Search


James Farmer Hall on the campus of the University of Mary Washington, the home of the National Latin Exam

Why administer the National Latin to college students?
  • TO GIVE STUDENTS A SENSE OF GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT

    • Certificates and medals are given by the NLE to high-performing college students, just as they are to all other students who particpate.

    • The names and institutions of all college students who perform well on the NLE are published each year in the summer issue of Nuntius, the Eta Sigma Phi newsletter, which is accessible online.

  • TO ACT AS AN OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT TOOL

    • The NLE provides an objective, external check on how well an institution’s students are performing both within the institution and compared to other students at the same level across the country and around the world.

    • The NLE is not based on any one textbook. Instead, a syllabus for each exam level is posted online.

Which exams should college students take?

The course level in which college students are enrolled in the spring semester1

The appropriate level NLE exam2

First semester of elementary Latin

or

One-semester intensive elementary Latin course if it began after January

Note that it is rare for students to take their first semester of elementary Latin in the spring, so a request for exams at this level may be questioned by the office of the NLE.

Beginning Latin

Second semester of elementary Latin

or

One-semester intensive elementary Latin course if it began in January

Intermediate Latin

First semester of intermediate Latin

or

One-semester intensive intermediate Latin course if it began after January

Intermediate Latin Reading Comprehension, Advanced Prose, or Advanced Poetry

Second semester of intermediate Latin

or

One-semester intensive intermediate Latin course if it began in January

Advanced Prose or Advanced Poetry

First semester of advanced Latin

or

Any semester of advanced Latin beyond a student’s first

Advanced Latin Reading Comprehension

1Colleges and universities offering multiple terms rather than two semesters over the usual autumn-spring academic year should calculate what their terms mean in comparison to semesters and then consult with the NLE Office (1-888-378-7721, nle@umw.edu) concerning the correct examination to administer.

2The Introduction to Latin Exam is not appropriate for college students.

How do colleges and universities administer the exams?

The name of the chair of the department or of a dean, etc., may be used for the block on the registration form that asks for the name of the principal. Since it is recommended that the exam’s administrator open the test packet when it arrives and count the exams, a departmental secretary may be a good choice for the administrator of the exam. If an institution has received permission to have different classes take the NLE at different times, the administrator would oversee the overall distribution of the exams to and collection from those designated to administer the NLE to the various classes. The Latin instructor is allowed to administer the exam, but the same instructor cannot be the one to receive the exam materials. The Latin teacher must designate someone else to receive and secure the exam materials until testing day.

Download a flyer for NLE for College Students

Join these fine schools which currently give the NLE or have given it in the past!
  • Ava Maria University (FL)

  • Baylor University (TX)

  • Catholic University of America (DC)

  • Christendom College (VA)

  • Christian-Albrechts University Zu Kiel (GERMANY)

  • Colgate University (NY)

  • College of Notre Dame (MD)

  • Gainesville State College (GA)

  • HESCO (IRAN)

  • Higher School of Economics (RUSSIA)

  • Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (CHINA)

  • Howard University (MD)

  • Hunter College (NY)

  • John Paul II Jr. College (BELIZE)

  • Kalamazoo College (MI)

  • Laramie County Community College (WY)

  • Letourneau University (TX)

  • Loyola Marymount University (CA)

  • Loyola University Chicago (IL)

  • Macalester College (MN)

  • Monmouth College (IL)

  • OLLI @ Furman University (SC)

  • Purdue University (IN)

  • Seton Hall University (NJ)

  • Shahid Beheshti University (IRAN)

  • St. Norbert College (WI)

  • Stanford University (CA)

  • Tehachapi Mt. Adult School (CA)

  • Temple University (PA)

  • Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (NH)

  • Truman State University (MO)

  • University of Florida (FL)

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL)

  • University of Mary Washington (VA)

  • University of North Carolina at Greensboro (NC)

  • University of Oklahoma (OK)

  • University of Richmond (VA)

  • University of South Florida (FL)

  • Wake Forest University (NC)

  • Washington & Lee University (VA)

  • Washington State University (WA)

  • West Virginia University Honors College (WV)

  • Xavier University (OH)