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National Latin Exam Study Guide
It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.
- Coach Jimmy Dugan
Below is a breakup of what will be asked on the NLE along with sample questions. Use this to help you
review over your notes in order to help you prepare for the NLE. The number next to the type of question
indicates the number of questions asked in that category.
3 Case/Function
The trick to these questions is knowing how to translate the various cases according to their
function. For example, a genitive is translated as of or ’s.
Scio nomina Musarum. A) of the Muses B) for the Muses C) with the Muses D) Muses
Senator filio pulchrum donum demonstravit. A) from his son B) with his son C) by his son D) to his son
1 English to Latin
This is usually a word or two, not an entire sentence, and often focus on case/function.
The teachers gave the students much praise. A) discipulos B) discipuli C) discipulis) D) discipulorum
1 Predicate Nominative/Adjective
Predicate Nominatives/Adjectives only appear with verbs of being (am, is, are, was, were).
Flumina in Gallia sunt __________. A) longa B) longis C) longam D) longas
1 AdditionSubtraction with Spelled Numerals
Quot sunt novem minus duo? A) decem B) septem C) quattuor D) unus
2 Verb tenses
Know how to recognize and translate your tenses: present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect,
future perfect.
Pompeius cum piratis pugnavit et eos vicit. A) fights B) was fighting C) will fight D) fought
1 Infinitive
Infinitives always use to.
Dux Troianus patrem servare paravit. A) you are saving B) to save C) saving D) he will save
2 Prepositions
The trick to prepositions is to recall what each means and to recall each case (acc or abl) one takes.
Hannibal elephantos trans montes duxit. A) through B) under C) around D) across
1 Personal Pronoun
Personal pronouns in English are I (Ego), we (nos), us (nos), you (tu/vos/te), and he (is), she (ea),
it (id), him (eum), her (eam), they (ei/eae) and them (eos/eas). The trick to these is to look at the
verbal ending. The ending will indicate which person to choose. For example, you will use ego
when the verb ends in o , and you will use the nominative form of nos when the verb ends in mus.
Make certain you know the paradigms for I and you.
Magister nos de periculis monuit. A) us B) you C) me D) them
1 Adverb
The adverbs are always in their positive degree form. Sometimes irregular adverbs are used
(saepe, semper, diu, bene, etc). Look for the ly in the translation on most of them. On occasion,
temporal words are used, such as hodie (today), heri (yesterday), and cras (tomorrow).
Mea mater me laete salutavit. A) happier B) happy C) happily D) them
Milites subito clamant et ad hostes currunt. A) suddenly B) happily C) loudly d) fiercely
1 Command
The question always asks you to translate the command, be it positive or negative.
Nolite, pueri, currere in atrio! A) They are not B) Don’t C) They were unwilling D) They don’t
1 Correlative Conjunctions
These are easy to spot because the conjunction in Latin is repeated. In English they are both…and
(et…et/-que…que), either…or (aut…aut/-ve…-ve), or neither…nor (nec…nec).
Multi cives et navem et nautas exspectabant. A) both…and B) then…now C) neither…nor D)
once…later
1 Conjunction/Transitional word
Often the word is quod (because), though sometimes other words (et, sed, etc) have crept in.
Nauta ad portum veniebat quod navem videre cupiebat. A) because B) but C) whenever D) or
1 Vocative
Vocatives are always whatever the nominative form is with the exception of 2 nd declension
masculine. Here, words and names like Marcus will become Marce and Lucilius will become
Lucili. Other clues are that the vocative is always set off by commas, and often (but not always)
the verb is 2nd person.
Specta, _______, gladiators in arena! A) Quintus B) Quinto C) Quinte D) Quintum
1 Question Word
These are often your q-words, though some, like cur and ubi do not. Here is a brief list: what
(quid), who (quis), whom (quem), why (cur), what sort of (qualis), how many (quot), how (quo),
where (ubi), when (ubi).
Rex nuntium rogavit, “Quis venit?” A) What is it? B) Why is he coming? C) Who is coming? D) When
will he come?
1 Verb of Being
Verbs of being in English include am, is, are, was, were. For these, you must know your principal
parts of sum (sum esse fui futurum) and most importantly, how to conjugate sum in all 6 tenses:
sum – I am, eram – I was, ero – I will be, fui – I have been, fueram – I had been, and fuero – I will
have been.
Boni discipuli fuimus et magna cum diligentia laboravimus. A) We will be B) We have been C) We are
D) We want to be
1 -ne question
-ne is often added to verbs or the first word of the sentence.
Portantne servi cibum ad triclinium? A) Did the slaves carry B) Are the slaves carrying C)Were the
slaves carrying D) Will the slaves carry
2 Responde Latine
These questions often ask you to respond in Latin. Sometimes the response is a full sentence, and
sometimes it is a clause.
