What You Need to Know to Start the LNAT Section B Preparation
The Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) is split into two sections, A and B. We’ve discussed in a previous post how to begin the LNAT section A preparation. Now, we’re here to give some advice on the LNAT Section B preparation and provide your child with information that will enable them to feel well-equipped when taking the test.
What is Section B?
Section B is an essay question. Applicants will be given three titles to choose from and you must pick one to answer. It is important for your child to spend time on LNAT Section B preparation so that they know what to expect during the test. During LNAT Section B preparation, it is also a good idea to practice the skills the admissions tutors are looking for.
Skills the admissions tutors are looking for in Section B
Section B is all about your child’s ability to put forward a persuasive and compelling argument. The admissions tutors want to see that they know how to structure an essay and that they can write clearly and concisely. The tutors will also assess their English skills including spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Having a good knowledge of current affairs will also work in your child’s favour. The admissions tutors really like to see interesting and creative arguments which are backed up by evidence rather than opinion. Focus on these skills in your child’s LNAT Section B preparation.
Approaching LNAT Section B Preparation
Despite the fact applicants will not know the essay question before they start the test, here are five things you can do as a parent to help your child’s LNAT Section B preparation. You should ensure that they:
1. Plan their time
They will have 40 minutes in the test. It’s essential that you work out a strategy that works best for your child. For example, they could decide to spend 10 minutes planning, 25 minutes writing, and 5 minutes checking their essay.
2. Plan a general essay structure
An essay should include: (i) an introduction, (ii) the argument, (iii) a counter-argument, and (iv) a conclusion. Your child needs to practice planning essays in this structure so that they present a balanced argument. Under each element, they could bullet point their ideas. In the test, they could spend about 10 minutes doing this.
The introduction should introduce the topic, define any ambiguous terms in the question, and explain how an applicant will approach the question. In your child’s argument, they should make sure they do not sit on the fence and that they pick a side of the argument.
Applicants should be as interesting as they can and use evidence to back up their points. Task them to think about how someone might disagree with their argument and what other points they would make on the other side of the debate.
The conclusion of the essay should summarise the points of argument and explain why their argument is better than the counter-argument.
3. Practice essay writing
Practicing planning essays and then writing them is useful LNAT section B preparation. At UniAdmissions, they provide all the information you and your child needs to prepare for the LNAT exam including essay writing tips.
The essay itself should be between 500 – 600 words (but no more than 750 words). As part of your child’s LNAT Section B preparation, it would be beneficial for them to type (rather than handwrite) some practice essays and keep to the 40-minute time limit because that is how it will be in the test. It would be especially good practice to write about a topic that your child does not know much about. If you need someone to look over some practice essay answers for the LNAT and provide any guidance, then ask our LNAT tutors to mark your child’s essay.
4. Create a sentence starter bank
Before taking the test, applicants should arm themselves with sentence starters that will help make a compelling argument. Here are some ideas to get your child started:
- In my view…
- It is clear that…
- Despite the fact that….
- In addition…
- Firstly/Secondly/Thirdly/Finally…
- Furthermore…
- Therefore…
- However…
- On the contrary…
- On the other hand…
- Critics may say…
5. Keep up to date with current affairs
Advise your child to read some comment articles in quality newspapers like The Guardian or The Daily Telegraph. They need to look at how arguments are formulated and how conclusions are drawn in the articles. Your child should think about what issues are raised, what assumptions have been made, and see if they can think of a counter-argument in response to the article.
Improve Your Child’s LNAT Test Score
How can UniAdmissions help with your child’s LNAT test scores? With our simple LNAT tuition, that’s how. When students sign up to our LNAT tuition they are given private, one-to-one guidance by the experts. Our tutors are specialised in law and the admissions process students need to go through to guarantee a place studying law at their dream university. That means they help applicants with every section of the LNAT to providing practice questions to giving ultimate essay writing tips.
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