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One of the most frequently tested skills in LNAT Section A is the ability to distinguish between factual claims and opinions. This distinction is fundamental to critical thinking and underpins many of the questions you will face.
| Concept | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fact | A statement that can, in principle, be verified as true or false through evidence or observation | "The UK prison population exceeded 85,000 in 2023." |
| Opinion | A statement expressing a belief, judgement, or interpretation that cannot be definitively proved or disproved | "The UK prison population is unacceptably high." |
| Claim | A broader term for any assertion — a claim can be factual or opinion-based | Either of the above |
Key Distinction: A fact is verifiable; an opinion is evaluative. "The death penalty was abolished in the UK in 1965" is a fact. "The abolition of the death penalty was the right decision" is an opinion.
LNAT questions often require you to distinguish between:
Misidentifying a fact as an opinion (or vice versa) will lead you to the wrong answer.
Facts in LNAT passages tend to have the following characteristics:
| Characteristic | Example |
|---|---|
| Specific and verifiable | "The LNAT was introduced in 2004." |
| Numerical or statistical | "Reoffending rates stand at approximately 48%." |
| Attributed to a source | "According to the Ministry of Justice, spending on prisons rose by 12%." |
| Descriptive (not evaluative) | "The proposed legislation would extend detention without charge to 90 days." |
| Historical | "The European Convention on Human Rights was signed in 1950." |
Opinions in LNAT passages express judgements, values, or interpretations:
| Characteristic | Example |
|---|---|
| Evaluative | "The policy has been a disastrous failure." |
| Prescriptive | "The government should invest more in rehabilitation." |
| Comparative (with judgement) | "Prevention is better than punishment." |
| Interpretive | "This trend suggests a fundamental shift in public attitudes." |
| Predictive | "Unless action is taken, the problem will only worsen." |
One of the LNAT's favourite tricks is presenting opinions in language that makes them sound factual. Recognising this is a key skill.
| Statement | Appears to Be | Actually Is |
|---|---|---|
| "It is clear that the policy has failed." | Fact (it sounds definitive) | Opinion (the word "clear" is the author's judgement) |
| "Everyone agrees that reform is necessary." | Fact (it sounds like a consensus) | Opinion (this is likely an exaggeration; not literally everyone agrees) |
| "The evidence overwhelmingly supports a ban." | Fact (it references evidence) | Mixed — the existence of evidence may be factual, but "overwhelmingly" is the author's evaluation |
| "No reasonable person could support this policy." | Fact (it sounds definitive) | Opinion (this is an appeal to common sense, not a verifiable claim) |
Ask yourself:
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