This year's National Latin Exam will be given on Friday, March 13, 2020. The test consists of 40 questions.
The first section (#1-12) revolves around Roman culture. It always has at least 1 question about each of the following: Roman gods & mythology, Latin phrases still in common use, conversational Latin, Roman numerals, and identifying locations in the Roman Empire. Sometimes questions on Roman clothing, housing, and families can appear.
The second section (#13-30) features a short story in Latin, with one sentence of the story for each question. These questions revolve around grammar and translation, with an emphasis on selecting the correct version of a word to fill in the blank and making connections between word forms and parts of speech/translations.
For the last section (#31-40), students read a short story written in Latin. Unfamiliar words not part of the Intro to Latin curriculum are given next to the passage, but students are responsible for being able to translate from memory. They then answer reading comprehension questions based on the story.
The National Latin Exam is nationally normed. This means that the students are compared to every other student who takes the NLE for this year. Because of this, we don't know how many correct answers are needed to "pass." Students who score above the national average receive a certificate. Students who place in the top 10% earn a certificate and a ribbon. For class grades, the students receive a scaled percentage. This means that the top grade in the class becomes a 100%, and all of the other grades are adjusted accordingly. For example, if the top student scores 90%, they receive a 100% in the grade book, and every other student receives a 10% boost to their grade.
The first section (#1-12) revolves around Roman culture. It always has at least 1 question about each of the following: Roman gods & mythology, Latin phrases still in common use, conversational Latin, Roman numerals, and identifying locations in the Roman Empire. Sometimes questions on Roman clothing, housing, and families can appear.
The second section (#13-30) features a short story in Latin, with one sentence of the story for each question. These questions revolve around grammar and translation, with an emphasis on selecting the correct version of a word to fill in the blank and making connections between word forms and parts of speech/translations.
For the last section (#31-40), students read a short story written in Latin. Unfamiliar words not part of the Intro to Latin curriculum are given next to the passage, but students are responsible for being able to translate from memory. They then answer reading comprehension questions based on the story.
The National Latin Exam is nationally normed. This means that the students are compared to every other student who takes the NLE for this year. Because of this, we don't know how many correct answers are needed to "pass." Students who score above the national average receive a certificate. Students who place in the top 10% earn a certificate and a ribbon. For class grades, the students receive a scaled percentage. This means that the top grade in the class becomes a 100%, and all of the other grades are adjusted accordingly. For example, if the top student scores 90%, they receive a 100% in the grade book, and every other student receives a 10% boost to their grade.