LAT Test 2025: The Ultimate Law Admission Test Guide for UNSW

Guide to the UNSW Law Admission Test 2025

Are you thinking about studying law at UNSW and wondering where to begin? The ACER Law Admission Test (LAT) is your first significant step. This guide will equip you with proven tips and strategies to make the most of your chance to sit at performing well in, and excelling at the LAT and secure a place at UNSW Law.

This blog summarises what the LAT covers and is built from insights shared by past high-scoring students, key exam strategies, and the most current 2025 details. Whether you're in Year 11 ahead of your first attempt or in Year 12 gearing up to do better than the last, this guide is designed to set you ahead and apart.

What is the LAT Test, and Why Does it Matter?

The Law Admission Test is a written exam required for all students applying for undergraduate law degrees at UNSW Sydney. Unlike your HSC or ATAR, which measure academic performance, the LAT assesses your persuasive aptitude, i.e. your ability to think critically, analyse ideas, and express arguments clearly. In short, it gauges your readiness to think like a law student and ultimately a lawyer.

Studying law is about formulating arguments, utilising logic, and embracing structure - all key skills that are not easily assessed from your raw marks in the HSC or your particular ATAR. That’s why UNSW includes the LAT as a core part of its admissions process. LAT scores are combined with your ATAR to determine entry, but in many cases, a strong LAT result can be the edge that gets you in. This means the LAT is not just another hoop to jump through; it’s a real opportunity to prove your capability for those applying for the UNSW Law 2026 intake. Starting in 2026, UNSW Law applicants will no longer need to sit the LAT; the HSC (or equivalent) will be the sole admissions criterion. That makes 2025 your final chance to use the LAT to strengthen your application.

Law Admission Test 2025 Key Dates

• Registrations open: 12 May 2025

• Standard registrations close: 11 August 2025

• Late registrations, adjustments, and refunds close: 8 September 2025

• Admission tickets released: 16 September 2025

• Test date: 30 September 2025

• Results released: 21 November 2025

  
  

What’s Included in the LAT?

The LAT is a two-hour exam with two extended response tasks:

1. Question 1: Analytical Writing

2. Question 2: Persuasive Writing

Each task is designed to measure different aspects of reasoning, clarity, and written communication. You won't need to study any specific legal content, but being aware of contemporary issues will help you develop more insightful responses.

Question 1: Analytical Writing

This section will give you a prompt, usually a contentious statement or debate that is contemporarily relevant, and will ask you to take a position. You’re expected to construct a logically consistent argument, consider opposing views, and express your ideas clearly and persuasively.

Note: Given that the prompt covers a contemporary relevant issue, it is recommended that students stay up to date with the news from at least 6 months prior to the exam (you should’ve started by now)

Useful Tips:

• Have a clear thesis. This is the first thing your marker reads, so make sure it is nuanced to demonstrate your rhetorical prowess. As Harvey Spectre says, “First impressions last. You start behind the eight ball, you’ll never get in front.”

• Structure is everything: Introduction, 2–3 body paragraphs, and a strong conclusion. A clear structure not only helps the reader follow your argument but it also ensures you stay focused and logical. Each body paragraph should present a distinct point supported by reasoning or examples, all feeding into a cohesive overall argument. To help yourself achieve this, follow the Point, Evidence Explanation (P.E.E) structure.

• Be nuanced - acknowledge the opposing argument before dismantling it. Demonstrating that you understand opposing perspectives before refuting them shows maturity in reasoning. It elevates your response from one-sided persuasion to a more balanced and critical exploration of the issue.

  
  

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Being too neutral or informative, like a recount. Many students approach this task like a report or news article, simply stating facts without taking a firm stance. This reduces the strength of your voice and fails to showcase your ability to argue with conviction and insight. 

• Ignoring the counterargument. If you don’t consider the other side of the issue, your argument may come across as shallow or one-dimensional. Engaging with alternative perspectives demonstrates analytical depth and strengthens your position. 

• Repeating points without developing them.  It’s not enough to say the same thing in different words. Make sure each paragraph introduces a new idea or adds depth to the one before. Develop your points with logical progression, relevant examples, and layered reasoning.

