National Admissions Test for Law

Last updated

The National Admissions Test for Law, or LNAT, is an admissions aptitude test that was adopted in 2004 by eight UK university law programmes [1] as an admissions requirement for home applicants. The test was established at the leading urgency of Oxford University as an answer to the problem facing universities trying to select from an increasingly competitive pool with similarly high A-levels. With effect from its second year, the LNAT is required for UK and overseas applicants alike. There are now nine participating law schools and hundreds of test centres worldwide.

Contents

Format

The LNAT is 135 minutes long and consists of two sections. The test taker is allotted 40 minutes to complete the essay and 95 minutes to answer 42 multiple-choice questions aimed at measuring reading comprehension and logical reasoning skills. The reading portion contains twelve short passages, with three or four questions about each passage. The questions typically ask for terms and arguments from the reading to be defined by inference. The essay portion is 40 minutes long and involves the candidate answering one of three available essay questions. The questions are generally open-ended prompts that can focus on any one of a wide variety of issues. [2]

The reading section is scored out of 42 and the essays are individually marked by proctors at the respective universities.

The universities currently using the LNAT are: [3]

Results

The LNAT was first administered on 3 November 2004.[ citation needed ] The average score for the reading portion was 13.16 out of 24. Four test-takers received a 21 out of 24, the highest score achieved; [16] the lowest score achieved by the 4,345 candidates was 3. [17] Men performed slightly better than women on the multiple-choice portion, scoring 13.37 and 13.02 on average, respectively. [17] A University of Bristol report on the scores expressed dissatisfaction with the ability of law candidates to develop "reasoned arguments". [17] Men and women scored approximately equally to each other, in contrast to the distribution of A grades in A-level law, which were awarded to 19.3% of women and only 14.1% of men. [17]

The LNAT consortium also reported statistically insignificant differences in scores between state and independent students.[ citation needed ] Research conducted by the University of Bristol concluded: "the impact of the Lnat both in general and on specific supposedly sensitive widening participation groups has been negligible". [18] [ citation needed ]

Average scores

Entrants' mean average scores for the multiple choice element of the test in each year are as follows:

YearScorePercentage
2006/20078/3026.6
2008/200916.7/3055.6
2010/201117.7/4242.1
2011/201218.6/4244.3 [19]
2012/201321.3/4250.7
2013/201421.1/4250.2
2014/201522.3/4253.1
2015/201622.9/4254.5
2016/201717.9/4242.6
2017/201819.9/4247.4
2018/201923/4254.8
2019/202021.5/4251.2 [20]
2020/202120.8/4249.5
2021/202220/4247.6
2022/202322/4252.4
2023/202423/4254.8

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACT (test)</span> American standardized test used for college admissions

The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It is administered by ACT, a nonprofit organization of the same name. The ACT test covers four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning. It also offers an optional direct writing test. It is accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the United States as well as more than 225 universities outside of the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAT</span> Standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States

The SAT is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and had two components, Verbal and Mathematical, each of which was scored on a range from 200 to 800. Later it was called the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT I: Reasoning Test, then the SAT Reasoning Test, then simply the SAT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juris Doctor</span> Graduate-entry professional degree in law

A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other jurisdictions, such as Australia, Canada, and Hong Kong, offer both the postgraduate JD degree as well as the undergraduate LL.B., BCL, or other qualifying law degree depending on the requirements of the jurisdiction where the person will practice law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Test of English as a Foreign Language</span> Standardized test

Test of English as a Foreign Language is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted by more than 11,000 universities and other institutions in over 190 countries and territories. TOEFL is one of several major English-language tests worldwide, including IELTS, Pearson Test of English (PTE), Duolingo English Test, Cambridge Assessment English, and Trinity College London exams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graduate Record Examinations</span> Standardized tests

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test that is part of the admissions process for many graduate schools in the United States and Canada and a few other countries. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The test was established in 1936 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law School Admission Test</span> US and Canadian standardized test

The Law School Admission Test is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension and logical reasoning. The test is an integral part of the law school admission process in the United States, Canada, the University of Melbourne, Australia, and a growing number of other countries.

A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.

The Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test was a test previously administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in Australia and New Zealand to assist in the selection of domestic students for health science courses, including most medical and dental degree programs, as well as other health science practical studies such as physiotherapy and optometry. The UMAT was used for domestic applicant selection into undergraduate courses only. Applicants for graduate medical education must take the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test, and foreign applicants must take the International Student Admissions Test. Each year, the UMAT was held on a single day in two sessions, morning and afternoon, typically in late July or early August at test centers in major cities in Australia and New Zealand, as well as a few other global cities.

