National Classical Etymology

National Classical Etymology Exam | NCEE

What is the National Classical Etymology Exam?

The National Classical Etymology Exam (NCEE) is designed to test a student's ability to handle both Latin and Greek derivatives and their usage in the English language. The details of the exam can be found below.

Exam registration links and administration dates for exams can be found at HERE.
For additional questions, you can see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Exam overview

This test is based on English vocabulary words that are derived from Latin and Greek, with emphasis on academic and SAT vocabulary words.
50 questions (45 minutes)
Multiple Choice (4 choices)

Question Breakdown:

Approximately 37 Latin derivative and 13 Greek derivative questions
20 Easy; 20 Medium; 10 Difficult
Greek: common prefixes and suffixes; numbers; basic verbs
No knowledge of the Greek alphabet is necessary.
Latin: common prefixes and suffixes; numbers; body parts; basic verbs
This exam is generally meant for grades 6-12, but students of any grade level are allowed to participate.
Awards will be divided into two divisions of three levels each. Students will first be divided into two divisions, those who have taken Latin or Greek in school and those who have not. Each of these divisions will then be separated into Novice (all grades through 8), Intermediate (9 & 10) and Advanced (11 & 12).

Study Sources

Study Guide

N.B. Items listed as TMRC are available from the Teaching Materials and Resource Center of The American Classical League, Oxford, OH 45056 (www.aclclassics.org).

Dictionary of Latin & Greek Origins (TMRC-B0113)
Greek-English Derivative Dictionary (TMRC-B0103)
Latin-English/English-Latin Derivative Dictionary (FREE PDF) (FREE WORD)
Greek-English/English-Greek Derivative Dictionary (FREE PDF) (FREE WORD)
Latin and Greek in Current Use (ISBN 0135249910)
Oxford English Dictionary
Webster's Online Dictionary

Exam Procedures

Quia.com will e-mail the teacher with exam instructions, usernames, and passwords the day before the exam window opens. A second email will follow with additional "day of" instructions and the "secret word."
The instructions are very thorough, containing information on how to add students to the exam the day of, how to add extra attempts in case of technical errors, etc.
All students from a school should take the exam at the same time (unless prior approval is given).
Any school administrator, counselor, or sponsoring teacher may proctor the exam.
Results and awards will be distributed later in the school year.