External Examination: Language and Prescribed Text
Structure of the examination
The external paper tests both areas: a language component (translation of a prepared or unseen passage, plus comprehension and grammar questions) and a prescribed-text component (translation and literary/contextual commentary). Marks reward accuracy first, then expression. Know the allocation and timing before the day, and practise under timed conditions.
What candidates must understand
- Translation marking: meaning is awarded in segments; a wrong case or tense can lose a whole segment, so accuracy of syntax matters more than elegant English.
- Comprehension questions: answer in English, in your own words, with the specific detail requested; do not copy Latin unless asked.
- Grammar questions: identify form and function (e.g. “ablative of means” not just “ablative”).
- Text commentary: content, characterisation, theme, style, and the effect on a Roman audience.
Traps
- Leaving blanks: an attempted segment can earn partial credit.
- Over-translating into florid English and losing literal sense.
- Answering “what happens” when asked “why” or “how does the language create…”.
- Mismanaging time: spending too long on one long passage and rushing the commentary.
- Forgetting to state the function of a case or the mood of a verb.
Rule of thumb
Divide marks by minutes. In translation, write a literal draft, then smooth. In commentary, use the pattern point – quotation – effect for every stylistic answer.
Worked example
Question: “Identify the case and function of armis in milites armis pugnaverunt.” Answer: ablative plural of arma, ablative of means, “the soldiers fought with weapons.” Adding the function earns the second mark; naming only “ablative” does not.