Getting hold of LNAT results -- it's TOO SLOW

[shockthemonkey]

Does anyone know whether this can be speeded up? A student I advise did his LNAT in September and has sent his application to his 1st choice uni already.

He wanted to get an idea of how well LNAT went before deciding on his other four choices (and adding them through UCAS Track).

Turns out he has no idea how the test went -- literally cannot tell whether he aced it, tanked it or something in the middle.

Pearson Vue are saying they won't release results to students until February some time, way too late to be of any use. However the results go straight to the unis (1st choice uni will already have my student's results).

This is quite useless and unfair. Is there any way around it???

Hugely appreciate any advice!

[goodbyestranger]

I don't see a problem. That's the point of aptitude tests, to see if you have the right level of aptitude for a particular subject at a particular uni, not to use it as a strategic tool. Two of my DDs took the LNAT and it never occurred to them or me that not knowing the results pre application was in any way unfair.

[titchy]

Well given that everyone else is presumably in the same position I can't see you'd think it was unfair!

[goodbyestranger]

Aren't UKCAT and now (for some unis) BMAT the only aptitude tests where you get results ahead? All those other ones - LNAT, CAT, HAT, PAT etc etc - don't yield results until after interview/ offer.

[shockthemonkey]

OK, maybe not unfair, but not very helpful. It seems strange that unis have this info straight away, but not the student. IELTS, UKCAT etc you know where you stand, you have your results pretty quickly and certainly no later than your target unis. You know most elements on your application grade predictions, the broad lines of your reference, past results and obviously your PS. But not LNAT, when this information would be as helpful as grade predictions in selecting your unis.

HAT, PAT, NSAA etc etc are all quite different as only the one university sees those results, and you sit them after your application has gone in - you could never use HAT and co "strategically". So not at all the same thing!

[goodbyestranger]

Yes you could most certainly use the results of CAT, HAT, PAT etc tactically. For example, if you had a really bad CAT, HAT, PAT score a couple of years ago there would be almost no point trying for Oxford, so (assuming good grades) you could switch to Cambridge instead. The chance of one or the other could be hugely important to a student set on that type of uni environment. It could have been critical info. To have had the BMAT results could most certainly have affected choice too. I've seen a number of students ruled out of both Oxford and Imperial because of BMAT scores, despite 11/ 12A at GCSE and 4A for A2. LNAT is not special.

The point about the time of sitting the aptitude test is irrelevant. It's the applying 'blind' which is the point. DS1 applied to two BMAT unis and I can't see how his not taking the test before he applied put him in a more comfortable position than your own student who's already taken his test.

Presumably, if this student has doubts about the skills which the LNAT tests, then he'll simply spread his applications accordingly?

I really can't see that it's unfair. Same as anyone else - you wait for the offer to pop up on Track. Nothing is guaranteed, ever, even without the extra layer of an aptitude test.