  
  

Question 2: Analytical Writing

In this section, you’ll write your own argument in response to a series of sources (quotes, statistics, visuals). You must build a cohesive and synthesised argument, drawing from multiple sources to effectively back your points and overall stance. The goal is to explore the complexities and implications of the situation/scenario presented.

Useful tips:

• Synthesise, don’t summarise. It’s not enough to go through different sources one by one. You must judiciously select the best to ground your points before weaving them together into a larger argument. This means grouping similar ideas, comparing contrasting ones, and using the texts in conversation with each other.

• Focus on ideas, not just content. The surface-level content of a quote or statistic isn’t enough. You need to interpret what it implies, challenge its assumptions, and explore its consequences in a broader social or philosophical context.

• Anchor your discussion with a central contention. Even though you're exploring ideas, your essay still needs a clear through-line. Identify a central idea that ties your analysis together so your response remains focused and purposeful. Students who lack one often end up straying too far under pressure and rambling, often running out of time before finishing something they can be proud of.

  
  

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Treating it like a comprehension exercise. Listing what each source says without analysing their meaning will cost you marks. The test isn’t about recall; it’s about depth. Show how the texts interact, contrast, or support one another.

• Being vague or overly abstract. Students sometimes aim for complexity and end up writing things that sound philosophical but lack clarity. Don’t hide behind big words, and instead, focus on expressing your ideas with precision and logic.

• Ignoring the nuance of the sources. It's tempting to cherry-pick a quote that supports your point and move on. But stronger responses grapple with sources that challenge or complicate your argument. This shows maturity and an ability to handle ambiguity. (In case you haven’t noticed, markers like when you engage with potential counterarguments to your points. In doing so, you demonstrate dexterity in your writing)

  
  

How is the LAT Scored?

Each response is marked independently by multiple trained assessors using a rubric that evaluates:

• Sophistication and depth

• Exploration of ideas and issues

• Clarity and fluency

• Precision and appropriate language

• Critical perspective

Based off that criteria, You receive a score out of 100, with 50 marks allocated to each section. After being assigned a mark, you will also be allocated a percentile rank. There’s no fixed “cut-off,” but generally, a score above the mid-70s is considered competitive (based on the fact that the median LAT score for 2023 entry was 74). Your LAT score, as of 2025, and unlike previous years, is no longer valid for two years, but rather, only one, as UNSW will no longer use the LAT when considering admissions for 2027 and beyond (i.e. students graduating high school in 2026).

Why the LAT is Worth Taking Seriously?

Although 2025 will be the final year the LAT is used as part of UNSW Law admissions, it remains a crucial assessment for this year’s applicants. If you're in Year 12 and applying for 2026 entry, your LAT score will be combined with your ATAR to determine your eligibility. That makes strong performance in the LAT just as crucial as it has always been, and can still tip the scales in your favour, particularly if your academic results alone aren’t where you’d like them to be.

The test still holds value for Year 11 students who won’t be sitting the LAT for admissions as the skills it develops, such as analytical thinking, structured argumentation, clarity under pressure, etc, are directly aligned with what’s expected in law school. Attempting the LAT while it's still offered is a unique opportunity to engage with university-level writing and reasoning before you even start your degree.

In both cases, the LAT is more than a selection tool. It’s a chance to train the mindset of a law student: precise, persuasive, and critically engaged.

Preparation Strategy

Preparing for the LAT isn’t about memorising content, but rather, it’s about refining how you think, argue, and write. With only two extended responses to showcase your skills, every paragraph you write must carry weight. Below is a detailed and strategic approach to help you build a high-impact preparation routine, whether you're months away from the test or just getting started.

1. Understand the Test Inside Out

Before you write a single practice essay, get crystal clear on what the LAT actually tests:

• Question 1 assesses your ability to construct a persuasive argument responding to a stimulus.

• Question 2 assesses your ability to analyse and synthesise multiple sources (quotes, visuals, data) into a structured and insightful discussion.

Read the official ACER materials, sample prompts, and marking rubrics. Understanding the criteria examiners use (as outlined above), will guide everything you do in preparation.

2. Build a Strong Writing Framework

Start by mastering the basic essay structure:

• Introduction: Compose a strong thesis and signpost your arguments.

