LNAT Guides

LNAT Preparation: Your 6-Month LNAT Preparation Timeline

Written by: Matt Amalfitano-Stroud

Welcome to Exams.Ninja’s 6-Month Preparation Timeline for the LNAT.

This article is designed to give you a step-by-step guide to tackling the LNAT and preparing for the exam in the most effective way possible. With the help of a successful Oxford Law applicant, we will help you familiarise yourself with the exam, the types of questions you might be asked, the skills you will need for them, and how you can use your time to maximise your performance. Let’s get started!

July (May for Oxbridge Students)

Understand the LNAT Format

This is the start of your LNAT journey, so the sensible thing to be would be to familiarise yourself with the exam format. If you aren’t already familiar with the LNAT, here’s what you can expect:

It’s easy to get the basics down, but it’s always good to learn the finer details of the exam and hear what former applicants have to say about it. The first place to go is definitely the official LNAT website. You also could do this by watching videos, reading blogs or just searching sites like The Student Room if you have any specific questions. You may even want to learn about results from previous years of the LNAT, which you can find out about in our LNAT Scoring Guide!

Furthermore, there is a wealth of online resources available, such as past paper questions from both sections of the LNAT. You can use these to start to think about the kinds of things they are looking for. For Section B specifically, you might want to start thinking about the previous questions and start to form opinions on some of the material they present you with. This will make the whole process much easier and allow for more fluency and effective revision for Section B further down the line.

Creating a Preparation Plan

You should also use this time to create a physical or virtual exam timeline which you can start following from the next month. This can take many forms, be it a list or a more visual table. The key is to make sure it’s specific, realistic and covers everything that you’re going to need to practice before you sit the test. Take a step back and think about what you’re going to struggle with during your preparation. Dedicate as much time to these areas as you can without neglecting your more confident subjects. Also consider other aspects of your application, such as your personal statement, and think about how much time you will need to dedicate to them in order to complete them effectively.

Exams.Ninja Tip

Outlining your revision time is important, but it’s equally important to plan out the time you spend away from your preparation. There’s no point trying to work around the clock to get everything done quickly, you won’t retain much of what you’ve studied and you’ll lose all energy to actually sit the exam!

Schedule everything you can, from your regular 10-minute breaks to full days off. You’ll be more motivated when you have a finish line in sight!

August

Start your Revision

This is when your revision will truly begin. With your timeline all in place, it’s now time to decide how exactly you want to revise. People learn in different ways, whether it be visually taking in information, learning from other people or just learning through doing. A combination of all of these methods will give you the most variety, but most people will gravitate more to one or two revision styles in the long run.

Then you need to consider your resources. You may feel that the resources available from your current education will be enough. These will certainly contain useful information but most likely won’t help you with the more advanced areas that the LNAT covers.

Consult the online resources available to you for free as your first port of call. There are multiple past paper LNAT questions available for free online (we would recommend our own practice questions from Sections A and B). Furthermore, there are plenty of videos and articles from which you can learn and get further acquainted with the type and style of questions.

Revision for Section B should include reading the news or articles relating to subjects you might find interesting. This will kickstart your deduction and critical thinking skills and accustom you with presenting your ideas and opinions rationally and persuasively.

In some cases, it may be that you need additional support beyond what free resources can provide. There are plenty of options available in this regard, be it LNAT specific textbooks, question collection or tuition.

Exams.Ninja’s LNAT Preparation Platform is a unique service that provides you with detailed tutorials, 350+ practice questions and a selection of LNAT mock papers. We offer an affordable, structured and engaging way to ensure that you are fully prepared for what the LNAT has to offer!

If your exam is booked for later in the year (or even January), it can be easy to feel like you’ve got all the time in the world to prepare. Working at a slightly slower pace isn’t a problem, in fact, many people benefit from this. The key is to understand the difference between pacing and procrastination. If you’re holding off on preparation because “you’ve got plenty of time”, you’re probably approaching this the wrong way!

LNAT Registration Begins

August is also when registration for the LNAT begins. Registration will open on the 1^st of August and testing dates are available from the following month. Registration consists of two components that you should be aware of:

– Setting up an online account- this is done here and requires you to make an account with PearsonVue. Follow the steps on the website to make an account. Once you have done this, consult point (2).

– Booking and paying for your test- once you have fulfilled the steps from (1), you must book and pay for your test at a nearby test centre.

Make a note to set a reminder of when and where you are due to sit your test. While this is going on, you should make sure that you are continuing your planned revision.

September

LNAT Testing Begins

Testing opens for all applicants on the 1^st of September. September is important for Oxbridge applicants, as this is when registration will end. Make sure you have booked your test well in advance, as this will ensure you get the time and venue that you prefer.

For many applicants, this will be the final push before you sit the actual test. By this point, you should have your revision well underway and be well into a rhythm that works for you.

From our LNAT Expert:

Personally, I did one past paper section every two days in order to prepare. I found the first section trickier than the second so I devoted more time to that towards the end of September, as I felt that I had a good enough grasp of the second section.

It’s time to start your LNAT preparation!

Make the most of your prep time with Exams.Ninja LNAT Preparation Platform! You’ll have access to everything you need to get become an LNAT Master, including tutorials, practice questions and past papers!

