If you're applying to study law starting in autumn 2027, the clock has already started. LNAT testing for the 2026-27 cycle opened on 1 September 2026, and registration has been live since 1 August 2026. The tricky part isn't sitting the test itself — it's the fact that different universities work to completely different deadlines, and missing yours by even a day can mean your application isn't considered at all.
Here's every date you need on your calendar, organised by where you're applying.
Oxford and Cambridge: the tightest window
If Oxford or Cambridge is on your list, you're working against the earliest cutoffs in the entire cycle.
- Register and book your test slot by: 15 September 2026
- Sit the LNAT by: 15 October 2026
- Submit your UCAS form by: 15 October 2026
That registration deadline is now under two weeks away. Test centre slots fill up quickly in the run-up to an Oxbridge deadline, so booking early matters more than it does for any other route — even if you don't sit the test until closer to mid-October, get your slot confirmed now.
King's College London, LSE and UCL
- Sit the LNAT by: 31 December 2026
- Normal UCAS submission timeline applies
This gives you a full extra two and a half months compared to Oxbridge applicants, but it's still worth sitting the test well before the New Year rush rather than leaving it to the final week of December.
Bristol and Durham
- Register and sit the LNAT by: 13 January 2027
- UCAS form due on the same date
All other LNAT universities
- Register and book your slot by: 20 January 2027
- Sit the LNAT by: 25 January 2027
This is the deadline most non-Oxbridge, non-London applicants will work to. It's the latest cutoff in the UK cycle, but remember: you can only sit the LNAT once per admissions cycle, so there's no advantage to waiting until January if you're ready sooner.
Applying to Jindal Global Law School (JGLS)?
JGLS runs its own two-phase admissions timeline built around LNAT-UK scores:
- Early admission phase: tests taken between 1 September and 30 November 2026, covering at least 50% of available seats
- Late admission phase: tests taken between 1 December 2026 and 28 February 2027, for remaining seats
If JGLS is a priority for you, sitting the LNAT before the end of November gives you access to a larger pool of seats and an earlier decision.
What to actually do this September
- Book your test slot now, even if you plan to sit the test in October or later. Centres near popular cities fill up first, and your registration deadline may be weeks before your actual test date.
- Start timed practice immediately if you haven't already. The LNAT's 95-minute format rewards pacing as much as raw reasoning ability, and that's a skill built over weeks, not days.
- Map your personal deadlines against your university list — if you're applying to a mix of Oxbridge and non-Oxbridge schools, your earliest deadline governs your whole timeline. Plan backwards from 15 October, not 25 January.
- Draft your personal statement in parallel. Oxbridge applicants in particular are juggling LNAT prep and UCAS submission in the same six-week window — starting your statement now avoids a bottleneck in early October.
One test, one shot, several very different deadlines depending on where you're aiming. The earlier you lock in your slot, the more control you have over the rest of your prep.