If someone asks “Quid tibi nomen est?” you should give your A) age B) weight C) country D) name
If your teacher says, “Scribe, quaeso, tuum nomen in tabula,” you will A) write out the new story B) put
your book on the desk C) write your name on the board D) go to the door
1 Motto
Many of these are mottoes of organizations or states.
The national motto of Canada is “A mari usque ad mare” which means A) By the sea and around the sea
B) My sea is your sea C) From sea to sea D) Surrounded by the sea
2 Map questions
Usually a map is provided, but sometimes it is not. The best thing to do is to know Mediterranean
geography: countries (Italia, Graecia, Germania, Gaul, Egypt, Brittannia, Crete, Sicily, Asia
Minor, Near East), famous cities (Rome, Athens, Troy, Sparta, Cairo, Brundisium, Pompeii,
Constantinople), roads (Via Appia, Via Flaminia), rivers (Tibur, Po, Rubicon, Danube), mountains
(Olympus, Atlas, Alps, Apennines) and seas (Aegean, Adriatic, Black, Caspian, Tyrrhenian,
Ionian).
2 Olympian deities
Usually the question concerns Demeter (Ceres), Persephone (Prosperina), or Apollo. Sometimes
other deities have been used, including Poseidon (Neptune), Zeus (Jupiter), Hera (Juno), Ares
(Mars), Athena (Minerva), Hermes (Mercury), Hephaestus (Vulcan), Aphrodite (Venus), Hestia
(Vesta), Hades, (Pluto) Dionysus (Bacchus), and Artemis (Diana). Know the stories of these
deities and know their Roman names. On occasion a minor god shows up, such as Cronus
(Saturn), Janus (two-faced Roman god), Pan (Faunus).
As the god of the Sun and light, who was also the patron divinity of poetry and prophecy? A) Athena B)
Apollo C) Aphrodite D) Zeus
2 Derivative
Derivatives are English words that come from Latin words. They are in parentheses in your
vocabulary lists. They are often asked in two different forms (see below).
Vasco de Gama was the first European explorer to circumnavigate Africa. A) establish colonies in B)
discover gold in C) note carefully D) sail around
Illegible, lecture, and legend all come from the Latin verbs meaning to A) speak B) write C) deny D) read
1 Heroes
These are mythological heroes, such as Orpheus, Hercules, Theseus, Daedalus, and Achilles. The
hero does not always do good things, like Midas with his golden touch.
When the mythical musician Orpheus lost his young bride Eurydice to a snake bite, where did he go to
retrieve her? A) Underworld B) Crete C) Mt. Olympus, D) Circe’s palace
1 Roman Numerals
An equation is given to you to solve or you have to figure out a year.
In Roman numerals the year 2019 is A) MCMIX B) MMXI C) MMXIX D) MCMLI
1 Abbreviations
These are usually abbreviations that you run across in English class, on occasion in pharmacology.
Here are the English ones:
N.B. = nota bene or note well
etc. = et cetera or and the rest
i.e. = id est or that is
e.g. = exempli gratias or for example
et al. = et alii or and others
cf. = confer or compare
A.D. = anno Domini or the year of the Lord
Ad lib. = ad libitum or at leisure
P.S. = post scriptum or written afterwards
vs. = versus or against
Q.E.D. = quod erat demonstrandum or that which was to be proven
A.B. = Artium Bachelarius or Bachelor of Arts
S.B. = Scientiae Bachelarius or Bachelor of Science
ibid. = ibidem or to the same place
C.V. = curriculum vitae or course of life (resume)
A.M. = ante meridianum or before midday
P.M. = post meridianum or after midday
SPQR = Senatus Populusque Romanus or the Senate and the Roman People
4 Roman History, Culture, and Society
These questions span a plethora of items. There is usually one about a building or structure. There
is usually one about Roman early history about Horatius and Lars Porsenna. There is usually one
about the 7 kings of Rome, and there is usually one about Roman emperors. Sometimes there is
one about social life, such as about the home or about what one wears or about the 7 hills.
Underneath the examples, I shall place a tiny study guide that will help with these questions.
