Section B of the LNAT gives you 40 minutes to write one essay from a choice of three questions. The official guidance is a maximum of 750 words, ideally about 500 to 600. The essay is not marked by the test centre and does not count towards your LNAT score: it goes straight to the universities you apply to, who read it alongside the rest of your application. This guide gives you 20 practice questions in the LNAT style, a full example essay with notes on why it works, a plan for the 40 minutes, and the mistakes that cost candidates most.
What is LNAT Section B?
The LNAT has two parts. Section A is 42 multiple-choice questions on argumentative passages, with 95 minutes to answer them. Section B follows straight afterwards: you choose one of three essay questions and have 40 minutes to plan and write your answer. The questions cover a wide range of subjects, and none of them needs specialist knowledge. What is being tested is your ability to argue economically and come to a clear conclusion. You can read the official description on the LNAT test format page.
Is the LNAT essay marked?
Not by the LNAT. Your Section A score out of 42 is the only number the test produces. The essay is passed, unmarked, to each university on your application, and each one decides how to use it. Because tutors read it as a sample of how you think and write under pressure, a clear, well-argued essay can strengthen an application, and a confused one can weaken it. Treat it as part of the test, not an afterthought once the multiple choice is over.
What do admissions tutors look for in the LNAT essay?
They are reading for the skills a law degree demands, not for knowledge. Four things matter most.
- A clear position. Tutors should know what you are arguing by the end of your first paragraph, and be able to follow a logical line from there to your conclusion.
- Depth over breadth. Two or three well-developed points are worth far more than five or six that are only listed. Explain why each point is true and support it with an example.
- Engagement with the other side. The strongest essays recognise that the question is genuinely difficult and deal with the best objection to their view, rather than ignoring it.
- Clear, precise writing. Plain English that says exactly what you mean impresses more than long words or complicated sentences.
What are some example LNAT essay questions?
The questions below are practice questions written in the style of the test, not real past questions. They are deliberately broad and contentious, so either side can be argued well. For questions and answers published by the test itself, see the official LNAT sample essays.
Law and justice
- Is it ever justified to break the law?
- Should judges be elected rather than appointed?
- Should prisoners have the right to vote?
- Is trial by jury still the fairest way to decide serious criminal cases?
Politics and democracy
- Should voting be compulsory in a democracy?
- Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
- Is it ever right for a government to limit free speech to protect public safety?
- Should the state have any role in how people live their private lives?
Ethics and society
- Does a country’s history give it obligations to the present?
- Is it ever acceptable to lie?
- Should the very wealthy pay a higher share of their income in tax?
- Do we owe more to our own family than to strangers?
Science, technology and the environment
- Should social media companies be legally responsible for what their users post?
- Should artificial intelligence be allowed to make decisions that affect people’s lives?
- Is tackling climate change the responsibility of individuals or of governments?
- Should testing on animals be banned?
Education, culture and the arts
- Should university education be free?
- Are exams the best way to measure ability?
- Should schools teach philosophy?
- Should museums return objects that were taken from other countries?
How should you structure an LNAT essay?
A five-part structure works for almost any LNAT question, and it is easy to plan in a few minutes.
- Introduction. State your position in one or two sentences, including any conditions it depends on.
- Define the key terms. Say briefly what you take the important words in the question to mean, so your argument cannot drift.
- Argument. Two or three developed reasons, each in its own paragraph, each supported by a concrete example.
- Counterargument. Set out the strongest objection to your view fairly, then show why your position survives it.
- Conclusion. Return to your opening position, now earned by the argument. Do not introduce new points.
The counterargument paragraph is what most often separates a strong essay from an average one. A candidate who ignores the obvious objection looks as though they have not thought hard about the question; one who meets it head on looks like a future lawyer.
An example LNAT essay, with notes
Here is how that structure looks in a complete answer to one of the questions above, written in under 550 words. Do not memorise it: the questions on the day will be different, and tutors are reading for your reasoning, not a prepared script. Use it to see the shape of a strong answer.
Question: Is it ever justified to break the law?
Most of the time, obeying the law is the right thing to do, and not merely because we fear punishment. A society in which everyone chose which rules to follow would soon become unfair and unsafe. Even so, I will argue that breaking the law can be justified, but only in a narrow set of cases: where a law is seriously unjust, where lawful ways of changing it have been tried or are closed, and where the person breaking it does so openly and accepts the consequences.
By “justified” I mean morally justified, not legally excused. A court may be right to convict someone who was morally right to act, and the two questions should be kept apart.
The strongest case concerns laws that are themselves deeply unjust. The laws that enforced racial segregation in the American South were passed through legitimate processes, yet few people today would say that those who defied them acted wrongly. The authority of law rests largely on its claim to serve justice. When a law flagrantly betrays that purpose, its claim on our obedience weakens. Rosa Parks broke the law when she refused to give up her seat on a bus in 1955, but her refusal exposed the injustice of that law in a way that years of petitions had not.
