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The LNAT distractor field guide
The official register describes close options rather than random errors. The largest distractor families ask whether you preserved the exact claim, its role and its limits.
The eight near-miss families
The analysed questions use distractors that are often plausible on the topic. The trap is usually a changed relationship. A true detail can still be wrong when it answers a different question or belongs to a different speaker.
| Family | What changed | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Literal or qualification trap | Polarity, scope, referent or a condition | , |
| Function or relationship swap | The role of a phrase, example or contrast | , |
| Central-claim near miss | A true point replaces the main point | , |
| Close paraphrase | Meaning shifts while the wording stays familiar | , |
| Contextual vocabulary | A nearby dictionary sense replaces the local one | , |
| Cross-source attribution | A claim is attached to the wrong voice | , |
| Causal or principle transfer | The governing relation is changed | , |
| Tone or attitude valence | Approval, criticism or commitment is overstated | , |
The first three families account for of questions, or . Train the change in the option, not a vague feeling that the answer sounds less sensible.
Audit an option in five moves
- Mark the stem polarity. Nineteen of the 84 official questions select what is not, except or incorrect.
- Underline the option's controlling word: all, some, only, because, proves, merely or should.
- Find the passage sentence that supports the option and check who owns it.
- Compare the option's degree, condition and relationship with the passage.
- Reject outside knowledge. The official advice says the solution is in the passage.
| Option says... | Ask... | Likely trap |
|---|---|---|
| The author proves X | Does the passage say proves, or only suggests? | Evidence promotion |
| The example supports X | Is the example support, objection or illustration? | Function swap |
| Speaker A believes X | Did Speaker A say it, report it or reject it? | Attribution error |
| The policy always works | Where is the limit or exception? | Scope expansion |
The noun can stay while the claim changes
Worked example Do not confuse a recommendation with a condition
A museum is considering free entry. The author says free entry may widen access, but warns that a crowded building can make the collection harder to use. The museum should measure who attends and how visitors move before adopting a permanent policy.
Which statement is most directly supported?
- Free entry always improves access.
- A permanent free-entry policy should be adopted immediately.
- The museum should gather evidence before making the policy permanent.
- Crowded museums are less valuable than quiet museums.
Why this works: The third option preserves the recommendation's condition and does not turn a possibility into a general result.
Why the tempting route fails: The first and fourth overstate the passage. The second removes the evidence-gathering step that controls the recommendation.
- Record the family, such as scope expansion or function swap.
- Copy the exact word that changed the answer.
- Write the passage claim in one sentence without the option's extra strength.
- Find a fresh item with the same family but a different subject.
Sources
LNAT hints and tips. The official passage-bound method, close distractors and no negative marking. Read the official advicehttps://lnat.ac.uk/how-to-prepare/hints-and-tips/
Official practice commentary. Published explanations of argument structure, examples, inference and close reading. Open the commentaryhttps://lnat.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Practice-Tests-2010-Commentary.pdf
LNAT practice tests. The two official paper tests and the warning that their five options are historical, while the current test uses four. Check the practice inventoryhttps://lnat.ac.uk/how-to-prepare/practice-test/
The family names and counts are the evidence document's analysis of 84 official questions. They are a study taxonomy, not official labels printed on the test.