What legendary Roman hero single-handedly defended the bridge over the Tiber against the attacking
Etruscans? A) Julius Caesar B) Cincinnatus C) Romulus D) Horatius
The second meal of the day for the Romans, equivalent to our lunch, was called A) vesperna B) prandium
C) cena D) ientaculum
3 Periods of Roman History (Kings, Republic, Empire)
Period of the Kings
April 21, 753 BCE – 509 BCE
Romulus: first king, son of Mars and Rhea, killed brother Remus, ordered rape of Sabine women,
apotheosis as Quirnalis
Numa Pompilius: second king, very religious, invented lunar calendar, peaceful reign
Tullus Hostilius: third king, very warlike, not very popular, irreligious, lighting killed him
Ancus Marcius: fourth king, religious, built Pons Sublicius across Tiber; hence Roman priest is a pontifex
(bridge-builder)
Tarquinius Priscus (Elder): fifth king, Etruscan, created sewers
Servius Tullius: sixth king, Etruscan, created census, hated by family, daughter Servia ran over him with
chariot
Tarquinius Superbus (Proud): seventh king, son Sextus raped Lucretia, hated by all, exiled by Junius Brutus
Horatius Cocles defended the bridge over the Tiber River by himself against the Etruscan invasion.
Mucius Scaevola scared the Etruscan king, Lars Porsenna, into negotiating a peace treaty with Rome rather
than invading it after he snuck into the Etruscan camp and almost killed Porsenna. During Mucius’
interrogation by Porsenna, Mucius thrust his hand into a fire to demonstrate the bravery of a Roman soldier,
and therefore was nicknamed Scaevola meaning “Lefty.”
Republic
509BCE – 31BCE Battle of Actium
The XII Tables were created; these were the equivalents of the 10 Commandments for Romans.
Cincinnatus, a farmer, was summoned to be dictator to help defeat the Aequians which he did successfully
and then went back to being a farmer.
Marcus Manilius was aroused from sleep by the sacred geese enabling him to stop the secret, nightly
invasion of the Gauls.
Punic Wars: 3 wars between Rome and Carthage, in which Rome won each time. The 2nd is most famous
because Carthaginian general Hannibal invaded Europe and Italy, almost destroying and conquering Rome.
Cannae and Lake Trasumenus are famous battles in which Hannibal out-tricked and out-fought the Roman
armies. Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at Battle of Zama. Third Punic war was instigated by Cato’s
famous Carthago delenda est (Carthage must die) speech.
The Gracchi brothers fought to offer more rights and benefits for the poor and plebeians, but were
assassinated for doing so.
Civil War I: Marius vs. Sulla. Sulla eventually won.
First Triumvirate: Caesar, Pompey, Crassus
Civil War II: Caesar vs. Pompey. Caesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalia and takes control of Rome. After
improving much of Rome, a senatorial conspiracy (led by Cassius and Brutus, descendent of Iunius Brutus)
will kill Caesar on the Ides of March.
Second Triuvirate: Octavian, Antony, Lepidus
Civil War III: Antony vs. Octavian. Octavian will defeat Antony at Battle of Actium and will take over
Rome. He becomes Rome’s first Emperor or Augustus.
Empire 31BCE – 476 CE
Augustus (Octavian): first emperor, pax Romana, defeated Parthians, revised laws
Caligula: third emperor, called Little Boots, went crazy, made his horse a senator
Nero: fifth emperor, fiddled while Rome burnt, blamed Christians, very sinister, Domus Aurea (Golden
House)
5 Good Emperors: Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius
Trajan: known for his column
Hadrian: Known for his villa
Marcus Aurelius: wrote Stoic philosophy in Greek
Constantine: defeated Maxentius at Miluvian Bridge after revelation by Christian God, legalized
Christianity in 313
Romulus Augstulus: last emperor of Rome in 476
7 Hills of Rome: Capitoline, Palatine, Vatican, Caelian, Esquiline, Quirinal, Viminalis
Buildings/Structures
Curia – Roman Senate House
Aqueduct – system that leads or carries water from one place to another
Basilica – court house
Pons – bridge
Ara Pacis – Altar of Peace, dedicated to the peace Augustus brought when he controlled the empire
Arch – monument dedicated to a victory over an enemy
Forum – marketplace, often at the center of the city
Cloaca Maxima – very large sewer in Rome
Colosseum – also called Flavian Amphitheater, gladiatorial games and naumachiae
Circus Maximus – chariot races, Reds, Blues, Greens, Whites; mappa – napkin, metae – turning posts/goal
posts
Pantheon – temple to all (pan) the gods (theon)
Thermae – baths; apodyterium (locker room) caldarium (hot bath), tepidarium (warm bath), frigidarium
(cold bath)
Villa – house; cubiculum (room), triclinium (dining room), culina (kitchen), piscina/impluvium (pool),
ianua (door), atrium/vestibulum (entrance hall), peristylium (colonnaded garden), tablinum (shop, office)
Meals
Breakfast (ientaculum)
Lunch (prandium)
Dinner (cena)
Names
Praenomen (first name)
Gaius (praenomen) Iulius (nomen) Caesar (cognmen)
Nomen (gens family name)
Cognomen (gens nickname, often referring to a physical attribute)
Go to the National Latin Exam website and practice by taking exams from previous years: nle.org/