LNAT vs LSAT: Which Better for Studying Law Abroad?

Do you want to pursue a law degree abroad in popular study destinations such as the UK, USA, Australia, or Canada? Are you aware of the tests required for taking admission to a law school in the respective countries? If not, then you’re at the right place. LNAT and LSAT are popular international tests required for taking admission to a law school abroad. Read the whole blog to know which is tougher in LNAT vs LSAT!

Comparison Parameters	LNAT	LSAT
Year Started	November 3, 2004	February 28, 1948
Test Type	Standardized Test	Standardized Test
Purpose	To get admission to Top Law Colleges in the UK	To get admissions to Juris Doctor (JD) programs of law schools in countries such as the US, Canada, and Australia
Test Duration	2 hours and 15 minutes	3 hours and 15 minutes
Test Score Validity	1 Year	5 Years
No. of Attempts	1	3 times a year
Fee	EUR 120 (INR 10,089)	USD 200 (INR 15,017)

LNAT vs LSAT: Key Differences

LNAT is an aptitude test that stands for National Admissions Test for Law. It is used as part of the admissions process for law schools. LNAT evaluates your verbal reasoning and critical thinking abilities. The LSAT, as opposed to the LNAT, is a test that evaluates your logical thinking abilities, reading comprehension abilities, verbal reasoning abilities, and mathematical understanding. The LSAT is required for admission to the majority of law schools in Canada. In comparison, universities in the United States and Canada demand the LSAT.

LNAT vs LSAT: Admission Process

The LSAT and LNAT are quite similar. Both of these exams are standardised and are intended to assess a student’s ability to think critically and analytically.

The LSAT assesses the same talents as the LNAT does. The LSAT is just for students who want to study law in the United States, whereas the LNAT is only for those who want to study law in the United Kingdom.

Law schools employ both the LNAT and the LSAT in their admissions process. There are some notable distinctions between these tests, though.

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardised examination used by law schools in the United States and Canada. It is a multiple-choice test that tests your ability to comprehend instructions and swiftly answer questions by selecting the best option from four choices.

This exam is given on paper at official testing centres across North America three times a year, in June/July, October/November, and February/March, so you can choose the best day for you.

The LSAT is divided into five sections: one for reading comprehension, two for analytical reasoning, one for logical reasoning, and one for an unscored experimental component known as an ‘experimental writing task’ or ‘analytical writing assessment’ (AWA).

LNAT

LNAT or Law National Aptitude Test is an aptitude test that was adopted by 8 universities in the UK offering law programs in 2004. LNAT helps students understand if a law program is the right career choice for them or not. It is a general Aptitude Test and doesn’t require any prior knowledge of the law. It allows law schools/universities to understand if they are capable of succeeding in a law course or not.

LNAT	Law National Aptitude Test
Test Type	Standardized Test
Skills Tested	Analytical Skills Reasoning Skills Verbal Skills Interpretation Reading Abilities
Purpose	Admissions to Law Colleges in the UK
Duration	2 hours and 15 minutes
Score Validity	Not valid after a year
Score Range	42
Fee	EUR 120 (INR 10,089)

LNAT Exam Pattern

The biggest difference between LNAT and LSAT is the Exam Pattern. The LNAT tests the student’s following mentioned skills:

1. Analytical Skills
2. Reasoning Skills
3. Verbal Reasoning Skills
4. Interpretation Skills
5. Reading Abilities

LNAT Exam questions fall under the following subject categories:

1. Law
2. Media
3. Philosophy
4. Politics
5. Science
6. Ethics
7. Education

The LNAT Exam is divided into two sections: LNAT Section 1 and LNAT Section 2.  The following table depicts the division of the questions and the time allocated for the respective sections:

Section	LNAT Section 1	LNAT Section 2
Allocated Time	1 hour, 35 minutes	40 minutes
Types of Questions	MCQ	Essay
No. of Questions	42	3

Must Read: LNAT Sample Essays

Universities that Require LNAT Scores

The following universities require students to take the LNAT to pursue a law degree in the UK

1. University of Bristol
2. Durham University
3. University of Glasgow
4. King’s College London
5. The University of Nottingham
6. Oxford University
7. University College London
8. LSE London School of Economics and Political Science

LNAT Score Chart

The table below depicts the LNAT Score Chart to make it easier for you to understand the scoring system.

LNAT Score Range	Out of 42
Average LNAT Score	23/42
Good LNAT Score	25-29

Average LNAT Scores of Universities

University	Average LNAT Score
Oxford University	29
University College London	28
King’s College London	27
University of Glasgow	25
LSE	29
Durham University	29
University of Nottingham	27
University of Bristol	25

Must Read: Law Universities in UK without LNAT

LSAT

LSAT or Law School Admission Test plays a vital role in law school admission. An LSAT aims to test out a student’s skills that are important for succeeding in the first year of Law School. 

LSAT	Law School Admission Test
Test Type	Standardized Test
Skills Tested	Reading Comprehension, Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Writing (unscored)
Purpose	Admissions to Juris Doctor (JD) programs of law schools
Duration	3 hours and 15 minutes (excluding a 15-minute break)
Score Validity	5 years
Score Grade	120 to 180, in 1-point increments
Countries accepting LSAT scores	United States, Canada, Australia
Fee	USD 200 (INR 15,017)

Must Read: Myths and Facts for LSAT

Universities Accepting LSAT Scores

1. Yale University
2. Harvard University 
3. Stanford University
4. Columbia University
5. University of Chicago
6. McGill University
7. University of Toronto
8. University of New Brunswick
9. Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
10. University of Ottawa
11. Queen’s University
12. Ryerson University
13. University of Saskatchewan
14. Thompson Rivers University
15. Western University
16. The University of Melbourne

LSAT Exam Pattern

The LSAT assesses the student’s following mentioned skills:

1. Logical Reasoning
2. Reading Comprehension
3. Analytical Reasoning
4. Writing

*The Writing Section is unscored and it doesn’t contribute to the final score.

Skills	No. of Sections	Type of Questions	Allocated Time
Logical Reasoning	2	MCQ	35 minutes
Analytical Reasoning	1	MCQ	35 minutes
Reading Comprehension	1	MCQ	35 minutes
Writing (unscored)	1	––	35 minutes

LSAT Score Chart

The LSAT Score Chart mentioned below depicts the average, good and low LSAT Scores. This may help you understand what scores are capable of getting admission to a law school in countries such as the USA, Australia or Canada.

LSAT Score Range	120-180
Average LSAT Score	151
Low LSAT Score	Below 147
Good LSAT Score	160 or above

Must Read: LSAT Syllabus

Highest LSAT Scores of Top Universities 

University	Highest LSAT Score
Harvard University	173
Stanford University	171
Columbia University	172
University of Chicago	171
New York University	170

Conclusion

In the end, you’ll need to focus on developing a unique exam technique and studying enough information to meet your goal. The key problem of the exam is having mentally good time management, which naturally improves with practice and a solid understanding of what you must do on testing day.

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