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10 LNAT tips you should read for TOP grades on the LNAT exam
If you are preparing for the LNAT, here are 10 things you must know for top grades on the exam. It can be a confusing test to get your head round, and it is certainly a very difficult test. These 10 tips break the exam down for you, and give you simple and quick hacks to help you turn your score around and feel more confident going into the exam …
LNAT Tips 1. Small changes lead to big improvements
Every small thing you do to help you prepare will lead to big improvements in your final mark, so, whilst you might not feel like your practice is improving your score now, stick with it and you will see that it was worth it in the end.
Here is a little list of small things and handy LNAT tips that you can do today to get that top score on test day …
- Start reading newspapers, articles and journals so you know what good writing looks like
- Create a list of common question types and things you can do to tackle them
- Do a test with a timer next to you, and move on at exactly 8.5 minutes per passage
- Write an essay on your favourite topic and one on your least favourite topic, compare them and work out how you can get better at writing about topics you dislike
LNAT Tips 2. Start early
The earlier you start the better, you don’t need to jump straight into full timed mock exams but it is never too early to familiarize yourself with the test format, question types and essay topics. Especially, you should widen your reading, head to the non-fiction area of your library and see if you can find a book on the common and current debates in Science, Politics, Law, Media and Education. Or, if books aren’t your thing, take a look at an online newspaper or watch a TED Talk on YouTube whilst you get ready for school. This way, by the time it comes to the exam you will be equipped with a much better understanding of the LNAT essay topics.
LNAT Tips 3. Identify common question types and patterns – build up a bank of question tackling skills
The more you practice, the more you will release that the LNAT test involves certain question types which repeat. This is great news! It means you can build up a bank of question types that you are familiar with, and write down the tricks you use to tackle those specific questions.
Here are a few ideas …
- Main Point Questions: Take another look at the intro and conclusion of the passage, these usually give you an idea of the author’s main point
- Argument Questions: Cover up the answer options and write down what you think the answer is first, then pick the answer option which is most similar to what you wrote down
- Which of the following can be inferred Questions: Think about what the author has said and use it to jump to the next step, this is likely to be the inference
- Essay Questions: Imagine you are making your argument to a friend, what would they say? How would they criticise your points?
4. Think about the question from a new angle
With essays, it is important to nail the basics. This means a clear essay with some strong arguments which are introduced with topic sentences and developed in your paragraphs. It also means making sure that your paragraphs are always relevant to your argument, and that you are not straying away from your point. Once you think you have nailed those essay basics, it is time to get on to some top mark tricks. The best one is to think about the essay from a new angle – this means extending the scope of the essay and thinking about why it is important or how it could be tackled in a totally new way. Take this example …
There is lots to consider here in the bulk of our essay, we might want to consider Employability, Salary, Skills, Enjoyment etc. We definitely want to start with those things, and write a well structured and argued essay considering both sides of the argument. Once we have done that, we can impress the examiners by thinking about how we could tackle the question from a new angle. A final line like this might be a nice addition …
‘Perhaps, we should not be considering whether studying law is better than studying art at an individual level, but, instead, we should consider the value of having both Law and Art studied at a societal level. Artists might be able to learn and benefit from the skills of lawyers, and lawyers might be able to learn and benefit from the skills of artists, discussing the question from an individual perspective neglects an appreciation of the value of diversity in society.’
5. Teach somebody else!
The best way to learn is through teaching, so grab your mum, dad or just a cuddly toy, and talk them through the different LNAT Question types, how to tackle the LNAT essays, and your best LNAT tips. This will help you think about the exam as a whole, and will make sure that all your knowledge and skills are right at the forefront of your mind on test day.
6. Timing
Timing is a killer in the LNAT. You can be brilliantly skilled, but, if you don’t get through the paper you are going to struggle to get a top mark. This is especially true when we remember that the LNAT is a multiple choice test, leaving an answer blank means you have 0% chance of getting the question correct, guessing gives you a 20% chance and if you can rule a few answer options out you are heading towards 50% (the average LNAT score!). In the weeks before the exam, you need to be practicing under time conditions, being strict with yourself so that you move on, find the questions you have the most chance of answering correctly and get to the end of the paper.
