Law at University of Oxford
LNAT for Oxford: scores, essay use and deadlines
The short answer
For 2027 entry, Oxford 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: LNAT contributes to selection alongside other evidence. MCQ reasoning and essay writing are both assessed; no current numeric weighting recovered.3 The essay: Oxford tutors mark the essay to assess written communication.3 Offer holders averaged 30.48 out of 42 in Section A (2025-26). An average is not a minimum: many people in that group scored below it.4
Use the numbers as context. Practise what you can change.
Past offer-holder averages are not a target or an offer prediction. Start with one Section A passage, then practise one essay.
One number, and the gap from your own score.
LNAT deadlines for Oxford, 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
- The score (Section A)
- LNAT contributes to selection alongside other evidence. MCQ reasoning and essay writing are both assessed; no current numeric weighting recovered.3
- The essay (Section B)
- Oxford tutors mark the essay to assess written communication.3
- Past ranking weights (2025-26 retrospective)
- With a contextual GCSE score: Section A 10%, essay 10%, contextual GCSE score 80%. Without: Section A 50%, essay 50%. This was the initial rank; adjusted individually; not final offer probabilities, not a 2027 formula.4
Published LNAT scores for Oxford
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.
| Cycle | Group | Section | Average | Range | Group size | Course | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | All applicants | Essay mark | 62.38 | Not published | 2115 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [4] Regent's Park College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2025-26 | Shortlisted applicants | Essay mark | 64.59 | Not published | 630 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [4] Regent's Park College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2025-26 | Offer holders | Essay mark | 65.21 | Not published | 252 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [4] Regent's Park College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2025-26 | All applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 24.94 | Not published | 2115 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [4] Regent's Park College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2025-26 | Shortlisted applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 29.37 | Not published | 630 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [4] Regent's Park College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2025-26 | Offer holders | Section A (out of 42) | 30.48 | Not published | 252 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [4] Regent's Park College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | Shortlisted applicants | Essay mark | 64.53 | Not published | Not published | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [5] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | Offer holders | Essay mark | 65.41 | Not published | 251 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [5] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | All test sitters | Essay mark | 62.7 | Not published | Not published | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [6] Mansfield College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | Shortlisted applicants | Essay mark | 64.5 | Not published | Not published | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [6] Mansfield College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | Offer holders | Essay mark | 65.4 | Not published | Not published | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [6] Mansfield College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | All applicants | Essay mark | 62.75 | Not published | 2061 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [7] The Queen's College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | Shortlisted applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 29.18 | Not published | Not published | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [5] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | Offer holders | Section A (out of 42) | 30.96 | Not published | 251 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [5] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | All test sitters | Section A (out of 42) | 24.5 | Not published | 2017 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [6] Mansfield College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | Shortlisted applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 29.2 | Not published | Not published | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [6] Mansfield College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | Offer holders | Section A (out of 42) | 31 | Not published | Not published | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [6] Mansfield College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2024-25 | All applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 24.5 | Not published | 2061 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [7] The Queen's College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2022-23 | All applicants | Essay mark | 62.8 | Not published | 2141 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [8] Somerville College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2022-23 | Shortlisted applicants | Essay mark | 65 | Not published | 666 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [8] Somerville College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2022-23 | Offer holders | Essay mark | 65.7 | Not published | 240 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [8] Somerville College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2022-23 | All applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 24.2 | 5 to 38 | 2141 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [8] Somerville College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2022-23 | Shortlisted applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 28.3 | 13 to 38 | 666 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [8] Somerville College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2022-23 | Offer holders | Section A (out of 42) | 30 | 19 to 38 | 240 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [8] Somerville College, Oxford, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2021-22 | Shortlisted applicants | Essay mark | 63.52 | Not published | 603 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [9] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2021-22 | Offer holders | Essay mark | 64.05 | Not published | 228 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [9] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2021-22 | All applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 22.5 | Not published | 2046 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [9] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2021-22 | Shortlisted applicants | Section A (out of 42) | 27.03 | Not published | 603 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [9] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2021-22 | Offer holders | Section A (out of 42) | 28.25 | 16 to 37 | 228 | Law; exact included routes not resolved | [9] University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, checked 26 Sep 2026 |
Free tools for this
Questions people ask
What LNAT score do I need for Oxford?
There is no published minimum LNAT score for Oxford.3 The most recent published average is 30.48 out of 42 for offer holders (2025-26).4 LNAT contributes to selection alongside other evidence. MCQ reasoning and essay writing are both assessed; no current numeric weighting recovered.3
Does Oxford read or score the LNAT essay?
Oxford tutors mark the essay to assess written communication.3
Sources
- 1LNAT ConsortiumChecked 27 Sep 2026.
- 2University of OxfordChecked 27 Sep 2026.
- 3University of Oxford, Faculty of LawChecked 27 Sep 2026.
- 4Regent's Park College, OxfordPublished 2026-01. Checked 26 Sep 2026.
- 5University of Oxford, Faculty of LawChecked 26 Sep 2026.
- 6Mansfield College, OxfordPublished 2025-01. Checked 26 Sep 2026.
- 7The Queen's College, OxfordChecked 26 Sep 2026.
- 8Somerville College, OxfordChecked 26 Sep 2026.
- 9University of Oxford, Faculty of LawChecked 26 Sep 2026.