LNAT Essay: Section B of the LNAT

What Does The LNAT Essay Test?

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

• Your ability to follow a logical structure
• Your capability to be clear and persuasive
• Your capacity to develop a coherent argument
• Your ability to convey your argument

Overall, the purpose of the LNAT essay is to measure your ability to express your view on an issue in a clear, convincing and logical way.

What To Expect From Section B Of The LNAT Exam

You will be presented with three unrelated questions. LNAT essay questions tend to focus on ethical issues or current affairs, such as:

• Should women in the US have access to an abortion?
  
• Developed countries have a higher obligation to tackle climate change than developing countries. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement.
  
• Should the law require people to vote in elections?

When choosing your question, you will want to select one that you have some level of interest in and knowledge of because you will need to provide an informative answer.

How Is The LNAT Essay Scored?

Section B of the exam is not officially scored. However, different universities give a different level of weight to the importance of the LNAT essay. For example, some LNAT universities do not consider section B at all, while others have their own LNAT essay mark scheme. 

Oxford University arguably gives most weight to Section B of the LNAT, with a percentage scoring system used to determine the quality of an essay.

How Do LNAT Unis Use Your Essay?

Universities that do consider the LNAT essay as part of your application may use it in a variety of ways. They may compare it against your personal statement or use it as a reference when asking questions during your interview.

Your LNAT essay score will certainly be a factor if admissions tutors have to choose between you and similar applicants for acceptance on their law degree course.

How To Plan Your LNAT Essay

When sitting Section B of the LNAT exam, you will first need to choose a question. The question you choose will determine how you plan your answer. Take two minutes to read every question carefully and make sure you know what each question is asking. 

Once you have selected a question, take five to ten minutes to plan your answer. The main purpose of your plan is:

• To pinpoint what your argument is
• How you are going to express your argument
• Creating a rough structure to keep your essay focused and organised

When creating a plan, generate ideas and write them all down – use bullet points, a pros and cons chart or a mind map to list your ideas. Determine which ideas are relevant to form your basic argument. 

Next, review the balance of your argument and ensure that you have considered arguments for both sides of the debate. Include any examples of real-world information that you can use to support your arguments, and then assess your overall plan thinking about what conclusions you can draw from your arguments.

Once you have formed a plan, you can develop a structure for your LNAT essay.

LNAT Essay Structure Tips

Your LNAT essay structure should be built around a solid introduction and conclusion. Everything in between needs to be included in a way that maintains the flow of your essay. Paragraphs should connect with each other and your points should feel natural, without any sudden changes of topic or tone.

Your LNAT essay structure should look something like this:

1. A solid introduction outlining your main argument.
2. A paragraph or two developing on your main argument with three to four valid points.
3. A section that covers any counter-arguments to your argument and reasons why they can’t be substantiated.
4. A strong conclusion with a summary of your main argument and how you have demonstrated the strength of your points.

LNAT Essay Examples

You will have no way of knowing what LNAT essay topics you could be faced with. Questions could centre around ethics, politics or science – the list is not exhaustive, which is why it’s important to stay up to date with current affairs.

LNAT essay questions tend to relate to topical, real world issues. A few examples include:

• Transgender women should be allowed to compete in female elite sporting events. Discuss.
• The internet and instant communication technologies are profoundly changing our world for the better. Do you agree?
• Is a wage-gap a real issue nowadays?