LNAT Tips 7. Confidence, don’t stress!
The LNAT is really hard, and you are unlikely to get your best score until right up to the days before the exam. This can be deflating and it is easy to give up early on if you don’t see score improvements. Please don’t give up, the skills you are learning in practice now will eventually turn into score improvements, even if you can’t see it yet. Stay confident, you should be impressed with yourself for preparing for such a difficult test, and remember that the LNAT averages are low, and your score will be considered along with lots of other parts of your application. A confident and calm candidate will always do better than a stressed candidate – so give it your best shot!
LNAT Tips 8. Mock tests
You should take full mock tests before your exam, this helps you …
- Get used to the online test format
- Work on how you are going to keep within time limit
- Familiarize yourself so you are less stressed in the exam
- Get used to sitting down and focussing for an extended period of time
If you have a question book you can use it to create mock tests, then, close to your exam date, you can head to the LNAT website and do their 2 mock tests which are formatted in the same way as the exam will be on test day.
LNAT Tips 9. Ask for feedback
It can be hard to know how strong your essays are, it is not like the multiple choice section where there is a correct and incorrect answer. To improve your essays you need to get feedback, so take your essay to someone, tell them what it’s for and how much time you have to write it, and then ask them to really critique it and find any flaws they can. Also, get their perspective on the question, what kinds of things might they have said that you didn’t consider.
People to ask for feedback-
- Teachers (English, Politics, Law, History, Geography teachers might be best but any teacher will be able to help you)
- Family Members
- Friends (Make sure to tell them to be mean, you want to know how to improve!)
- Tutors
- Yourself (Put the essay away for another day, when you come back to it, imagine you are an examiner and think about what you would critique)
LNAT Tips 10. Look for clues
The LNAT is not about knowledge it is about skills. One of those skills is inference, being able to work something out from the information you are given, a bit like a detective! So, if the LNAT question asks you for the meaning of a word and you don’t know it, use the text to work it out. Take a look at the words around the text, and the author’s argument in the passage, and pick the word that fits best in the context.
Summary
So that’s all the tips we have for the LNAT Exam. We wish you all the best in the exam and there’s lots of help available throughout the internet. If you’re interested on something personalised, be sure to check out our 1-1 LNAT Tutoring. We have expert LNAT tutors who have scored in the top 5% of the LNAT and have a wealth of advice they can give you. Here is more information about this: LNAT Tutoring
Preparation – LNAT FAQ’s
Q – How do I prepare for section A of the LNAT?
A- LNAT Section A preparation is all about practice, you should do as many practice questions as you can. You should be able to start to recognise the most common question types, and draw together a skills bank to help you tackle common questions. See our post “10 Tips LNAT Section A” for more LNAT Section A grade boosters.
Q- How do I prepare for section B of the LNAT?
A – You can improve your essay skills by reading professional articles in newspapers, journals and books. Try to identify what makes the writing persuasive and effective and include it in your own work. You should look over sample essays and use them to critique your own work, try and spot places where your argument could be clearer or where you could have considered a counter argument. LNAT – Practice test https://lnat.ac.uk/how-to-prepare/practice-test/
Click Here for LNAT Sample Essays
Q- How do people do well on the LNAT?
A – LNAT is about natural skill, but it is also about practice. The more familiar you are with the test process and common question types the better you will perform. It is also really important to get used to the time pressure of the LNAT test, best candidates will have done a good number of timed mock tests.
Q- Can you get tutoring for the LNAT?
A – Yes you can. If you would like specific guided help with the LNAT, LawMind offers 1 on 1 LNAT tutoring with sessions to help you tackle the Multiple Choice Questions and improve your essays and skills.
Q – How do I get used to the online test format?
A – The LNAT is an online test, and you will not be able to highlight or edit the questions on screen, but you are given a little whiteboard to make notes. To get used to the online format, make sure to take the two mock tests on the LNAT website, which are in the same format as the exam will be on the day.
Click Here for LNAT mock tests
Q- How should I prepare myself on test day?
A – On test day, stay calm, take a look over the common question types and strategies you have learnt in your mock practice. Get all your documentation ready (a list will be given to you after registration, see the LNAT website), have something to eat as it is a long test, stay calm and confident and do your best.
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