What is the National Latin Exam (NLE)?

The National Latin Exam (NLE) is an optional exam on the second week of March which will give students an opportunity to learn more about Roman culture. The exam covers geography, history, culture, mythology, grammar and Latin sayings still in use today. It is 45 minutes long with 40 multiple-choice questions, about half of which are related to grammar/translating and the other half have to do with Roman culture, geography, derivatives, etc. (you can also find past exams on the website which show you what the exams look like). Preparation for this exam will be in ADDITION to the normal Latin course load (this is why it's optional - normal Latin homework still takes priority!), but the students who have done it in the past have enjoyed learning about the culture of the Romans and the language that they are learning.  

Since the NLE is not based on any particular Latin curriculum, it should NOT be considered an evaluation of how well the students are doing in our course. Please email us for an evaluation if you would like one at the end of the school year.

Here is the NLE website: (http://nle.org/). It has more information on the exams, such as syllabi, where you can see what each level will cover (when you go to the website, click on "exams" then click on "exams/syllabi"). The NLE levels are fairly close to the levels of Latin that we teach, so our Latin 1 students will take the Level 1 exam, Latin 2 will take Level 2, etc., unless you make other arrangements with us.

Getting signed up (deadline December 1)

The deadline for this is December 1. Please email to us that you would like to do the NLE, and let us know the name of the person who will administer the exam in the second week of March (such as a parent or other tutor). Then send in the $25 fee (it can be included with the December 1 tuition balance).

The fee covers all expenses involving the NLE except shipping the exam back to headquarters the day it is taken. Other than that, it will cover buying the exam, shipping it to you, our time helping prepare for the exam and access to our NLE preparation website with study resources, and mailing you the rewards and results when they come out. 

Preparing for the exam

We will send out our own NLE preparation webpage for the students to use as they prepare for the exam. On the webpage will be tips on how to study for the exam, a suggested weekly schedule complete with links to online resources (as well as recommended library ones which will be optional), and some practice quizzes. We will also set up live review sessions over webex so that we can discuss the material together and do practice exams together. Diligence in studying for the exam will be up to the student (just like our regular tutorials), but if you follow the guides and resources on the website, and also email us at any time if you need help, you will be well prepared!  

Optional Review Sessions (times posted are for Spring 2010; times for Spring 2011 will be determined later)

Live review sessions starting in January; all times are pacific. (These are also on the class schedule page.)

Introduction to Latin: Thursdays from 9-9:45 am (right after Latin class)

Latin 1: Fridays, 8-8:45 am 

Latin 2: Fridays, 9-9:45 am

Latin 3 & Latin 4: Fridays, 10-10:45 am

These review sessions are optional - if you can't make it, you will still be able to prepare using the complete preparation page and emailing us for any help you may need.

How it all works

The exams will come to us in February; the teachers are not allowed to look at the exams, so we designate others to put them in envelopes and ship them to your homes. The exams will be administered during the second week of March, and will be sent back directly to the NLE on the same day that the exams are taken. (This system works best for the NLE headquarters, since we are spread out across the country.) The awards and certificates arrive in mid-April, and we will mail them to your homes. Please see the NLE site for the awards - they have certificates, medals, and, for the upper level students with very high scores in consecutive years, dictionaries and scholarships.

Again, this is an optional activity for Latin students who would like to take it, and it should not be considered an evaluation of the student's work in Latin. It is a very enjoyable opportunity to study the culture that Latin arose in, and we always enjoy doing it so much every year!