Chapter 4 of 5
Score benchmarks
What a good LNAT score actually is — verified numbers from Oxford's own admissions reports, and how the score is weighed.
29–31
Oxbridge target, out of 42
Offer-holder averages have sat in this band for three cycles.
~27
Competitive floor
Below this, the MCT starts costing you a shortlisting spot.
65+
Essay score to aim for
Offer-holders average 65; the floor among them is around 61.
Oxford: how applicants score
Oxford is the only LNAT university that publishes score data, in its official Law Admissions Reports — which makes it the honest yardstick for everyone.
| Cohort | MCT /42 | Essay |
|---|---|---|
| All applicants (2025–26, n = 2,115) | 24.94 | 62.38 |
| Shortlisted (2025–26) | 29.37 | 64.59 |
| Offer-holders (2025–26) | 30.48 | 65.21 |
| Offer-holders (2023–24) | 31 | 64.94 |
How Oxford weighs the LNAT
10% MCT + 10% essay + 80% contextualised GCSEs
Candidates without contextualised GCSE data are ranked on the two LNAT scores equally — for most international applicants, the LNAT is effectively the whole shortlisting case.
Verified for the 2026–27 cycle (2027 entry) — dates change every August.