thumb|180px|National Latin Exam silver medal
The National Latin Exam is a test given to Latin students. Sponsored by the U.S.-based American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League, the exam was given in 2023 to over 107,000 students in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, and Taiwan. The test covers general knowledge of Latin grammar and vocabulary, mythology, Roman culture, derivatives, and translation abilities.
The office of the National Latin Exam is located in James Farmer Hall on the campus of the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Philosophy
The philosophy of the National Latin Exam is predicated on providing every Latin student the opportunity to experience a sense of personal accomplishment and success in their study of the Latin language and culture. This opportunity exists for all students on the National Latin Exam since they are not competing with their fellow students on a comparative basis, but are evaluated solely on their own performance on the exam. The basic purposes of the NLE are to promote the study of Latin and to encourage the individual student.
Medals and Certificates
- Perfect paper: Colored certificate with name printed
- Gold medal and a summa cum laude certificate awarded to top scorers (roughly top 10%)
- Silver medal and a maxima cum laude certificate to next high scorers (roughly top 25%)
- Magna cum laude certificate to next high scorers (roughly top 35%)
- Cum Laude certificate to those who score above the national average for that year
An NLE Certificate of Merit is also provided for each school participating in the exam.
Special Book Awards
Students who have three or more years of perfect papers, or four or more years of gold medals are sent special book awards in addition to the special certificate. The perfect papers/ gold medals must be different levels of the exam and at least one must be on an Advanced level.
Scholarships
The National Latin Exam offers several different types of scholarships: