LNAT Basic 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In an LNAT passage arguing that mandatory voting would increase civic participation, which of the following would most weaken this claim?
- Countries with mandatory voting show higher policy satisfaction.
- Compelled participation may produce uninformed or random ballots. (Correct answer)
- Voter turnout in Australia exceeds 90% under mandatory voting laws.
- Civic education programs are costly to implement nationwide.
Correct answer: Compelled participation may produce uninformed or random ballots.
Forcing people to vote does not ensure meaningful participation, and uninformed balloting could undermine democratic quality rather than improve it.
Question 2: A passage states: 'All contracts require consideration to be enforceable, and this agreement lacks consideration.' What is the logical structure of this argument?
- Inductive reasoning from specific examples to a general rule.
- Deductive reasoning applying a general rule to a specific case. (Correct answer)
- Analogical reasoning comparing two similar contracts.
- Abductive reasoning inferring the most likely explanation.
Correct answer: Deductive reasoning applying a general rule to a specific case.
The argument moves from a universal rule (all contracts need consideration) to a conclusion about a specific case, which is deductive reasoning.
Question 3: Which reading comprehension skill is most directly tested when an LNAT question asks you to identify the author's 'tone' in a passage?
- Identifying explicit factual claims made in the text.
- Inferring the writer's attitude from word choice and emphasis. (Correct answer)
- Summarising the main argument in one sentence.
- Evaluating the strength of evidence provided.
Correct answer: Inferring the writer's attitude from word choice and emphasis.
Tone questions require inferring attitude and emotional register from language choices rather than just extracting stated facts.
Question 4: The LNAT Section B essay is marked primarily on which of the following?
- Breadth of legal knowledge demonstrated.
- Quality of reasoning and ability to construct a coherent argument. (Correct answer)
- Number of relevant statutes and cases cited.
- Formal essay structure with introduction, body, and conclusion only.
Correct answer: Quality of reasoning and ability to construct a coherent argument.
LNAT examiners prioritize analytical thinking and the ability to argue a position logically, not specialist legal knowledge.
Question 5: A passage concludes that social media causes political polarization. Which type of evidence would best support this causal claim?
- A survey showing that heavy social media users hold strong political opinions.
- A longitudinal study tracking political views before and after social media adoption. (Correct answer)
- Anecdotes from politicians who use social media frequently.
- Statistics showing social media usage has grown in the past decade.
Correct answer: A longitudinal study tracking political views before and after social media adoption.
A longitudinal study tracking change over time establishes temporal precedence, which is necessary to support a causal rather than merely correlational claim.
Question 6: In LNAT reading passages, a 'counterargument' serves which purpose in analytical writing?
- It replaces the main thesis with a stronger alternative.
- It acknowledges opposing views and allows the author to rebut them, strengthening the argument. (Correct answer)
- It provides additional factual support for the main claim.
- It signals that the author is uncertain about their own position.
Correct answer: It acknowledges opposing views and allows the author to rebut them, strengthening the argument.
Including and rebutting a counterargument demonstrates that the author has considered alternative views and that the main argument survives scrutiny.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the difference between an 'assumption' and a 'premise' in logical argumentation?
- Assumptions are always false; premises are always true.
- Premises are explicitly stated reasons; assumptions are unstated beliefs the argument depends on. (Correct answer)
- Assumptions are conclusions drawn from evidence; premises are unsupported claims.
- There is no meaningful difference between the two terms.
Correct answer: Premises are explicitly stated reasons; assumptions are unstated beliefs the argument depends on.
Premises are the stated building blocks of an argument, while assumptions are the hidden beliefs that must be true for the argument to hold.
LNAT Basic 2
In an LNAT passage arguing that mandatory voting would increase civic participation, which of the following would most weaken this claim?