Online Practice Test – Answers
Are you looking for an online practice test for the LNAT?
If so, please visit our LNAT Practice Test Page.
Here are the answers to the sample test.
Please be sure to read the explanation after each answer.
To view the online practice test again, please go to the LNAT Papers.
(1) The correct answer is C.
The statement that ‘the majority of children in Pupil Referral Units have special needs’ is a fact because of the information contained in the last paragraph.
It states: ‘We know that 75 percent of pupils in Pupil Referral Units have special educational needs. Many of these will have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties’.
We can be confident that the above excerpt is a fact because a percentage figure is provided to support the statement.
Remember that for opinion vs. fact questions you first need to see if you can find the information stated in the passage.
Some answer choices on LNAT papers will just be intended to distract you.
You have to remember, though, that sometimes the information in the text will be stated indirectly or by comparison.
When you have found all of the information for each answer choice in the text, ask yourself which statements are expressions of a personal judgement.
The use of words like ‘some’ or ‘most’ will show that an opinion is being expressed, unless statistical evidence or data is used to support the claim.
The use of adjectives like ‘important’ or ‘valuable’, for example, show that an opinion is being expressed.
That is because what is valued by one person may not be valued or important from another person’s perspective.
(2) The correct answer is D.
Argumentative texts will often have a thesis statement, which is normally located in the first paragraph of the text.
The purpose of a thesis statement is to give the main idea or argument of the piece of writing.
However, sometimes the writer will put the main argument at the end of the text in order to provide more emphasis to the point.
Remember that when you are asked for the main idea, you need to think globally about the main point of the text, rather than getting distracted by specific points.
The writer’s main argument is that the present shortcomings in the alternative provision need to be addressed.
The last statement of the text shows that the writer laments the present shortcomings, or weaknesses, in the system: ‘While there is some good and some outstanding alternative provision, there are systemic weaknesses’.
Answer choice (a) is a specific point from the text, and the other answer choices are ‘wild guess’ options that are not supported by or implied in the text.
(3) The correct answer is B.
The writer makes the unstated assumption that the burden of improving the present state of affairs rests with the government.
When you see questions on LNAT papers asking you to determine the writer’s unstated assumption, remember that these are really the same as ‘what is implied in the text’ or what can we infer from the text’.
The question is asking you to make an inference, which means that you have to come to a conclusion based on information contained in the text.
You need to avoid answer choices that are based on ideas or information that are not stated in the passage.
You also need to avoid making wild guesses. In other words, your conclusion should be a reasonable, logical conclusion based only on the information from the text.
We know that the responsibility for alternative provision rests with the government because the first paragraph states that: ‘Local authorities are required by law to make provision for all children of compulsory school age who have been permanently excluded from school or who are otherwise without a school place’.
We also know from question number 11 above that there are ‘weaknesses’, so improvement is needed for this provision.