Important Exam Information
Dates & Deadlines for the 2026 NLE
Registration opens on Monday, August 25, 2025.
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Deadline for registration for paper exams: Friday, January 23, 2026​.
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Deadline for registration for online exams: Friday, February 13, 2026.
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No registrations for online exams will be accepted after this date.​
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Examination Window: Monday, February 23-Friday, March 13, 2026.
The principal, headmaster, test administrator, or designee should receive the paper exams via UPS in February.
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Open and count the exams and answer sheets immediately! If the numbers of exams and answer sheets is incorrect, please call Clement Testing Service at 800-459-9847.
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If paper exams have not been received by March 1, please call Clement Testing Service at 800-459-9847.
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If it has been determined that exams have been delivered and misplaced or lost, replacements will be charged at full value.
A packet including awards, certificate of school participation, printout of student scores, national norms, and answer key for all exams will be mailed to the Latin teacher involved in late April.
Technical Requirements for Online Testing
Specifications
Lingco is a modern web-based application that works best with the latest version of Google Chrome, running on a laptop or desktop computer (either Mac, PC or Chromebook). It should also work on the last two versions of Safari, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, but Chrome is highly recommended.
In order to take the National Latin Exam on Lingco you’ll also need:
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A stable internet connection with at least 4 Mbps download and 512 Kbps upload speeds
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A screen size of at least 1280x720 pixels
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Using iPads and Tablets for Online Testing
The National Latin Exam and Lingco have been working closely together to make testing online with iPads and other types of tablets possible. We have determined through testing and review that these devices are indeed compatible with the online system. The earlier statement that these devices were not supported was based upon Lingco's experience with audio and video elements used in the modern language exams. Since the NLE does not require these features, schools should have no problems with using iPads and other types of tablets.
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Here is Lingco's official statement: "Lingco's disclaimer regarding tablets not being fully supported on our platform is there to be transparent with our users. Some Lingco features and functionality do not work properly with tablets as of yet. Therefore, we warn users who are using tablets that their device is not fully supported. That being said, the National Latin Exams do not use any Lingco features or functionality that will not work on tablets.
Tablets can range in size and specifications so some users may need to zoom out on their screen or flip the tablet horizontally, if they are using smaller devices. As a best practice, all tablets should be running on up to date software and browsers if they are used to complete any of the National Latin Exams."
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That being said, please check with your school's technical team to determine whether images are allowed to be shown on the screen. The NLE does use pictures and images of Latin text on the exams, and some schools default to blocking images.
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Getting Administrative Approval for Using Lingco
If a school needs to get Lingco approved at their school or school district, they will most likely need us to sign a Data Privacy Agreement, or to fill out information about our systems. They should submit their request with the appropriate documentation via our live chat, or they can email support@lingco.io. Once they submit their request, we'll supply them with an update on the timeline to get it completed and sent back to them. They should do this as soon as they possibly can, since the approval process can be lengthy for some schools.
Registering for Exams
All registrations for the 2026 National Latin Exam will be completed online only.
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Any registrations received on old registration forms will be returned to the teacher.
Only ONE Latin teacher from a given school creates an online account and fills out registration form completely.
Teachers may register for exams in one of two formats: paper/pencil or online. There is no difference in cost.
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N.B. Due to the rising costs of shipping exams, schools outside North America must order the online format of the exams.
An invoice will be emailed to the registering teacher upon submission of the online form.
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Once the teacher has submitted the online registration form, the school will be considered registered, but registration will not be complete until payment has been received.
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Teachers may pay immediately by credit card or may submit the invoice to their business office for payment by check or money order.
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Payment is due within 30 days. No results will be sent to schools which have not paid, and non-payment may result in not being allowed to register for future exams.
The NLE will send to the Latin teacher an email verifying receipt of registration form and payment.
For questions about your order or about the online version of the exam, please contact Lingco at support@lingco.io
Administering the Exams
The principal, instructional coordinator, guidance director, the Latin teacher, or any other designee may administer the exams.
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The time limit for taking the exams is 45 minutes. If the demographic information has been completed before the day of the exam, the time limit is 40 minutes.
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ALL STUDENTS OF THE SAME LEVEL must take the exam during the same time period. The test administrator should try to seat students of the same level apart from one another. No make-up exams are allowed after the fact.
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Teacher should call the NLE Office (888-378-7721) before the day the exam is to be given to inquire about students with special needs or for issues regarding scheduling.
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When taking the exam online, students should be warned NOT to translate the exam from English into any other language.
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Google Translate and other programs are becoming increasingly good at providing translations from Latin, and the NLE would not want to disqualify any student from participating in the exam.
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The NLE does receive from Lingco a list of exams which have been translated and into which language they were changed. Take a look at this explanation of "Tracked Events" for online test-takers.
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Teachers may not formally take the exam(s) and submit their results for scoring and awards.
When students taking the paper exam are finished, the testing administrator should count completed answer sheets, and check test materials for any missing answer sheets.
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The NLE collects the grade level and level of Latin for each student. At this time, we are not collecting further demographic data.
Answer sheets for paper exams must be returned and postmarked the same day the exam is given, or the last day of administration if different levels are given on different days.
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No answer sheets for paper exams mailed separately from the school’s package will be accepted without prior permission.
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The last day exam may be taken and answer sheets returned is MARCH 13, 2026.
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Exams are not to be seen by the Latin Teacher prior to the day the exams are to be given.
Cost of the Exams
Prices in Effect
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Exams cost $8.00 each for schools in the US or Canada; the cost is $10 per exam for all others.
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A handling fee of $15.00 will be added to orders of 1-10 exams for orders in US and Canada.
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A handling fee of $25.00 will be added to orders of 11 or more exams in US and Canada.
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Schools outside of US and Canada, in lieu of a handling fee, will need to pay actual shipping costs to receive their medals and certificates. They will receive their results electronically and can receive PDFs of their certificates. They can contact the NLE office once results have been emailed to arrange shipping of their awards if desired.*
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Schools outside the United States and Canada must register for and take the exams online. Schools within the US and Canada may register for paper or online exams.
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Payment must be made in US funds only, drawn off a US bank.
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​Purchase orders are NOT accepted in lieu of check or money order.
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*Over the last 4 years, the NLE has worked hard to keep our exam financially healthy in the face of increased costs for mailing. Overseas mailings in particular can often run upwards of $200, and we can no longer absorb that cost. Providing certificates and results electronically for no cost, and allowing schools to pay actual shipping for medals and paper certificates if they wish is the best solution we can offer.
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The NLE takes our mission of celebrating students and supporting teachers very seriously. We thank you for your continued support for the exam and for keeping Latin alive in the classrooms of the world!