ACL/NJCL NATIONAL LATIN EXAM RESULTS 2008

 Breakdown of Awards | Grading of Exam | Exam Process | State Statistics

In 2008, more than 150,000 students applied to take the thirty-first National Latin Exam. Participation in the Exam has increased each year since its inception in 1977, when
approximately 6,000 students enrolled. Students from all fifty states participated this year, as did students from eleven foreign countries, including Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Italy, Mozambique, New Zealand, Poland, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. This year for the first time, students from Brazil also took the NLE.

During the second week in March, over 135,000 students took the National Latin Exam
in their own schools, and it was administered in 16 colleges and 15 elementary schools. 272 homeschools also participated. The breakdown of awards for each exam (the number correct out of forty) is shown below, above each category.

 Breakdown of Awards

Grading of Exam

***In the Introduction to Latin Exam, which was taken by 16,923 students, 7,813 students won awards. As the average number correct on this Exam was 30, students who scored 31-33 correct out of forty received Certificates of Achievement, and scores of 34-40 received Certificates of Outstanding Achievement and purple ribbons. The 356 students who answered all 40 questions correctly were sent a special congratulatory letter from the NLE Committee.

 There were 1,062 perfect papers in Latin I-VI. A congratulatory letter has been sent to
the principal of each school with copies for the student, the Latin teacher, and the student's permanent record. In addition, a special hand-lettered certificate was sent to each of these students.

The 5 students who have three years of perfect papers, and the 1 students who have four years of perfect papers are being sent the Carter Stubbs Drake Goad Memorial book award in addition to the special certificate. 

Exam Process

In September, the National Latin Exam office sent the application for the 2008 National
Latin Exam to teachers who participated in the 2007 NLE. The postmark deadline for the 2009 NLE application is January 16, 2009. The price for the 2009 exams is $4.00 per exam, $6.00 foreign, $10.00 minimum order, plus a $10 charge for postage and handling.
Upon receipt of the application and payment, a postcard was sent from the NLE office to
the teacher, verifying the number of applicants and informing the teacher that the exams and answer sheets would be mailed to the Exam administrator or principal by February 20, 2008, by the United Parcel Service.

Clement Testing Service mailed out the exams, answer sheets and instructions and scored the returned answer sheets. The company mailed out the results, awards, exam answers, and a congratulatory letter to the teacher by April 20, 2008. A copy of the congratulatory letter for the principal was included in this package. The national percent correct for each question is included as well as the percent correct on each question for the individual school. Both percentages are being provided in order to help teachers and students assess strengths and weaknesses.

The 2008 PERFECT PAPER and GOLD MEDAL winners will be published in Torch
U.S., the publication of the National Junior Classical League.

State Statistics