Which universities require the LNAT?
Not every UK law course needs the LNAT. It is required by a specific group of universities, so the first step in your preparation is simply checking whether your choices are on the list.
The universities that require the LNAT
For 2027 entry, the LNAT is required for undergraduate law at these nine UK universities:
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- University College London (UCL)
- London School of Economics (LSE)
- King's College London (KCL)
- Durham University
- University of Bristol
- University of Glasgow
- SOAS University of London
A small number of institutions outside the UK have also used the LNAT in recent cycles, such as IE University in Spain. The membership of this list can change from year to year, and a university may require the LNAT for some courses but not others, so always confirm the current requirement on each university's own admissions page and on the official site at lnat.ac.uk before you rely on it.
For each university’s grades, LNAT deadline, interview and how it uses your score, see our LNAT university requirements comparison.
Universities that do not use the LNAT
Plenty of excellent law schools do not use the LNAT at all: many strong UK law departments admit on grades, personal statement and reference without any admissions test. Nottingham, for example, is not currently on the LNAT list. The list also changes over time, and Cambridge is the clearest case: Cambridge now requires the LNAT, having set its own law test in earlier years, so advice saying Cambridge does not use it is out of date. In other words, "top law school" and "requires the LNAT" are not the same thing, and you should never assume a university needs the test without checking.
Every LNAT university uses the test differently
Being on the list is only half the picture. The universities that require the LNAT do not weigh it in the same way. Some are reported to lean heavily on the Section A score; others read the Section B essay closely; and each reads the result alongside grades, your personal statement and, in some cases, an interview. There is no shared cutoff. For what applicants typically score at each university and how to read those figures, see our guide to LNAT scores.
Deadlines differ too
The LNAT universities also sit on different deadlines. Oxford and Cambridge share the earliest cutoff in the autumn, several London universities require the test by the end of December, and others fall on or around the main January UCAS deadline. If you are applying to more than one LNAT university, the earliest deadline among them is the one that governs when you must sit. The full calendar is in our LNAT dates and deadlines guide.
How to check your own list
Before you build a preparation plan, go through your UCAS choices one by one and confirm, on each course page, whether the LNAT is required for that specific course and year. Note each university's sit-by date, and work backwards from the earliest. If even one of your choices requires the LNAT, you will need to prepare for it, and the most efficient way to start is to sit a realistic timed paper to find your baseline.
LNAT universities: FAQ
Does every UK law degree require the LNAT?
Does Cambridge require the LNAT?
Does Nottingham require the LNAT?
How many universities use the LNAT?
Do I only sit the LNAT once even for several universities?
How do I know if my course needs it?
Applying to an LNAT university? Find your baseline
Sit full timed LNAT-style papers in the Pearson-style simulator, with a worked solution for every question.