LNAT Section A: Multiple Choice Questions

What Does LNAT Section A Test?

Section A of the LNAT exam is designed to test the following attributes needed to study law:

• Your comprehension skills
• Your ability to deduce and interpret evidence
• The capability to read between the lines and think creatively
• Your capacity to distinguish between statements of fact and opinion

As a whole, the purpose of LNAT Section A is to measure your ability to focus on details and not jump to conclusions.

What Do Section A Multiple Choice Questions Look Like?

LNAT Section A questions are 12 long passages of text – approximately 4 – 8 paragraphs in length. You will answer 3 – 5 multiple choice questions on each passage, each with 5 options to choose from. Only one of the answers will be correct. 

The questions will not specifically be focused on law. Instead they will cover a wide variety of topics, including:

• Politics
• History
• Science
• Technology

The list is not exhaustive. However, LNAT Section A is not designed to test your knowledge on these subjects, but your ability to decipher meanings from the text, whether it’s the intentions of the writer or the reasons for the use of specific words or sentences.

How Is Section A Scored?

Section A of the LNAT is the only part of the exam that is officially scored. You are given a mark out of 42 based on how many questions you answer correctly. There is no pass or fail mark for the LNAT test. Instead, your score is used by LNAT universities as part of your application.

How Will LNAT Universities Use Your Section A Score?

LNAT universities use your Section A LNAT score as an indication of your comprehension and reasoning skills. University admissions tutors want to know that you can analyse, understand and interpret texts, as they are the essential skills needed for studying law.  

Your LNAT Section A score provides admissions tutors with more information on which to base their decision of who to give a place to on their law degree courses. 

In particular, LNAT universities will use your Section A score when other university applicants have similar qualifications. For example, it can be difficult to compare an applicant who has A-Levels with applicants who have Advanced Highers or qualifications from other countries.

Types of LNAT Multiple Choice Questions

There are 3 types of LNAT multiple choice questions that are the most common:

1. Argument analysis questions
2. Information analysis and interpretation questions
3. Literary and verbal reasoning questions

Each type of question tests different skills.

Argument Analysis Questions

Argument analysis questions assess your ability to understand what arguments are being made in a passage of text. You could be asked:

• What is the writer arguing?
• What is the writer not arguing?
• What are the strengths of the writer’s argument?
• Why is the author making a particular argument?

To answer argument analysis questions, you need to understand what an argument is, and how to undermine an argument. An argument is a series of statements, which are purposely presented in order to prove, or disprove, a given position.

To analyse the strength of an argument, you must divide the text, separating the various premises for the argument – whether expressed or implied – and the logical reasoning made from them. Then assess each of the parts separately. 

First, establish whether each of the premises for the argument are strong or you could easily argue against them. Then determine whether the reasoning is logical or a misconception. Arguments are a misconception if they incorrectly apply the laws of logic, which makes an argument less solid. 

Often one of the best strategies for answering argument analysis questions is to use a process of elimination. This will enable you to swiftly eliminate the wrong answers and progress to the right one. Closely reading the passage will help you do this as the right answer will always emerge from careful reading of the text.

Information Analysis And Interpretation Questions

Analysis and interpretation LNAT questions in Section A can include:

• What is implied but not stated?
• What can we assume from the passage?

Careful reading of the text is required to ensure that you do not make any assumptions that the author is not making. You are not supposed to rely on your general knowledge to interpret the text, instead you should focus on what the passage is actually saying and the facts presented as they are, rather than what you believe they should be.

You will also need to look at the bigger picture to try and interpret the words of the writer, rather than simply looking for the answer in the passage. It’s crucial that you read the whole text as you will need to understand what the author is trying to say.

Literary Style LNAT Questions

Literary style LNAT multiple choice questions focus on your understanding of the words used by the writer, and the overall argument they are trying to present. Questions you could be asked include:

• Why does the writer use this particular word or phrase?
• Is there another word they could have used to better express their meaning?

These questions are designed to test your understanding of unusual words and phrases. It’s important that you read a wide variety of news articles and books on a regular basis to broaden your vocabulary, and to help you answer literary style LNAT questions.

Our tips For Answering LNAT Multiple Choice Questions

To prepare for Section A of the LNAT, read articles on a daily basis, but adopt a critical approach. When reading an article, get into the habit of trying to answer the following questions:

• What arguments is the writer making?
• What is the basis of each argument?
• What are the necessary assumptions made?
• Is it easy to agree with the basis of each argument and the assumptions made, or can they somehow be undermined?
• Does the author fail to mention counter arguments, or is the argument presented in a reasonable objective and balanced manner.  

When sitting LNAT Section A:

• Don’t spend too much time reading the passage.
• Read the questions before reading the text to help you know what you should be focusing on when reading the passage.
• Don’t rely on your own general knowledge. The answer is always in the text
• Pay attention to the details. For example a statement like “People usually go to the football on Saturdays” is not the same as “People always go to the football on Saturdays.”

You can practice LNAT multiple choice questions for free with our LNAT Question Bank.