National Greek Exam

1. Overview

The National Greek Exam is an annual assessment administered by the American Classical League (ACL) to students in the United States who are studying Ancient Greek. The exam is designed to assess students’ knowledge of the grammar, vocabulary, and syntax of the Greek language, as well as their ability to read and translate passages from Greek literature. It is typically taken by high school students who are enrolled in a Greek course, but it is open to students at all levels of study. The exam is graded on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. The National Greek Exam is one of several exams offered by the ACL to promote the study of classical languages and cultures in American schools.

2. Examination Levels

The National Greek Exams offer a series of leveled assessments of Greek language proficiency for middle and high school students. The exams are not repeatable except for the Attic Greek Prose exam, which may be taken up to two consecutive years.

Restricted Exams (Middle and High School only):

• Introduction to Greek
• Beginning Attic

Open Exams (All Students):

• Intermediate Attic
• Homeric Greek (Odyssey and Iliad)

Repeatable Exam: Attic Greek, Prose (two consecutive years)

Students may not take exams across levels (e.g., both Beginning and Intermediate Attic) but may take one Attic and one non-Attic exam if registered for each.

3. Scholarship Opportunity

High school seniors earning purple or blue ribbons in the Attic Prose exam may apply for a $2,000 renewable scholarship. Awardees must complete six Greek credits annually in college. Application forms are distributed in May, with results announced in June at the ACL Institute.