Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even well-prepared candidates can lose marks on the LNAT by falling into predictable traps. This lesson identifies the most common mistakes across both sections and provides practical strategies for avoiding them.

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Section A Mistakes

Mistake 1: Reading the Passage Too Slowly

The problem: Many candidates read every word of the passage carefully before looking at the questions. With 12 passages and 95 minutes, this often leads to running out of time on later passages.

The solution: Develop an efficient reading strategy:

1. Skim the passage first (60–90 seconds) — get a sense of the topic, the author's position, and the structure
2. Read the questions — understand what you are looking for
3. Return to the passage with targeted focus — locate the relevant sections for each question
4. Read those sections carefully — now is the time for close, precise reading

Key Principle: You do not need to understand every detail of the passage to answer the questions correctly. You need to find and understand the specific parts that the questions ask about.

Mistake 2: Bringing in Outside Knowledge