October

The Oxbridge Deadline

Oxbridge Students must sit the LNAT by October. Again, try and book the LNAT as far in advance as possible so that you are guaranteed your desired test time and location.

For non-Oxbridge applicants, you should use this time to continue to study and consult as many resources as possible. This would also be a good time to try and reach out to people that you know/online that are either preparing as well or have previously sat the LNAT. You can learn a lot from other people’s personal experiences and get lots of insider tips into how it worked.

By this time, you should also have a better understanding of the areas in which you are struggling most. The first section of the LNAT is sub-divided into categories, for which there will be more individualised and specific guidance available (for example, take a look at our guide to Assumptions in the LNAT if this is a topic you don’t quite get). Through the result of your current practice questions and mock exams, identify which of these you need to spend more time on.

Exams.Ninja Tip

Ensure that you are timing yourself when doing past papers, so that you have an idea of what you can achieve in a certain time frame. If timing is an issue, work on this and try to maximise your performance within the allotted time. You should also know which section specifically you require more time for.

November

Widen your Reading

If you haven’t already sat the exam, November should be used to continue building upon your past paper and exam technique knowledge. Continue to work within your study plan and hone in on the areas you find the hardest to perform well in. Research these sub-categories well and look for the specific advice within the resources you have available, as well as other people’s advice and experiences.

Read articles you find interesting or thought-provoking and imagine the types of questions you might get based on these and plan answers accordingly. Obviously you’re not going to be able to actually predict what questions will be featured in the exam, but making estimations and preparing for as many scenarios as possible will help boost confidence!

From our LNAT Expert:

By this point, I was creating questions for myself for Section B, based on news headlines that were relevant at the time. I tried to work on a mixture of topics I was very interested in and topics I didn’t know much about, so I was prepared for whatever the LNAT questions may be. If you struggle to come up with the questions yourself, then your family members or friends may be able to help give you a unique view on a given topic.

December/January

The Final Push

The LNAT must be completed by all applicants by the end of January. Use this time effectively to finish the rest of the past paper questions you wanted to complete so that you can confidently say you did as much as you possibly could. When creating your preparation schedule, it’s a bad idea to leave whole subjects to study for this month. You’re extremely close to sitting the exam at this point, plus you need to be getting prepared for your end of year exams at school!

The best way to use this month is to treat it as a chance to summarise and solidify everything you’ve done thus far. If there are areas that you haven’t touched on in your preparation, then you’ll be much less likely to perfect them in time. Granted, the LNAT is somewhat different to other exams as it doesn’t test actual subject knowledge, but you still need to understand all of the terminology and question types you’ll encounter.

Exams.Ninja Tip

It may be the case that you didn’t start your preparation 6 months ago. While not ideal, you can still make a revision plan that works for you.

You should always create a plan, no matter how little time is left, as the worst thing you could do is go in aimlessly. Much of what we’ve already spoken about will still apply and will still be helpful, it will just all need to be on a much shorter timeframe.

It’s easy to think that the best way to save time is to cut out breaks. Don’t. Yes, you won’t have as much leniency with your breaks at this point, but they still need to be included in your schedule. Burning out in the middle of preparation is a guaranteed way to perform poorly in the exam.

A final word from our LNAT expert:

With the LNAT, timing and organising is everything in my opinion. You must be completely self-aware. This means identifying and knowing your main strengths, weaknesses and where you stand to improve the most. Constantly time yourself, identify the categories which you find the most difficult and constantly thinking of new perspectives on topical issues for Section B.

I think that Section A is very unpredictable, but there is no right or wrong answer for Section B – it’s all skill. Remember that Section B is not about the actual answer to the question, but how well you articulate and justify your answer or point. The skills you need that will help you in the exam can be heavily attuned with enough time and they are entirely transferable between both sections, irrespective of the topics or essay question you’re given.

Trust us when we say that these six months are going to fly by faster than you expect. It may seem like a lot of time, but you have to remember that your life isn’t going to exclusively revolve around the LNAT in the following months! You’ve got other things to think about, such as school work, personal statement writing, interview preparation and, of course, your life outside of all this! That’s why planning ahead is essential. None of these other things will be obstacles if you’ve already organised your time properly.

From here, it’s down to you to create the plan that will best suit your needs. If you have more questions about the LNAT, a good place to start would be our Definitive LNAT Guide, which details everything you need to know about the test! Beyond that, there’s plenty more to discover at exams.ninja to help you through your LNAT preparation! Good luck with the journey ahead!

It’s never too late to take on your LNAT preparation, so why not prepare with the experts?

The Exams.Ninja LNAT Preparation Platform, is an all-encompassing service that provides you with everything you’ll need to get a great score when you sit that exam. With us, you’ll have access to:

Training Temple- We have a huge collection of expert tutorials, revision guides and LNAT tips to make sure you understand every aspect of the test.

Practice Dojo- Take on more than 350 practice questions from Sections A and B to sharpen your thinking and writing skills. When you get stuck, our fully worked solutions will get you back on track!

Exam Arena- When you’re ready, we have plenty of past papers to put everything you’ve learnt to the test! We provide an authentic exam experience to ensure there are no surprises on the big day.