page and follow the link “I forgot my user name” beneath the sign in fields.

If this fails, you will have to speak to a Pearson VUE agent to retrieve your username. Please contact Pearson VUE’s LNAT customer service telephone line: 0333 003 0764. Calls from BT landlines are charged at BT’s National Rate. Telephone charges from other UK landlines and from mobiles may vary. Check with your telephone service provider. For overseas availability, dialling instructions, and pricing, check with your telephone service provider. If in doubt, use the LNAT customer service email address lnatcustomerservice@pearson.com. Please allow two working days for a response.

How do I change my name on my LNAT profile to match my ID documents?
The system will not allow you to make changes to your name fields. You need to contact Pearson VUE to make these changes for you. Please contact Pearson VUE’s LNAT customer service telephone line: 0333 003 0764. Calls from BT landlines are charged at BT’s National Rate. Telephone charges from other UK landlines and from mobiles may vary. Check with your telephone service provider. For overseas availability, dialling instructions, and pricing, check with your telephone service provider. If in doubt, use the LNAT customer service email address lnatcustomerservice@pearson.com. Please allow two working days for a response.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to Registration.

Preparation

Should I pay for coaching?
The LNAT Consortium does not recommend that you pay anyone who claims to be able to coach you for the test, and we do not endorse any preparatory materials whether provided commercially or free of charge. You will find all the information you need to help you prepare free of charge on this website, including practice tests, hints and tips, and recommended reading lists.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to Preparation.

Test Results

Is there a pass or fail mark for the LNAT?
No. You will receive an LNAT result (a score out of 42) and the university will refer to this when processing your university application.

I should have had my LNAT score by now but it hasn’t arrived.
When you get your result depends on when you sat your test. See Results for further information. You can make sure you receive your result on time on time by checking that the email address you have given in your LNAT Profile is accurate. Follow this link to log in and update your profile.  You should also make sure that your account is working and your inbox is not full. If all is in order then you should check your spam or junk mail folder. If your result is not there contact us using the form.

How  do I send my LNAT result to universities?
You don’t send the result or the essay yourself.  The universities download your result and essay automatically on the basis of information supplied by you. You must enter your UCAS personal identifier number (ten digits) at the time of registration. This allows your result and essay to be transmitted to the universities to which you apply on your UCAS form. The burden is on you to enter this information accurately and to keep your LNAT Profile up to date. Neither LNAT, the test operators nor the universities are responsible for chasing results that are not listed correctly because of your errors in entering information on the system.

Can I re-sit the LNAT if I think I did badly?
No. You may only sit the LNAT once between 1 September 2022 and 31 July 2023. If you try to sit it twice, the later sitting will be automatically invalidated and the later result will be void. To have another shot at the LNAT, you would have to re-apply to university in the next admissions year.

Will special circumstances, such as illness, be considered in evaluating my LNAT result?
If you have any examination access requirements related to disability or illness, these must be notified at the time of registration, so that suitable provision can be made. If you did not tell us about your examination access requirements (so that provision was not made), or if you merely sat the test in adverse circumstances (e.g. you were unwell or distressed), then any allowance in the interpretation of your LNAT result is between you and the universities to which you have applied. Your result will not be adjusted by the LNAT Consortium or Pearson VUE. More on examination access requirements.

Where can I find more information on this topic?

Follow this link to Results.

The Test Centre   

How do I find the nearest test centre to my home or school/college?
You can select the most convenient test centre for you by using the live Pearson VUE test centre locator. Follow this link.

What if I am delayed or lost en route to the test centre?
If you are delayed by less than 15 minutes, the test centre staff have a discretion to let you start late. But the risk of late arrival is yours: if you are more than 15 minutes late, or the test centre staff judge that a late start would be disruptive to other candidates, you will be recorded as a no-show. If you are a no-show, you will need to book another test and pay again. Before you set off for your test, make a note of the centre’s address and find it on the map.

What if I miss my test because of flu, a flat tyre, etc?
We allow you to reschedule your test appointment at no extra charge up to 12 noon (UK time) two working days before your existing appointment. But after this point we provide no insurance cover for the cost of missed tests. If you have to miss your test for any reason, and you did not reschedule in time, you will have to book another test at your own expense. Yes, this applies in case of illness, family emergency, accident, arrest, siege, train failure and security alert as well as forgetfulness. It also applies to those who arrive at the test centre late and those who arrive with inadequate ID.  Candidates who booked their test with a bursary cannot apply for a second bursary to cover the cost of rescheduling: candidates are allowed only one bursary per test cycle. For more information on ID click here.

