If you've been researching secondary school entry, especially for schools with a languages specialism, you've probably come across the term "LAT" and felt immediately confused. You're not alone. On parenting forums, the Language Aptitude Test is one of the most asked-about and least understood parts of the admissions process. Here's what it actually is, what it tests, and what you can realistically do to prepare.
A language aptitude test, often shortened to LAT, is used by some secondary schools with a specialism in modern foreign languages to offer part of their Year 7 places. It's separate from the grammar school 11+. It's designed to assess a child's potential to learn languages, not their existing knowledge of any particular language.
This is a crucial distinction. A child who speaks three languages at home has no inherent advantage, because the LAT deliberately uses invented or obscure languages that no candidate has seen before. It's testing the underlying cognitive skills that make someone good at learning languages, not how many they already know.
Language aptitude tests are not part of the standard grammar school 11+. Under the School Admissions Code, a school with a specialism in modern foreign languages may select up to 10% of its Year 7 intake by aptitude, and a small number of schools do, usually through a test they set themselves. Ashlawn School in Rugby and Stepney All Saints School in east London are two examples. Some independent schools also include language tasks in their own entrance assessments. If you're unsure whether your target school offers aptitude places, check the admissions page on the school's website or call their admissions office directly.
The test typically includes several types of exercise, all based on made-up or unfamiliar language systems:
The LAT is deliberately designed to be preparation-resistant. Because the languages are invented fresh for each exam sitting, you can't memorise vocabulary or grammar rules in advance. Traditional 11+ workbooks barely touch it — Bond and CGP, the two most popular series, have limited or no LAT content.
That said, the underlying skills can be practised. A child who has done lots of pattern-recognition exercises, who is comfortable with the idea of working out rules from examples, and who has been exposed to the format of LAT questions will feel far less intimidated than one seeing them for the first time on exam day.
Here are the approaches that actually help:
A language aptitude test is usually a separate sitting with its own registration deadline, often in the autumn of Year 6, so check the school's instructions for the date, length and format. Remind your child that nobody is expected to get everything right, and that it's fine to leave a hard question and move on.
The LAT can feel like an unfair wild card, but it actually levels the playing field in an important way. It rewards natural aptitude and quick thinking rather than months of expensive tutoring. A child from any background, with any level of prior language learning, has a genuine shot — and that's rather the point.
If your child enjoys puzzles, picks up on patterns quickly, and finds the idea of invented languages fun rather than frightening, a language aptitude test might suit them well. The best preparation is making sure they've seen the format before, so nothing on the day comes as a surprise. See our Cognithix vs Atom Learning comparison for more on how different apps handle language aptitude practice.