Law at University of Cambridge
LNAT for Cambridge: scores, essay use and deadlines
The short answer
For 2027 entry, Cambridge requires the LNAT: book by 15 September 2026 and sit it by 15 October 2026, the same day as its UCAS deadline.1,2 How the score is used: Both sections are used with other evidence for interview deselection and final selection in the 2027 admissions cycle.2 The essay: Cambridge marks essays centrally and uses both LNAT sections for selection.2 College by college, Cambridge offer holders' average Section A scores ranged from 26 to 33.14 out of 42 in the 2025 application year. An average is not a minimum.3
Your score beside each published average, with its year and group.
LNAT deadlines for Cambridge, 2027 entry
These dates are for the 2026-27 LNAT cycle. They change every year; do not reuse them for a later entry year.1,2
How the score and essay are used
Published LNAT scores for Cambridge
These are past averages from university reports and Freedom of Information replies. They show where successful applicants tended to score, not a line you must reach.
- Offer holders' average
- All applicants' average
| College | Offer holders: Section A average (range) | All applicants: Section A average (range) | Offer holders: essay average | All applicants: essay average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downing | 33.14 (30 to 39) | 24.96 (10 to 39) | 8.86 | 5.74 |
| Wolfson | 33.11 (31 to 35) | 28.06 (9 to 35) | 8.22 | 6.5 |
| Homerton | 32.64 (25 to 36) | 22.82 (10 to 35) | 6.18 | 5.48 |
| Peterhouse | 32.43 (26 to 37) | 25.79 (15 to 37) | 9 | 6.02 |
| St John's | 31.91 (22 to 36) | 25.28 (13 to 36) | 7.55 | 5.78 |
| Christ's | 31.8 (27 to 37) | 23.13 (8 to 37) | 8 | 5.35 |
| Pembroke | 31.8 (22 to 35) | 26.04 (13 to 35) | 5.5 | 4.63 |
| Jesus | 31.44 (25 to 37) | 24.89 (12 to 37) | 5.56 | 5.35 |
| Trinity | 31 (23 to 37) | 24.71 (10 to 37) | 8 | 5.44 |
| Clare | 30.9 (25 to 36) | 26.25 (10 to 38) | 7.8 | 5.95 |
| Selwyn | 30.89 (27 to 34) | 24.54 (12 to 34) | 7.44 | 4.87 |
| Queens' | 30.6 (22 to 36) | 25.54 (11 to 36) | 7.7 | 5.68 |
| Trinity Hall | 30.6 (26 to 34) | 24.78 (13 to 36) | 6.5 | 5.3 |
| Newnham | 30.38 (28 to 38) | 24.49 (12 to 38) | 7.88 | 5.41 |
| Murray Edwards | 29.9 (24 to 34) | 22.41 (15 to 34) | 8.2 | 5.24 |
| Emmanuel | 29.6 (25 to 35) | 24.59 (9 to 35) | 5.4 | 6.02 |
| King's | 29.6 (24 to 35) | 23.31 (8 to 35) | 8 | 4.92 |
| St Catharine's | 29.56 (23 to 34) | 24.39 (12 to 34) | 7 | 5.85 |
| Gonville and Caius | 29 (25 to 35) | 24.75 (11 to 35) | 8.44 | 5.5 |
| Magdalene | 29 (24 to 35) | 25.27 (11 to 37) | 7 | 5.3 |
| Sidney Sussex | 28.78 (25 to 34) | 25.46 (13 to 34) | 7.89 | 5.2 |
| Fitzwilliam | 28.57 (19 to 35) | 23.31 (13 to 35) | 6 | 5.29 |
| Lucy Cavendish | 28.36 (20 to 33) | 24.34 (14 to 33) | 8.93 | 5.29 |
| Corpus Christi | 28.22 (23 to 37) | 24.59 (11 to 37) | 7.56 | 5.91 |
| Hughes Hall | 28.2 (21 to 36) | 26.57 (12 to 36) | 6.8 | 5.15 |
| St Edmund's | 28.17 (22 to 33) | 26.71 (13 to 34) | 7.83 | 6 |
| Churchill | 27.75 (18 to 37) | 25.33 (12 to 37) | 7.88 | 5.74 |
| Robinson | 26.38 (18 to 33) | 23.79 (11 to 35) | 8.63 | 5.25 |
| Girton | 26 (18 to 32) | 24.33 (9 to 32) | 7.9 | 5.36 |
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Questions people ask
What LNAT score do I need for Cambridge?
There is no published minimum LNAT score for Cambridge.2 Cambridge colleges' offer-holder averages ranged from 26 to 33.14 out of 42 (2025).3 Both sections are used with other evidence for interview deselection and final selection in the 2027 admissions cycle.2
Does Cambridge read or score the LNAT essay?
Cambridge marks essays centrally and uses both LNAT sections for selection.2
When must I take the LNAT for 2027 entry?
Is the published offer-holder average a minimum score?
No. It is an average, so many people in that group scored below it. Both sections are used with other evidence for interview deselection and final selection in the 2027 admissions cycle.2
Sources
Every figure on this page links to one of these. A checked date is the day we read the page, not the day it was published. Labels: Published, Past cycle, Calculated from published counts, Estimate, Not published.
- 1LNAT ConsortiumChecked 27 Sep 2026.
- 2University of Cambridge, Faculty of LawChecked 27 Sep 2026.
- 3WhatDoTheyKnow (FOI response)Freedom of Information reply. Published 2025-12-04. Checked 26 Sep 2026.
Data checked 27 September 2026. Missing figures are shown as not published, never as zero or a guess.