If I have questions or requests connected with the LNAT, should I contact the test centre?
No. Test centre staff have no discretion to waive any LNAT rules or policies. They cannot make changes to your LNAT registration file and they cannot give any LNAT advice. They cannot meet any requests for modifications to the onscreen test or the testing environment except those that were agreed at time of registration (using the Examination Access Requirements form). If you cannot find the answer to your question on the LNAT website, submit a query using our contact form.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to Test Centres.

Identification Documents

I haven’t got a passport. Can I take my bus pass, my driving licence, or my student ID card instead?
No. The test centre will only accept the forms of photo identification listed on this website.

I have a Home Office ID card. Will this be accepted?
If at all possible you should present a valid passport. If the only form of ID you have is a Home Office ID Card please contact the LNAT Administrator at least two weeks before your test so that we can make arrangements for your card to be accepted by the test centre.  If you present your Home Office ID Card without having first notified the LNAT Administrator the Test Centre will not be able to admit you and you will have to rebook your test at your own expense. If you have any queries or are not sure what you should do contact the LNAT Administrator as soon as possible.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to Identification.

During the Test

What if I need assistance during the test?
If you need any assistance during your test you should request this by raising your hand. Remember that the invigilators are there to help you and will respond as quickly as possible. So, if you need another erasable note board or pen, or would like to use some ear plugs, or someone is making an unreasonable amount of noise, or you aren’t sure about something – even if test centre staff have already explained it to you – put up your hand and ask for help. If you do not ask test centre staff to remedy an issue when it arises there is very little we can do about it later. See also our Complaints Policy.

Will scrap paper be available?
No. There is a portable whiteboard and pen in your workstation area for your personal use during the test.

Is the test available in different languages?
No, since the member law schools’ courses are taught in English, the test is only available in English.

Am I allowed to use a dictionary while I take the LNAT?
No. No books or papers may be taken into the test room.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to On Test Day.

Examination Access Requirements (for Disabled Candidates)

What counts as an examination access requirement?
You may need additional time to sit the test (e.g. for dyslexia). Or you may need a particular test-centre environment (e.g. for mobility problems). Anything for which you can provide appropriate documentary evidence, and which you think may affect the way we administer the test in your case, should be notified to us as an examination access requirement. 

What counts as appropriate documentary evidence?
It depends on what you need to demonstrate. If you have a severe disability you may have some official documents (such as a letter from the Benefits Agency or from your Local Education Authority) that explain the nature of the disability and the associated requirements. If not, you may need to ask your family doctor (or another suitable health professional registered with the relevant professional body, such as a physiotherapist) to explain the nature of the disability and your associated requirements in a note that you can forward to us. In some cases – where your school or college has enough detailed knowledge of your disability and its associated requirements – we may instead be able to accept a letter from your school’s head teacher or your college’s principal. In cases of dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dysorthographia, or working memory deficit, we would normally expect a report from an educational psychologist registered with the relevant professional body, or at least a report from your school’s headteacher to the effect that the school has seen a report from such an educational psychologist and is satisfied with it. If you are not sure what would count as evidence of your particular disability, please contact us using the contact information on the examination access requirements form. Our examination access requirements form is here.

Once I send in the examination access requirements form, how do I book my test sitting?
Once we receive your examination access requirements form we will contact you as quickly as we can to discuss your requirements. When we have agreed with you how best to meet your requirements we will notify Pearson VUE of the arrangements and send you a confirmation email with instructions on how to book your test. You will need to telephone a Pearson VUE agent who will make the booking for you. For full guidance see the information on Examination Access Requirements here.

If a Pearson VUE agent registers me, how do I pay?
As for online registration, the test fee payment must be made at time of booking. The agent will ask for a credit card, Visa debit card, or LNAT voucher/bursary number. More on payment.

Can I book a test with special access arrangements on line?
No. As the special arrangements have to be tailored to each candidate, tests incorporating examination access requirements cannot be booked on line. Only standard tests can be booked on line.

