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The Founding Mothers of the NLE: (left to right) Sally Davis, Linda Montross, Maureen O'Donnell, Christine Sleeper, and Jane Hall
 
Planning for the Exams (August - December)
  • Selecting a Date for the Exams: Check your school's calendar early. Determine whether your school is session during the NLE testing window (February 26-March 15, 2024). If you live in an area where snow days are a distinct possibility, you should plan an early administration date so that you have time to reschedule during the testing window.
  • Choosing Format of the Exams: Teachers will have the option to choose whether they administer the exams on the "bubble sheet" with a #2 pencil (paper exams) or online, whichever is a better fit your circumstances. There is no difference in cost between these two formats.
    • Note: Due to the rising costs of shipping, schools located outside North America must administer the exams online.
  • Choosing Examiners and Proctors: The Latin teacher may now serve as the examiner for his or her students or may choose to appoint an examiner as in the past. In either case, the exams must be sent to a school administrator who will secure and hold the exams until the exam day. Teachers are strongly encouraged to have other examiners or proctors in the room, particularly if there is a large number of students testing.

Registering for the Exams (August - February)
  • Paying for the Exams:
    • The National Latin Exam requires payment (check, money order, or credit card) before results or any awards are returned to the school.
      • Payment may be made by credit card after the online form has been submitted.
      • Payment may be made by check or money order from the invoice sent to you by email after the online form has been submitted. 
      • If your school requires a purchase order to be sent and signed by NLE, please start this process early.
    • Registration for paper exams: Postmark/Timestamp Deadline is January 26, 2024
      • For students in the United States and Canada: Each exam costs $6.00
        • A handling fee of $20 will be added for orders of 1-10 exams, $30.00 for orders of 11 or more exams 
      • For students outside the United States and Canada: Each exam costs $8.00
        • A handling fee of $50 will be added to all orders​​​​​​
    • Registration for online exams: Postmark/Timestamp Deadline is Friday, February 16, 2024 
    • There are no longer any late fees for missed deadlines.
  • Including Correct Information on the Registration Form:
    • You must include your home phone/cell number and e-mail address since it is often very difficult to reach you at school. PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY!
    • Please check to see if you have given the correct zip code for your school, NOT for your home address.
  • Submitting One Registration Form: Make sure that there is just one registration form and check or other payment from your school. If your school or program consists of a middle school and high school with different principals, submit a registration for each different school. Each school is assigned a code number. If there is more than one form from one school, the students’ answer sheets are invariably returned in one package but the computer company is expecting two packages to be returned. That means at least one teacher will receive a letter saying that their answer sheets have not been returned and unnecessary panic ensues.
  • Confirming Registration and Payment Have Been Sent: Consult your financial officer to make sure the payment was sent. Ask for the date it was sent. Payment by credit card, check, or money order must be received before results and any awards will be sent to the teacher.
  • Confirming Registration and Payment Have Been Received: Since all registrations are handled online and an invoice is sent electronically immediately after registration, postcards will no longer be e-mailed to teachers to confirm registration. Teachers will be contacted if payment has not been made in a timely manner.
  • Adding Students After Submitting the Registration Form: If you need more exams before or after the regular deadline, please be sure to follow the process outlined on your online registration dashboard.

Before the Exams (February & March)
  • Receiving the Exams (Paper and Pencil): Exams are sent to the principal, their designee, or to the examiner (who may be the same person as the principal or designee). The exams may not be sent to the Latin teacher, who may now serve as the exam administrator. The person who receives the exams must open and count the exams when they arrive. Call 1-800-459-9847 if the number of exams or answer sheets is incorrect. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOUR EXAMINER/PRINCIPAL WAITS UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO CHECK YOUR MATERIALS AND DISCOVERS THAT YOU ARE SHORT EXAMS OR ANSWER SHEETS, YOUR SCHOOL WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR EXPEDITED SHIPPING OF THESE MATERIALS. The exams must them be stored in a secure location until the scheduled day of the examination. Please remember that teachers are not allowed access to exams prior to your scheduled examination date and may not review, discuss, or distribute the exams prior to the release date listed on the "Instructions for Examiners" sheet.
  • Confirming Receipt of Exams (Paper and Pencil): In mid-February, confirm with your administrator that the exam materials have arrived, have been counted, and are stored in a secure location. “Lost” packages are almost always somewhere in the school having been signed for by an Administrative Assistant, mailroom person, custodian, etc. Check thoroughly before calling. If you still cannot locate the materials, you may get a UPS tracking number by e-mailing clementtestingservice@verizon.net or by calling 1-800-459-9847.
  • Completing the Demographic Data Before the Exams (Paper and Pencil): Teachers are permitted to have their students fill in the demographic information at the top of the answer sheet prior to the administration of the exam. The teacher should obtain only the answer sheets and the blue “Instructions to Examiner” sheet from the administrator to whom the exams were sent. The teacher should then have their students complete the demographic information in class, collect all the answer sheets and blue “Instructions to Examiner” sheet, and then return them to that same administrator as soon as possible. For those schools that choose to complete the demographic information early, the testing time will be reduced to 40 minutes. For those schools that choose to complete the demographic information at the administration of the exam, the testing time will remain 45 minutes (5 minutes for the demographic information and 40 minutes for the exam).
  • Accommodating Students with Special Needs: Students who receive accommodations due to an IEP or 504 plan are allowed to receive those accommodations on the NLE. If you have questions or issues about this, please call 1-888-378-7721.