Second, breaking the law is most defensible when lawful routes have been exhausted and the law-breaker acts in the open. People who break a law publicly and accept their punishment are not rejecting the legal system; they are appealing to the conscience of the majority within it. This is what separates principled protest from self-interest. The shoplifter hides; the protester invites arrest.
The strongest objection is that if each person may decide for themselves which laws are unjust, the rule of law collapses. People disagree sharply about justice, and a principle that excuses one protester seems to excuse every zealot. This is a serious point, and it is exactly why the conditions above matter. Most disagreements should be settled through argument, elections and the courts. But the objection proves too much. Taken literally, it would condemn those who resisted segregation, which almost no one is prepared to do. The right conclusion is not that breaking the law is never justified, but that the bar must be set very high.
Breaking the law is justified only rarely: when the law is seriously unjust, when lawful avenues have failed, and when the law-breaker acts openly and accepts the penalty. Outside those conditions, the value of a shared legal order outweighs individual conscience. Within them, disobedience can be not only permissible but admirable.
Why this essay works
- It takes a clear position in the first paragraph, with its conditions spelled out, instead of sitting on the fence.
- It defines the key word, “justified”, so the argument stays focused.
- Each body paragraph makes one point and supports it with a concrete example.
- It sets out the strongest objection fairly and explains why the position survives it.
- The conclusion returns to the opening position, now argued for, and it fits comfortably inside the recommended length.
How should you spend the 40 minutes?
Forty minutes goes quickly, especially straight after 95 minutes of Section A. A simple plan stops you running out of time before your conclusion.
Minutes 0 to 5: choose and plan
Read all three questions before committing. Then write your position in one sentence, your two or three main points, and the objection you will answer. A plan this short is enough to keep the essay on track.
Minutes 5 to 35: write
Write from your plan in four to six paragraphs. Keep moving: small corrections are fine, but do not stop to rewrite whole paragraphs.
Minutes 35 to 40: check
Read it through once. Check that every paragraph follows from the last and that your conclusion matches your opening position, and fix any obvious errors.
How do you choose which LNAT essay question to answer?
Do not automatically pick the topic you know most about. Choose the question on which you can build the clearest argument in 40 minutes, with a position you can state in one sentence and an objection you know how to answer. A well-structured argument on an unfamiliar topic is more impressive than a knowledgeable but rambling answer on a favourite one. If you cannot decide which side you would take on a question within a minute or two, that is usually a sign to choose another.
Common mistakes in the LNAT essay
- No clear position. Describing both sides without committing to one reads as cautious, not rigorous. You are being assessed on your ability to argue.
- Writing a second personal statement. Section B is not the place for why you want to study law or your personal experiences. Keep to the argument.
- Listing instead of developing. “Firstly, secondly, thirdly” with a sentence each is the weakest kind of answer. Develop each point and support it.
- Ignoring the counterargument. One honest paragraph on the best objection makes the whole essay more convincing.
- Over-complicated language. Clear, precise sentences are easier to read and more impressive than long words.
- Running out of time. An essay without a conclusion looks unfinished. Plan, and leave yourself the last few minutes.
- Writing far too much. The guidance is a maximum of 750 words. A focused 500 to 600 words is better than an essay that loses its thread.
How do you practise LNAT essays?
Write them under the real conditions: one question chosen from three, 40 minutes, no notes. Do this at least four or five times before your test, each time with questions you have not seen before. Afterwards, reread your essay as a tutor would: is the position clear from the first paragraph, does each point develop, have you dealt with the strongest objection, and does the conclusion match the opening?
It also helps to write some of your practice essays straight after a full timed Section A, because that is the order you sit them in on the day. Concentration after 95 minutes of reasoning questions is part of what you are training.
Practise both sections as you will sit them. Every paper in our 8-paper LNAT practice set includes its own Section B with three essay questions, 24 in total, after a full 42-question Section A with worked answers. So you can sit the whole test in the right order and timing, eight times over.
Want to start with the multiple-choice section? Our free LNAT practice paper is a complete Section A: 42 questions with worked answers, free to download.
How long should an LNAT essay be?
The official guidance is a recommended maximum of 750 words, ideally about 500 to 600. That is enough to set out a position, develop two or three points, deal with an objection and conclude. Quality of argument matters far more than length, so aim for a complete, well-structured essay within that range rather than a long one.
How many essay questions do you answer in the LNAT?
One. You are given three questions on different subjects and choose one of them to answer in the 40 minutes. Use the first couple of minutes to read all three before you decide.
Do universities read the LNAT essay?
Yes. The essay is sent to every LNAT university you apply to, and each one decides how much weight to give it alongside your Section A score, your grades and your personal statement. Because it shows how you argue under time pressure, it is worth preparing as seriously as the multiple-choice section. For how Section A scores compare between universities, see our guide to LNAT score requirements by university.