What A levels do you need for a Law degree?

No specific subjects are required at most universities - grades and essay skills matter more. For 2027 entry, Manchester asks for A*AA including at least one subject from a long academic list, Bristol asks for A*AA or A*A*B, and Southampton asks for AAA with at least two subjects assessed mainly through written exams. None of them requires A level Law. The bigger decision is the LNAT admissions test, because some universities require it and others, including Manchester and Southampton, do not.

By Amr Elbusaily, who runs Tansiky UK.

Requirements below were checked against official university, LNAT and regulator pages on 24 September 2026.

2027 Law offers compared

Contextual offers drop a grade or two: AAB at Manchester and Bristol, and ABB at Southampton with the same written-subject rule. Manchester's preferred-subject list is broad: Law, Accounting, Economics, Business Studies, Government and Politics, History, English Language and Literature, Maths, Sociology, Philosophy, Psychology, Geography, the sciences, Modern Languages and more, with preference given to applicants studying two of them.

Southampton excludes General Studies and Critical Thinking, and Manchester publishes a similar approach to subject combinations. Read the exclusions before finalising your third subject.

Do you need A level Law?

No. Every course here teaches law from scratch, and admissions tutors do not expect school law. A level Law is accepted - it appears on Manchester's preferred list - but choosing History, English, Politics or a language is equally good preparation, because the degree rewards close reading, structured argument and writing under time pressure.

The LNAT: which universities require it?

Checked on 24 September 2026, lnat.ac.uk lists nine UK universities for its current test cycle: Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Glasgow, King's College London, LSE, Oxford, SOAS and UCL. Bristol's own 2027 LLB page confirms the requirement.

Practical points:

• The test runs in a September to January cycle in the year before you start. For 2027 entry, that means sitting it in the cycle that begins in autumn 2026; each university sets its own deadline within that window, so check lnat.ac.uk and the course page.
• You must take the LNAT before the relevant deadline; a strong UCAS application cannot compensate for a missed test.
• Universities not on the list, including Manchester and Southampton, select on grades and your application instead.

Building a balanced five-choice list usually means deciding early whether you will sit the LNAT, because it changes which courses are open to you.

What GCSEs do you need?

Check each page. Manchester asks for a broad general education including GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above, and Southampton requires GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C. These are minimums; competitive applicants usually present much stronger profiles.

From LLB to solicitor or barrister

The route to becoming a solicitor in England and Wales changed with the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The Solicitors Regulation Authority states that the SQE route requires:

• a degree in any subject (or an equivalent level 6 qualification)
• passing SQE1 and SQE2
• two years of qualifying work experience (full-time or equivalent)
• meeting its suitability requirements

So an LLB is no longer the only way in: a history graduate and a law graduate both qualify through the same exams. An LLB still prepares you directly for SQE content and keeps the barrister route (via the Bar Standards Board's requirements) open, so check the current rules for the profession you want before choosing a non-law degree as a shortcut.

What will you study?

A qualifying-style LLB covers the foundations of legal knowledge: contract, criminal law, tort, public and constitutional law, land law, equity and trusts, and EU or retained-law content, plus optional modules from human rights to commercial law. Assessment is mostly essays and problem questions in timed exams, which is why universities insist on written subjects at A level.

Compare courses on optional modules, legal clinic and pro bono opportunities, mooting, placement years, and how much choice you get from the second year onwards.

Build a balanced shortlist

For every course, record:

• the standard and contextual offer
• required, preferred and excluded A level subjects
• whether the LNAT applies, and its deadline
• GCSE floors
• clinic, placement and module content

The Tansiky free matcher preview checks your subjects and predicted grades against reviewed requirements; the £9.99 full report unlocks your source-linked matches and a recommended five-choice UCAS list. It cannot guarantee an offer or sit the LNAT for you.

You might also compare A levels for Accounting and Finance if you are weighing up law against other professional degrees.

Frequently asked questions

What A levels do I need for Law?

Grades, not specific subjects. Manchester asks for A*AA with at least one preferred academic subject, Bristol for A*AA or A*A*B, and Southampton for AAA with two written-exam subjects.

Do I need A level Law?

No. It is accepted but never required at these universities.

Which universities use the LNAT?

Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Glasgow, King's College London, LSE, Oxford, SOAS and UCL, per the current lnat.ac.uk list. Manchester and Southampton do not.

What grades do I need?

AAA at Southampton up to A*AA at Manchester and A*AA or A*A*B at Bristol, with contextual offers of AAB or ABB.

Do I need an LLB to become a solicitor?

Not any more. The SQE route requires a degree in any subject, passing SQE1 and SQE2, two years of qualifying work experience, and meeting suitability requirements.

Official sources checked 24 September 2026: Manchester LLB Law (2027 entry), Bristol LLB Law (2027 entry), Southampton Law LLB, LNAT: do I need to sit the test?, SRA: SQE route.