The National Latin Exam is happening differently this year
Updated: Feb 5, 2021
The National Latin Exam (NLE) will be happening for Winnacunnet in spring of 2021, but like most things during the 2020-2021 school year, it is not without changes.
Latin teacher Olivia Brooks said the NLE will be optional for all levels of Latin, unlike other years where it has been mandatory for Latin I students and optional for all levels higher.
“With remote learning and hybrid and figuring everything out, I don’t know if I want to take the time in class to study the way I normally do,” Brooks said.
Brooks said a big chunk of class time would usually go to studying for the NLE, but with the reduced amount of in-person class time she felt the time would be better spent on the curriculum material.
According to the NLE website, online testing is available for students who wish to take the exam remotely. Brooks said a parent could act as a proctor to a student taking the NLE remotely.
According to the website the NLE committee has made some changes to the exam that would have been implemented regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NLE.org states; “In an effort to make the NLE a more meaningful experience for all students and teachers, we’ve renamed the exams in order to allow teachers to select the exam that most closely matches their curriculum.”
The website states that Latin classes can take the exam that better fits the curriculum, previously a class would have to take the exam that matches the name of the class.
Brooks said she greatly appreciated the change, citing that the syllabus for certain Latin levels don’t always align with the NLE syllabi for each exam.
“In our textbook, we don’t get to other tenses until chapter thirty,” Brooks said. “Whereas other textbooks teach the past tense in chapter three.”
Brooks said the policy requiring each Latin level to take the exam all together is more flexible this year.
“Usually all Latin I [students] have to take it at the same time, this year that’s not the case.” Brooks said.
The deadline for registration was Friday, January 22. Brooks said 11 students signed up to participate.