Law Admission Test

All domestic applicants* who wish to study an Undergraduate Law double degree at UNSW need to sit the LAT^. These include:

• Students enrolled in their final year of secondary schooling (Year 12 HSC or equivalent)
• Students who have already completed their secondary schooling (e.g. those on a gap year)
• Students who are currently studying at another university and wish to apply to transfer to UNSW Bachelor of Laws
• Year 11 students who wish to sit the LAT prior to Year 12 (their HSC year). Your results will be valid for two years – so if you sat in 2020, your LAT results will be considered by UNSW for admission in 2022

*Australian citizens and permanent residents and New Zealand citizens. International students are not eligible to sit the LAT. 

^ Indigenous students undertaking the Pre-Law Program at UNSW are not required to sit the LAT as they are assessed under multiple criteria in the Pre-Law Program. Students applying via the UNSW Gateway program or UNSW Internal Program Transfer (IPT) are also not required to sit the LAT.

Yes, candidates are advised to attempt the sample paper provided for the LAT which is available on the ACER LAT website. Otherwise, no specific preparation is required. 

Yes, unless you received an offer to study law in 2021 and have deferred it to 2022 or sat the 2020 LAT.

Yes. Application to transfer is via UAC and you must sit the LAT.

We only consider university studies if you have completed at least one full-time year in your degree (note: shorter periods of study are not added together) and we weight university studies and secondary studies in the ratio 50:50. Transfer applicants generally require a distinction average or above in their university studies and a secondary rank (ATAR or equivalent) in the high 90s to be competitive. Transfer applicants must sit the LAT and are assessed on the basis of both LAT score and academic results. 

No, UNSW Internal Program Transfer (IPT) applicants will be assessed on their UNSW results only. 

If you are eligible to participate in the UNSW Gateway Program, you are not required to sit the Law Admission Test (LAT) in order to apply for an early conditional offer. LAT results will not be used to assess your Gateway early conditional offer application. However, you can still register for and sit the LAT if you would like to retain the option of entry to Law through the LAT admission process. 

No. Students who have not yet reached Year 11 are not eligible to sit the LAT. This includes students in Year 10 or lower who are studying subjects at Year 11 level or higher. 

No. The Law Admission Test is for Domestic applications to UNSW Bachelor of Laws' programs. International Students are not eligible to sit the LAT.  

Yes, you can sit the test more than once. Only your best LAT result will be considered for entry.

Note: The LAT will be offered only once per year and results are valid for 2 years. 

The 2021 LAT will be held on Thursday 30 September 2021. The LAT is offered once per year and results are valid for 2 years. 

The 2021 LAT will be offered in Canberra and Sydney. The exact test venue details will be released approximately 2 weeks prior to the test date.

Yes, you must register for the LAT via the ACER website. Registrations for the 2021 LAT will open on 3 May 2021. On-time registrations close on 13 August 2021 (5pm AEST). Late registrations close on 8 September 2021 (5pm AEST) - late fee applies.

On-time registration for the 2021 LAT is $189 (GST inclusive). The registration fee covers online registration, materials required for the test and provision of test results. Registration during the late period incurs an additional $50 late fee. 

Candidates who choose remote proctoring will be subject to a remote proctoring levy of $156 (GST inclusive) in addition to the registration fee $189 (GST inclusive). The levy will be waived for candidates who are eligible for concession registration fee. 

If you are eligible for a concession, the registration fee is $100 (GST inclusive). The remote proctoring levy will be waived for candidates who are eligible for concession registration fee. 

A concession registration fee is available to applicants who hold a current Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card (both issued by Centrelink), or who are listed as a dependant on the current Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card of a parent or guardian.

Please note that student cards, Medicare cards, transport concession cards, private health insurance membership cards and Community Service cards do not make you eligible for concession. Please also note that the concession registration fee is not available to overseas candidates. For more details on applying for remote proctoring, visit the ACER LAT website. 

Remote proctoring is available to all candidates in 2021. Remote proctoring involves sitting the test online with ProctorU under live supervision using your own computer in a suitable location with internet connectivity. Remote proctoring is only available on the main test day. Candidates must apply for remote proctoring as part of the online application process for the LAT. An additional fee applies.