During the Exams (February & March)
  • Completing the Information on Answer Sheets Correctly (Paper and Pencil):
    • Make sure that students use #2 pencils and fill in the entire bubble as shown on the answer sheet. Students must mark all answers completely and fully and must erase completely and fully if they decide to change an answer
    • In order to identify students for awards, particularly those who will receive awards over multiple years, please be sure students use their legal first and last names and be consistent year-to-year. For example, Elizabeth Smith should be: “Elizabeth Smith” each year. The use of a nickname such as Betty, Liz, Betsy, or Beth may preclude that student from receiving four/five gold or scholarship information that the student may be due.
    • Students will be required to correctly bubble in the code assigned to each school. The school code can be found on the Confirmation letter, packing list, "Blue Sheet", and return envelope.
    • The Introduction to Latin exams are green, Beginning Latin exams are pink, Intermediate Latin exams are orchid, Intermediate Latin Reading Comprehension exams are white, the Advanced Latin Prose exams are ivory, the Advanced Latin Poetry exams are blue, and the Advanced Latin Reading Comprehension exams are canary. Some teachers teach poetry in the third year and some in the fourth; the same holds true for prose. Therefore, the level is determined by the number of years the student has taken Latin. Do not allow students to blacken in both levels III and IV of either prose or poetry. The same holds true for the Advanced Latin Reading Comprehension exam (formerly Latin V/VI exam). Advise students that they should blacken in one exam level only. Make sure that students understand the importance of bubbling in the correct exam level. Rescores required for students who mark the wrong exam level will delay your school’s results.
  • Making Corrections on the Answer Sheets (Paper and Pencil): The National Latin Exam will NOT re-grade answer sheets for erasures. It is the responsibility of the student to erase completely.
  • Collecting the Answer Sheets (Paper and Pencil): Be sure the test administrator counts the completed answer sheets directly after the administration of the exams. If you are giving the exams with paper test and answer sheet, it is always a good idea to check the exam stacks for stray answer sheets. Please verify that all students have correctly bubbled in the school code.
  • Returning the Answer Sheets (Paper and Pencil): Teachers and examiners are reminded that answer sheets must be mailed in the envelope provided on the same day that the exam is given. If different levels are given on different days, the teacher or examiner must secure ALL answer sheets and mail them on the last day your students take the exam.
    • Place the answer sheets in the envelope in the same direction.
    • If you are sending back answer sheets in more than one package (i.e., you have a large number of students testing), fasten the packages together prior to mailing. This will save you mailing costs! Please use ALL return envelopes provided; failure to do so results in a higher risk that answer sheets will be lost or damaged during transit.
    • Please return all unused, blank answer sheets. These answer sheets often change from year-to-year and are not reusable.
    • Do not return the exams, but release them to the teacher on the date specified on the "Instructions for Examiners" sheet.
    • Please do not use paper clips or rubber bands to secure the exams.
  • Returning the Signed "Blue Sheet" (Paper and Pencil): Both the teacher and examiner must follow all directions on the "Blue Sheet". If all the "Blue Sheets" are not signed and returned, your exams will not be scored until the "Blue Sheet" is returned and after all other exams have been processed, which may result in a delay of your school receiving results and any awards.
    • Please be sure to write your school's return address on the envelope(s).
    • Using book-rate postage to mail the answer sheets can result in the package taking over a month to reach Clement Testing Service.
  • Discussing the Exams: The teacher may not discuss, distribute, or otherwise release the exams to anyone until the release date listed on the "Instructions to Examiner" sheet. This includes students, teachers, parents, colleagues, internet, etc.

After the Exams (March - June)
  • Counting the Awards: Count your awards immediately. Award problems can be resolved in April by e-mailing clementtestingservice@verizon.net or by calling 1-800-459-9847.
  • Filling Out the Award Certificates: Inscribe your certificates when first received. Don’t be caught with a misspelled name on a certificate on your awards ceremony day! (Please inscribe all certificates before calling about any mistakes.)
  • Receiving the Awards: If you do not get your results by April 25, you may get a UPS tracking number by contacting Clement Testing Service at clementtestingservice@verizon.net or by calling 1-800-459-9847.
  • Checking the Spelling on Perfect Score Certificates: Check for correct spelling of names for students with perfect papers. If there is a discrepancy, contact the National Latin Exam Office at 1-888-378-7721.