How much does the LNAT essay count?
LNAT essay (Section B) by university
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Your result
- Oxford: Read and scored: 10% of the first ranking Source.
- Cambridge: Read and marked out of 10 Source.
- UCL: Read and assessed; no weight published Source.
- King's College London: No published essay weight Source.
- LSE: Usually not used Source.
- Durham: No essay score recorded Source.
- Bristol: Read and assessed; 2027 weight not published Source.
- Glasgow: Can be used; no weight published Source.
- SOAS: Usually no LNAT needed with A-levels Source.
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Oxford gave the LNAT essay 10% of its first ranking in 2025-26, alongside 10% for the multiple-choice score.
Questions people ask
Does the LNAT essay matter?
At most universities, yes: Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and Bristol say they assess it. Oxford gave it 10% of its first ranking in 2025-26. LSE normally uses only the multiple-choice score.
Does LSE read the LNAT essay?
LSE says it normally uses the multiple-choice score and may assess the essay in some cases, including applicants with non-traditional qualifications.
How is the LNAT essay marked?
The LNAT Consortium does not mark it. Each university reads it itself: Cambridge colleges marked it out of 10 in the 2025 application year, and Oxford gives its own essay mark.
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How we work this out
What it does
Whether each LNAT university reads the essay, and the weight it gives it where one has been published.
The LNAT essay (Section B) at nine universities that use the LNAT for 2027 entry, from each university's admissions report, statement, FAQ or FOI reply.
Method
- We record only what the university has written: whether it assesses the essay, any published weighting and the year it applies to.
- Oxford's 2025-26 report gives weights for its first ranking: 80% contextualised GCSEs, 10% multiple choice, 10% essay; without a contextualised GCSE score the two LNAT parts count equally.
- Bristol's 2020 statement gave 40% to the LNAT, split 60% multiple choice and 40% essay, so the essay was 16% overall. Its 2027 statement confirms the essay is assessed but gives no numbers, so we show 2020 as history.
- Where nothing is published we say so. "Not recorded centrally" (King's, Durham) is not read as "ignored".
Published figures
LNAT essay use at every university
For applicants with A-levels. LSE and SOAS differ for Access, BTEC and other routes: choose that route above.
| University | What it says about the essay | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford | Read and scored: 10% of the first ranking | 2025-26 retrospective | Law admissions report 2025-26 |
| Cambridge | Read and marked out of 10 | 2025 apply year | LNAT results by college, 2025 application year |
| UCL | Read and assessed; no weight published | current page; last cycle unspecified | LLB frequently asked questions |
| King's College London | No published essay weight | 2027 entry | Law LLB entry requirements |
| LSE | Usually not used | 2027 entry | Entry requirements |
| Durham | No essay score recorded | 2021-22 and 2022-23 | LNAT scores for 2022 and 2023 entry |
| Bristol | Read and assessed; 2027 weight not published | 2027 entry | Law admissions statement 2027 |
| Glasgow | Can be used; no weight published | current public page | LNAT at the School of Law |
| SOAS | Usually no LNAT needed with A-levels | current public page | Undergraduate entry requirements |