For more details on applying for remote proctoring, visit ACER website.

Remote proctoring involves sitting the test online with ProctorU under live supervision using your own computer in a suitable location with internet connectivity. Remote proctoring is only available on the main test day.

Remote proctoring is available to all candidates in 2021. Candidates registering to sit the test via remote proctoring will be required to pay a remote proctoring levy of $156AUD (GST inclusive) in addition to the registration fee. The levy will be waived for candidates who are eligible for concession registration fee. 

Candidates must apply for remote proctoring as part of the online application process for the LAT during on-time registration period. For more details on this process please visit the ACER LAT website.

Candidates who have a disability or medical condition which might interfere with their ability to sit the test in the standard manner should apply for reasonable adjustments online via their ACER account as soon as possible after registration. All such requests need to be submitted by no later than 5:00pm AEST 8 September 2021.

Please see the Reasonable adjustments section of the ACER LAT website for more details. 

Applicants who are prevented from sitting the test as a result of genuine and significant unanticipated illness or misadventure can apply to sit the LAT on one alternative date at a test centre in Sydney. ACER will review each application on its merits and applicants will be notified of the outcome. In the case of a significant unanticipated illness, detailed medical justification from a registered health professional will be required – and in the case of misadventure a statutory declaration will be required.

The alternative test date in 2021 will be scheduled approximately one week after the main test date. For more details on this please visit the Alternative test date section of the ACER LAT website. 

The LAT consists of two questions requiring written responses. You can view the practice material here. 

No. The Law Admission Test is designed to assess your skills rather than your knowledge. It will not require any knowledge specific to law. 

The LAT will be 2 hours in duration, including 10 minutes of recommended reading and planning time per task. We recommend students do the practice paper in preparation for the LAT. 

When you apply through UAC you should enter your most recent LAT registration number. Both LAT registration numbers are linked to your ACER account. ACER and UNSW have developed procedures to ensure both results will be considered for applicants who have sat the LAT more than once. We will use your highest LAT score in the admission process.

Law’s entry requirements fluctuate slightly year-to-year. The best indication we can give you is what was required for 2021 admission:

2021 Lowest ATAR: 87.15*/ 86.05**
2020 Lowest Selection Rank^: 92.90 + LAT
2021 Median ATAR: 96.9
2021 Median LAT Score: 79

*Based on a non-UNSW Gateway Early Conditional Offer 
**Based on a UNSW Gateway Early Conditional Offer
^Selection Rank = ATAR + Adjustment Factors

UNSW Law & Justice does not recommend or endorse any commercially available courses offering LAT preparation. Commercial preparation courses could provide misleading information and advice to candidates. The LAT will assess your ability to generate your own ideas and express yourself through writing. Therefore, the most appropriate preparation for the LAT is to continue with your existing high school or tertiary study and exam preparation which should include practice in formal written expression.

The LAT will not require any knowledge specific to law. Therefore, the HSC Legal Studies or similar courses will neither advantage nor disadvantage your performance in the LAT. 

The LAT is a two-hour test designed to assess your aptitudes and skills related to success in studying Law. These include thinking critically, analysing material and organising/expressing ideas. The LAT does not require any knowledge specific to law.

LAT results are released in mid-November.

Your percentile rank is not used to assess you for admission to UNSW Bachelor of Laws double degrees; your LAT score is what we will combine with your academic results in the
selection process.

A percentile rank indicates how you performed in relation to all other candidates who sat the LAT in the same year. For example, a percentile of 42 indicates that your overall LAT score is equal to, or better than, that of 42% of candidates who sat the LAT in the same year as you.

ACER LAT Office 
Please contact the ACER LAT Office for all enquiries regarding test registration, payment enquiries, remote invigilation procedures, special testing arrangements, and any other test administration matters.

E: lat@acer.edu.au 

UNSW Sydney LAT Contact Details 

Please contact UNSW Sydney for matters regarding LAT information sessions, admission and selection to UNSW Sydney, and general information on applying to study Law at UNSW Sydney. 

T: 1300 UNI NSW (1300 864 679)
E: futurestudents.unsw.edu.au/ask-question