Practice Tests
Candidates can use the practice tests provided here to familiarise themselves with the format of the test and the skills it requires. The practice tests are a simulation of the real LNAT exactly as it will appear on-screen at the test centre.
NOTE: The practice tests have an essay section with a choice of FIVE essay topics, whereas the actual test now has a choice of THREE essay topics.
Practice tests 1 and 2 (onscreen simulation)
This package provided for installation on your computer gives an onscreen simulation of the LNAT and includes a tutorial and two live practice tests.
Like the real test, the simulation does not show your marks. If you want to know how well you did in the multiple choice section, make a paper note of the passage titles and your answers in the order in which you do the questions as you work through them. You can check them afterwards against the answer key provided below. You need to note the passage titles because, like the real LNAT, this simulation shows the passages in a different order each time it loads.
msi file (51,415 kb)
To use the msi file you should save it to your own computer and then run it as you would run any other installer programme. It will install an executable on your computer, which will demonstrate and simulate the onscreen testing environment. NB this is a very large file!
Paper-based versions of the same practice tests
Practice Test 1 as pdf file (95 kb) or rtf file (1606 kb); Practice Test 2 as pdf file (116 kb) or rtf file (1565 kb).
Answer key: pdf file (21 kb) or rtf file (1333 kb). The answers are listed according to passage title.
Commentary on selected passages: pdf file (43KB) or rtf file (1212 kb). The commentary is provided according to passage title.
Answer key and commentary to old-format practice tests
For those of you who have done the old-format practice tests (now superseded) the answer key and commentary are still available here. Answer key pdf file (20 kb) or rtf file (760 kb) and commentary pdf file (82 kb) or rtf file (734 kb).
If you want to do more practice beyond our practice tests, you could consider trying some similar practice questions from other sources. Many are freely available. For example, the LSAT (Law Schools Admissions Test) used by law schools in the United States contains similar multiple choice items. The LSAT passages are typically shorter and the calibration of the questions may not be the same (law is a graduate-entry programme in the US) but the skills involved are identical. Visit the LSAT website for their practice test.
Guided Tour of LNAT Test Screen
The best way to familiarise yourself with the system is to try out our 2 practice tests. If you don't have time to try out the practice tests here are some screenshots of sample questions to be going on with. Click on the screenshots to see larger versions.
The screenshot above shows a multiple choice question. The passage always appears in the left-hand pane of the LNAT test window. If the passage is longer than a single screen-length will accommodate, it appears with a scroll bar. The associated questions appear (one at a time) in the right-hand pane, with the possible answers. You click a button on the screen next to the answer you choose. 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 95 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 have completed the rest. You cannot go back to the multiple choice section from the essay section. Each is separately timed. Your time remaining for the section you are on always appears on the top right of the screen.
The screenshot above shows an LNAT essay question. Each question appears at the top of its own screen. You can browse through them using the 'Next' and 'Back' buttons until you find a topic you like. You should answer only one question. The system has 'cut', 'copy', 'paste', 'undo' and 'redo' functions (using the buttons above the essay pane). There are no other word-processing functions, eg no spell check. The system has a built-in word count at the bottom of the essay pane. The the maximum length for an LNAT essay is 750 words. Words beyond this limit will not be read by LNAT universities. Ideally you should write about 500-600 words. You have 40 minutes to write it. Your time remaining for the essay section always appears on the top right of the screen.