The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test is a test used to select candidates applying to study medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary science at Australian, British, and Irish universities for admission to their Graduate Entry Programmes. Candidates may take the test in a test centre in one of the 6 countries, being Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, offering the test.

The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is an admissions test used in the selection process by a consortium of universities in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand for their medical and dental degree programmes. UCAT is needed, except very few universities, for admission into undergraduate medical degrees in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and UK. Launched in 2006 as the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT), it was renamed in 2019 following the launch of the test in Australia and New Zealand.

The Psychometric Entrance Test (PET) – commonly known in Hebrew as "ha-Psikhometri" – is a standardized test that serves as an entrance exam for institutions of higher education in Israel. The PET covers three areas: quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning and English language. It is administered by the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation (NITE) and plays a considerable role in the admissions process. A score combining students' performance on the PET with the average score of their high school matriculation tests has been found to be a highly predictive indicator of students' academic performance in their first year of higher education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common Law Admission Test</span> University entrance test in India

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a centralized national-level entrance test for admissions to the 25 out of 27 National Law Universities (NLU) except NLU Delhi and NLU Meghalaya. CLAT was first introduced in 2008 as a centralized entrance examination for admission to the National Law Schools/Universities in India.

The English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT) was a subject-specific admissions test, used as part of the admissions process for undergraduate courses in English language and literature, combined English and modern languages and classics and English at the University of Oxford. As of 2016, ELAT had also been used by the University of Cambridge for admission to its undergraduate English course.

The Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) is a generic admissions test, which is used as part of the admissions process for entry to some undergraduate courses at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and formerly, University College London.

The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) was an aptitude test used as part of the admissions process for Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Dentistry in some universities in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Spain, Malaysia, Thailand, Hungary, Croatia and the Netherlands. In 2023, Cambridge Assessment announced that it would withdraw from the admissions test market and cease provision of the BMAT examination. Most UK universities that previously used the BMAT have announced that, from 2024 onwards, the University Clinical Aptitude Test will be used instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yong Pung How School of Law</span> School of Law of the Singapore Management University

The Yong Pung How School of Law is one of the six schools of the Singapore Management University. It was set up as Singapore's second law school in 2007, 50 years after the NUS Faculty of Law and 10 years before SUSS School of Law. Prior to its establishment as a law school, the school was a department within the School of Business between 2000 and 2007. The school was known as the SMU School of Law until 2021, when it was renamed after former Chief Justice Yong Pung How.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical College Admission Test</span> Standardized examination for prospective medical students in the United States and Canada

The Medical College Admission Test is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the Caribbean Islands. It is designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis and knowledge of scientific concepts and principles. Before 2007, the exam was a paper-and-pencil test; since 2007, all administrations of the exam have been computer-based.

The Singapore University of Social Sciences School of Law is an autonomous law school of Singapore University of Social Sciences. It was established in 2017, as Singapore's third law school after the NUS Faculty of Law and the SMU School of Law. The school was established to address the shortage of practitioners in family and criminal law. In 2018, it was reported that of the 60 pioneer SUSS law students, seven have either dropped out or deferred their studies setting the attrition rate at 10%.

In the United Kingdom there are various standardized tests for admission to university. Most applicants to universities in the UK take national examinations such as A-levels or Scottish Highers. Separate admissions tests are used by a small number of universities for specific subjects, many of these administered by Cambridge University's Admissions Testing Service.

References

  1. Education: New entry test for law students, BBC News, UK.
  2. "Test format – LNAT". LNAT Consortium Ltd. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  3. "Why join LNAT?". LNAT Consortium Ltd. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  4. "LNAT FAQs – University of Bristol Law School". University of Bristol. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  5. "Durham Law School: LNAT". Durham University . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  6. "Law – Undergraduate Degree Programmes". University of Glasgow . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  7. "Law LLB". King's College London . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  8. "Law LLB". University of Nottingham . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  9. "Tests". University of Oxford . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  10. "LLB Law Single Honours at SOAS University of London". University of London . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  11. "BA Law and... Combined Honours Degree at SOAS University of London". University of London . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  12. "National Admission Test for Law (LNAT) – UCL Faculty of Laws". University College London . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  13. "Admissions Test". IE University . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  14. "Bachelor of Laws". Singapore University of Social Sciences . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  15. "Juris Doctor". SIM University . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  16. Ford, Liz (3 February 2005). "Pupils achieve 'same marks' in law admission tests". The Guardian . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Law candidates 'not good enough'". BBC News . 3 February 2005. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  18. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 2014-01-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. Pearson VUE's email to candidates
  20. Pearson VUE's email to candidates