If I have already booked online, is it too late to notify you of my examination access requirements?
If you have booked an on line test before finalising your access arrangements, the test will have to be cancelled. The usual rescheduling and cancellation conditions will apply in this case. Login to reschedule or cancel. If your test sitting is only a few days away we advise you to cancel your on-line booking immediately . Otherwise you should submit your Examination Access Requirements form as soon as possible and let us know that you have already booked an on line test.  While the test operator will make every effort to schedule your test on the same day, time and place once the access arrangements have been agreed, they cannot guarantee that this will be possible and these might have to be changed to accommodate your examination access requirements. For full guidance on Examination Access Requirements click here.

What should I do if I have already taken a test I booked on line although I am entitled to special exam arrangements?
There is not a lot that can be done in these circumstances. You will not be allowed to resit the test simply because you omitted to make these arrangements, and neither Pearson VUE nor the LNAT Consortium can make any adjustments to your LNAT score. All we can suggest is that if you wish you can contact those universities to which you have applied and ask them if they will take this into account when assessing your LNAT score. The decision is entirely up to them. We strongly advise you to complete your Examination Access Requirements application before booking your test.

Will my circumstances be considered in evaluating my LNAT result?
If you have any examination access requirements, these must be notified on our examination access requirements form in advance of booking your test, so that suitable provision can be made and LNAT universities can be informed as appropriate. If you did not tell us about your examination access requirements (so that provision was not made), or if you sat the test in adverse circumstances (e.g. you were unwell or distressed), then any allowance in the interpretation of your LNAT result is between you and the universities to which you have applied. You should contact the universities to explain the situation. Your result will not be adjusted by the LNAT Consortium or by Pearson VUE.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to Special Considerations (Help for Candidates with Disabilities).

Vouchers and Bursaries

How do I use the voucher or bursary when I get it?
As soon as you receive the voucher or bursary e-voucher (via email) you can use it to make an LNAT test booking. Receipt of a voucher or bursary is not equivalent to registering for the LNAT or booking a test. You must still register online. You can complete step one of the registration process (create a profile) before you get your voucher or bursary. But you will complete step two (book a test slot) only after you receive the voucher or bursary. The voucher or bursary is your payment method. You enter it at the stage at which other people enter their credit card or debit card number. Please note that the same terms and conditions regarding cancellation and rebooking of test slots apply to voucher or bursary bookings as to all other bookings. If you do not meet these conditions, you will have to pay again to rebook, and you will not be entitled to another bursary. More on online registration and payment.

I sent my bursary or voucher application a week ago and still haven’t received it.
We aim to deal with voucher and bursary applications as quickly as possible. However, we do advise that it can take up to ten working days to process an application. You should only chase your voucher or bursary if you have waited more than ten working days for it. The ten working days start when your application is received by LNAT. We will acknowledge receipt of a voucher application on the day we receive it. A number of things can delay your application, including:-

  • Not including the correct accompanying evidence for a bursary – for example sending the EMA agreement instead of the EMA Notice of Entitlement, or sending a bank statement.
  • A mistake in your email address or writing your email address illegibly.
  • Insufficient postage.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to LNAT Costs.

General LNAT Questions

Why can’t I sit the test at my school or college?
We are committed to providing a standard, secure testing environment for all of our candidates worldwide. We also need a dedicated computer network to make on-screen testing possible. On-screen testing ensures quick and reliable global distribution of our questions, your answers, and your LNAT result. It also eliminates any scope for error in the scoring of multiple-choice tests and the scanning of essays.

If there are a lot of different test-dates, isn’t there a risk that some people will find out the questions in advance?
No. Those who sit on different dates will sit different test papers. We have a large bank of multiple-choice questions and a large bank of essay topics from which a vast number of different papers can be automatically generated. All questions have been carefully calibrated to ensure that scoring is comparable across every variant of the test paper.

Who runs the LNAT?
The LNAT is operated by LNAT Consortium Ltd in partnership with Pearson VUE, the computer-based testing business of international media company Pearson Education. The test is professionally written and calibrated by Edexcel for Pearson VUE. For more information see About LNAT.

How do I get more help if my question is not answered on the website?
We believe that we have provided all the information you need to register for, book, and prepare for your test, as well as information about what happens after you have taken the test. It will save you time if you check the website and the FAQs before sending a query to us that is already answered here. For further help see the Contact Us page here.

Where can I find more information on this topic?
Follow this link to About the Test.