Home > FAQs and Help > The test itself, test results
On this page we answer the following FAQs ...
How long is the LNAT? How is the LNAT
structured? What does 'on-screen test' mean? If there are a lot of different test-dates, isn't there
a risk that some people will find out the questions in advance? How do I answer the multiple-choice
questions? How do I write my essay? Will scrap paper be available? Am I allowed to use a
dictionary while I take the LNAT? If I am dyslexic, or have a phsyical disability, will
the computer give me extra time to finish? How are my answers scored? How do I get my LNAT result? So how do I send my LNAT result to universities? Can other universities - those not listed on this website
- take account of my LNAT result? How do the LNAT-participating universities use
the results and essays in admissions decisions? Can I re-sit the LNAT if I think I did badly? Will special circumstances, such as illness, be
considered in evaluating my LNAT result? Where can I get more help with this topic?
How long is the LNAT?
The test lasts two
hours.
How is the LNAT
structured? The LNAT is an on-screen test with two sections. The first
section (80 minutes)
uses 30 multiple-choice questions to assess your ability to
read, understand, analyse, and make logical deductions from, passages of
text in formal English. The second section
(40 minutes) requires you to
write a well-reasoned essay in English (500-600 words) on a topic
chosen from a list. The essay should be written in full sentences,
not notes or bullet points, and should not make use of idiosyncratic
abbreviations or 'txt' language. Your ability to set out your
argument in plain English
is one of the things that is being tested. More
on what the LNAT tests and how 
What does 'on-screen test' mean? It means that you sit the whole test on a computer, using
a mouse and keyboard to answer the questions on the screen. The
computer times the test. This system allows us to offer you a wide range of dates, times and places to
sit the test. It also allows us to get results to universities quickly
from all over the world. For security reasons, you can't use
your own computer. You must use one of our computers at one
of our test centres. More
on the onscreen test
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.
How do I answer the multiple-choice
questions? You click a button on the screen to tick the
answer you choose from five options. The system will only let you
choose one answer at a time. You can change your answers at any time until the end of the
80 minutes set aside for the multiple choice test. The system lets
you flag questions for review so that you can go back
to unanswered or difficult questions when you finish the other multiple
choice questions. (You cannot go back to the multiple choice section
from the essay section. Each is separately timed.) More
on the onscreen test
How do I write my essay? You type it on the keyboard. We are looking for an
essay of ideally 500-600 words, and at most 750 words. So the essay
is short as compared with the time available (40 mins).
You should not be disadvantaged if you are a slow typist.
The LNAT on-screen test includes a space for you
to type the essay into. It has 'cut', 'copy', and 'paste' options, but no
other word-processing functions. There is no spell check. More
on the onscreen test
Will scrap paper be available? No. There is a portable whiteboard and pen in your workstation
area for
your personal use during the test.
Am I allowed to use a
dictionary while I take the LNAT? No. No books or papers may be taken into the test room.
If I am dyslexic, or have a phsyical disability, will
the computer give me extra time to finish? Yes, so long as you arrange it at the time of registration,
and so long as you can supply documentation that supports your entitlement
to extra time. To avoid
later difficulties, please give close attention to our
information on examination access requirements
How are my answers scored? Your multiple choice answers are checked by computer, and a
mark out of 30 is created. This is known as your LNAT result. Your
essay is not marked but stored by the computer for university admissions
tutors
to read. More
on LNAT results
How do I get my LNAT result? You don't - at least not right away. If you take the test on
or before 15 January 2010, you will receive an email notification
of your LNAT result on 31 January 2010. If you take the
test after 15 January 2010, you will receive your LNAT result by
email on 30 June 2010 or soon after. The email will be sent to the email address
that you entered when you registered for the LNAT. You can
always log back into our registration system to update your
email address. It is your responsibility to ensure that, on the
day we email you your result, the email address we have for you
is valid. We will not make a second attempt nor will we deliver
your LNAT score by any other means. If your email account is otherwise
working, but you do not receive your LNAT result on the appointed
day, please check your spam folder.
So how do I send my LNAT result to universities? You don't send the result (or the essay) yourself. Instead
this is done automatically by the computer on the basis of information
supplied by you. We strongly recommend that, if possible, you enter your
UCAS application number at the time of registration. This will allow your result
and essay to be transmitted automatically to the universities to
which you apply on your UCAS form. If you do not enter your UCAS
application number at time of registration, you must add it later (by logging
back into your registration account). The burden is
on you to enter this information accurately. Neither 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. More
on LNAT results
Can other universities - those not listed on this website
- take account of my LNAT result? No. We won't disclose it to them and (since you won't normally
have it in time) you can't disclose it to them. Even if you could,
other universities wouldn't know how to judge a single LNAT
result since they wouldn't have LNAT results of other candidates
to compare it with.
How do the LNAT-participating universities use
the results and essays in admissions decisions? This varies from university to university. The only point on
which it is possible to generalise is that every LNAT-participating
university uses the LNAT result as part of a well-rounded admissions
policy in which several other factors, including your GCSE
and A-level examinations, also carry considerable weight.
Reliance on the LNAT essay also varies widely. Some universities
may use it, for example, as
the basis of interview questions. Others may compare it with the personal statement and school/college report on
your UCAS form. The
essay may also be used as a means of distinguishing between borderline
candidates when the A-level results are announced in August. All of this
depends on the policies of individual LNAT-participating universities.
Can I re-sit the LNAT if I think I did badly?
No. You may only sit the LNAT once between 1 September
2009 and 30 June 2010. 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 get more help with this topic? Please use our help form
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