• Body Paragraphs: One clear idea per paragraph (summed with a clear and relevant topic sentence), with each argument posited following the P.E.E. structure mentioned earlier. Make sure appropriate and adequate evidence is used in a clear and integrated manner to form a nuanced and insightful analysis that goes beyond simply restating evidence.

• Conclusion: Tie your argument together without simply repeating your points. This paragraph is overlooked by many students, offering an opportunity for your unique insight to shine through for your marker.

Develop flexible paragraph templates for both tasks. For instance, practice acknowledging a counterargument and rebutting it effectively within a single paragraph. This is a high-level skill that improves the sophistication of your writing.

3. Practise Under Realistic Conditions

It’s not enough to write well; you must write well under pressure. Simulate exam conditions:

• 60 minutes per task.

• No access to your phone, notes, or outside help.

• Quiet, uninterrupted space.

Start with one task at a time, then progress to full two-hour blocks. This builds stamina, time management, and resilience, which is especially crucial on the test day when the pressure is real.

4. Focus on Feedback and Refinement

Improvement comes not from writing more but from writing better. After each practice response:

• Self-mark using the ACER rubric.

• Rewrite weak paragraphs to make them tighter or clearer.

• Ask someone else - a teacher, tutor, or peer to read and give specific feedback on your structure, logic, and expression.

If you’re unsure how to improve, compare your work with samples from LAT Academy’s Premium Masterclass or other avenues where you may find exemplars. Break down why high-scoring responses succeed, i.e. what makes their introductions sharp, their reasoning sound, and their conclusions memorable?

5. Train for Synthesis (for Q2 of the LAT)

The analytical task is often the more unfamiliar one for students. To prepare:

• Practise pulling ideas from different types of sources, such as quotes, data, and visuals, ultimately weaving them into a coherent discussion.

• Don’t just summarise. Ask: What’s the tension between these ideas? What values or assumptions are clashing?

• Avoid one-sided discussions. Aim to explore complexity, not resolve it too quickly.

• To help your own craft, consider engaging with opinion columns and editorials, and ask yourself: How does the writer build their argument? What assumptions do they make? How do they address the opposing side? This builds your analytical muscle and gives you examples to draw from in your own writing.

You don’t need to reach a definitive position in Question 2. Instead, aim for depth, nuance, and clarity.

6. Use Tools and Resources Wisely

Take advantage of what’s available to you:

• LAT Academy offers detailed blogs, student success stories, and advice from high achievers. They also offer the LAT Academy Premium Masterclass for those who are seeking to achieve the best of the best results

• Your school teachers may be willing to review practice responses and provide feedback.

• Group study with like-minded students can expose you to different viewpoints and writing styles.

  
  

7. Plan and Track Your Prep

Don’t leave your prep to chance. Make a weekly plan with a minimum of:

• One practice task per week (alternating between Q1 and Q2).

• One hour of reading or analysis.

• One feedback and revision session.

Track your progress and try to pinpoint any recurring weaknesses. Find which techniques work for you. Consistency beats cramming, especially with a test like the LAT.

By following a strategy like this, you won’t just be writing better essays; you’ll be sharpening the same skills that will serve you through law school and beyond. The LAT is a demanding test, but with focused and consistent preparation, it’s also a test you can conquer.

Test Day: What to Expect

For those attempting the LAT face to face, the LAT is administered in a controlled environment where every student has access to a PC to construct their response. Make sure to:

• Check that you have brought everything you need. You will need your printed LAT Admission Ticket, a photo ID, something to write with (remember to take 10 minutes to plan your response before typing), and a clear water bottle.

• Eat a filling breakfast before the exam.

• Read the prompt carefully. Misinterpreting the task is one of the biggest causes of low scores.

Expect some nerves, but remember, you’ve trained for this.

A Final Word: Think Beyond the Test

With the LAT officially retiring after this year, the 30th of September 2025 marks the final opportunity for students to sit this exam as part of the UNSW law admissions process. For current Year 12 students, it’s not just necessary; it’s decisive. For Year 11s considering law, it's still worth engaging with: the LAT offers rare early exposure to the style of critical, structured, and persuasive writing that defines legal education.

Whether you're aiming to maximise your admission chances or strengthen your academic foundations, investing in the right preparation matters. LAT Academy’s Premium Masterclass provides targeted strategies, expert feedback, and proven frameworks to help you enter the exam and UNSW law school with confidence.