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United Kingdom · Admissions test

LNAT essay questions: Section B

You get 40 minutes to answer one of the three LNAT essay questions you’re given, on a range of subjects. Section B of the National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT) isn’t marked by the test centre and doesn’t count towards your score, but every LNAT university you apply to gets a copy of your essay. The LNAT Consortium recommends 750 words at most, ideally about 500 to 600, and it wants an argument that reaches a clear conclusion.

  • 40 minutesTime for the essay
  • 3Questions to choose from
  • 500 to 600 wordsLNAT’s ideal essay length
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What do LNAT essay questions look like?

The questions range widely. LNAT’s sample essay page has nine, and they take in judges, voting, education, the arts, the environment and civil liberties.

The LNAT Consortium says the essay topics won’t be specifically about current affairs, and you won’t be judged on the facts you know. Reading a quality newspaper still helps, it says, because knowing how the world works in general terms lets you write sensibly about many subjects.

LNAT essay examples from the LNAT Consortium

LNAT publishes three sample answers to its sample essay questions, on arts funding, endangered species and political correctness, as PDFs on its sample essays page. Each of its two practice papers adds five more essay questions. They’re the only LNAT essay examples the consortium itself puts out.

LNAT practice tests and papers →

What the LNAT essay rewards

The LNAT Consortium’s tips spell out what it wants:

  • An argument, not data. An argument built on assumptions can be as good as one built on facts, as long as you say what your assumptions are.
  • A position you can defend. It’s not very interested in your own opinions, and arguing for a view you don’t hold can make your case tighter.
  • Economy. About 500 to 600 words, with repetition, surplus words and digressions cut. Much shorter is too short to judge, and a very long essay is also at a disadvantage.
  • A side. Don’t say both sides have a point unless you say which point each one has.
  • Plain writing. Fancy words and an elaborate style won’t impress.

How universities use the LNAT essay

Each university decides. The LNAT Consortium says some use the essay as a basis for interview questions, some compare it with your personal statement and school report, and some use it to choose between borderline candidates.

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) says it uses only the multiple-choice score and doesn’t consider the essay for most applicants. For applicants who would otherwise have been asked to sit its own admissions assessment, selectors may look at the essay.

LNAT universities and how they use it →

Before you end the test

When you reach the Review screen, don’t click End Review unless your essay is finished: that ends your session. To go back and edit your essay, click the question number it belongs to.

Sources: LNAT Consortium · LSE and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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