SACE Stage 2 Latin (continuers) cheat sheet

School assessment in Stage 2 Latin continuers is weighted at 70% of the final subject grade; the external assessment contributes the remaining 30%.

School assessment comprises five assessment types: three skills-based tasks (unseen translation, comprehension of a seen text, and interpretation of a text) and two text-based tasks (a response in Latin and a response in English), each worth a set percentage of the school-assessed grade.

Unseen translation tasks assess the ability to render a prepared passage of Latin prose or verse into fluent English, with marks allocated for accuracy of meaning, grammar, and idiom.

Comprehension of a seen text requires short-answer responses in English demonstrating understanding of narrative content, characterisation, and context of the studied text.

Interpretation of a text asks students to analyse literary techniques (e.g., word order, imagery, allusion, metre) and justify interpretations with close reference to the Latin.

The response in Latin task requires students to compose or adapt Latin prose demonstrating control of syntax, vocabulary, and idiomatic usage, marked against criteria for content and language accuracy.

The response in English task requires an extended analytical essay on the studied text, assessed for depth of argument, use of evidence, and understanding of Roman cultural and historical context.

Performance standards describe five levels of achievement (A to E), with descriptors specifying knowledge and skills in translation, comprehension, analysis, and composition.

Assessment tasks must be designed so students have opportunities to demonstrate all performance standards; tasks are typically set across the year and moderated against the standards.

The external assessment is a 2-hour written examination worth 30% of the final subject grade.

The examination is divided into two sections: Section 1 (translation and comprehension) and Section 2 (essay or extended response on the studied text).

Section 1 typically presents an unseen passage of Latin (prose or verse) for translation into English and a set of comprehension questions testing detailed understanding.

Translation marking in the external examination uses a rubric awarding partial credit for accurate rendering of clauses, with deductions for mistranslation of key vocabulary and syntax.

Comprehension questions in the external paper may require inference, identification of literary devices, and explanation of the author's purpose, answered in English.

Section 2 requires an extended response (essay) on the prescribed text, assessing analysis of themes, characterisation, style, and the text's Roman context.

The examination is marked externally by SACE-trained assessors, and results are reported against the same A–E performance standards used for school assessment.

Students may use a prescribed Latin–English dictionary during the examination; other reference materials are not permitted unless specified in the examination instructions.