The LNAT deadline planner

Applicants for 2027 entry need to track the LNAT sitting deadline and the UCAS deadline separately. Oxford and Cambridge close first, on 15 October 2026. Other LNAT deadlines fall on 31 December 2026, 13 January 2027 or 25 January 2027, depending on the university.

The LNAT is an entrance exam used by a group of UK undergraduate law programmes and a small number of universities outside the UK. Section A is 95 minutes of multiple-choice reasoning over twelve short passages. Section B is a 40-minute essay. The whole sitting is administered at a Pearson VUE test centre, and you may only sit the test once per application cycle. Your score is sent to every LNAT-using university on your UCAS form, regardless of which one you sit it for.

If you apply to universities in different deadline groups, the earliest date governs your sitting. An Oxford and UCL applicant, for example, must meet Oxford's 15 October deadline, even though UCL allows testing until 31 December. Booking early leaves more choice of appointment time and test centre.

The four LNAT deadline groups

For 2027 entry, the UK LNAT universities fall into four groups:

• Oxford and Cambridge. Register and book by 15 September 2026. Sit the LNAT and submit UCAS by 15 October.
• UCL, LSE and King's. Sit by 31 December 2026. The UCAS form is due by 13 January 2027 at 6:00pm UK time.
• Bristol and Durham. Register, book, sit the test and submit UCAS by 13 January 2027.
• Other LNAT universities. Submit UCAS by 13 January, book by 20 January and sit by 25 January 2027. This group includes Glasgow and the relevant SOAS routes.

How the LNAT, UCAS, and university deadlines relate

UCAS is the central application service for UK undergraduate programmes. Your UCAS form (personal statement, predicted grades, references) is what universities receive; the LNAT is a separate signal sent directly by the consortium. You must sit the LNAT no later than your earliest LNAT-using university's deadline. Submitting UCAS first is fine; sitting the LNAT first is fine. They are independent submissions with sequenced deadlines.

Concretely: a candidate applying to Oxford and UCL can sit the LNAT on, say, 5 October and submit UCAS on 10 October. Oxford sees both. UCL also sees both, even though its own deadline is three months later. Conversely, sitting the LNAT on 20 January disqualifies you from Oxford's consideration, even if you submitted UCAS by 15 October. The LNAT is a precondition for being assessed.

When to start preparing

Preparation time depends on your starting point and weekly schedule. Oxford and Cambridge applicants have less flexibility because they must sit by 15 October. For later deadline groups, work backwards from the appointment you book. A November or early December sitting avoids the final weeks of the cycle and leaves time to reschedule within the published rules if plans change.

For a longer treatment, see our twelve-week LNAT preparation plan, and our breakdown of what counts as a good LNAT score at each university.

Booking and rebooking

LNAT registration opens on 1 August for the upcoming cycle. UK test centres have limited appointments, and the Consortium advises candidates to book early. Oxford and Cambridge candidates have only six weeks between the start of testing and their deadline, so there is little value in delaying the booking.

The test fee is £75 in the UK and EU, £120 elsewhere. Bursaries are available through the LNAT consortium for eligible UK candidates. Rescheduling is free until 12 noon UK time on the second working day before the appointment. After that point, a candidate has to book and pay again. Fees are not refunded if the test is not taken.