European Baccalaureate Latin exam-day guide
European Baccalaureate Latin · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Bring your candidate identification
Carry the official photo ID and any candidate card issued by your school for the European Baccalaureate session. Which document counts as valid ID is set by your school and the examination centre, so confirm the accepted form with your school's Baccalaureate coordinator before the day.
Bring the permitted texts for the Latin paper
Check with your teacher or coordinator exactly which texts, vocabularies, or dictionaries are allowed into the Latin examination room, and whether they must be unannotated. Rules on personal dictionaries and annotations vary by subject and session, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Bring the permitted writing instruments
Take several pens of a permitted colour plus pencils, an eraser, and a ruler. Do not bring correcting fluid or erasable pens unless your centre explicitly permits them; confirm the stationery rules with your school.
Bring a clear, transparent pencil case or none at all
Many examination centres require transparent storage for stationery. Confirm the centre's policy with your coordinator, as requirements differ between schools.
Leave phones and smart devices at home or hand them in
Any phone, smartwatch, or wearable device brought into the room must normally be switched off and surrendered according to the centre's procedure. Ask in advance where devices are stored so you are not caught out at the door.
Bring water in a clear bottle and a permitted snack
Check whether drinks and food are allowed in the examination room and under what conditions. If you have a medical need for food, drink, or medication, arrange any permitted access arrangement with your school well in advance.
Confirm your seat, room, and start time
Verify the exact venue, seat number, and reporting time with your school the day before. Arrival and late-admission rules are set by the centre, so confirm them rather than relying on rumour.
Know your permitted access arrangements
If you are entitled to extra time, a separate room, or other access arrangements, confirm with your school that these are recorded and will be in place. Do not assume they carry over automatically between sessions.
Plan your transport and arrival buffer
Aim to arrive with enough margin to find the room and complete any check-in. Confirm the centre's late-arrival policy with your school in advance.
Prepare your timing plan for the paper
Know the structure of the paper and how many marks each section carries, then decide in advance how many minutes to allocate to translation, comprehension, and any commentary or essay section. Confirm the paper's format and duration with your teacher.
Bring a plain watch if clocks may be hard to see
Check whether wristwatches are permitted in the room; some centres restrict smartwatches only, others restrict all watches. Confirm with the provider.
Bring nothing that could be seen as unauthorised material
Notes, annotated texts, loose papers, and study aids must not enter the room unless explicitly permitted. If in doubt about an item, leave it outside and ask the invigilator before the paper starts.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidation. Re-read your set-text notes and vocabulary lists, and practise translating short passages under timed conditions. Confirm with your teacher the exact scope of the paper, which texts or authors are examinable, and what reference materials are allowed.
Check practical logistics: venue, reporting time, transport, ID, permitted texts and stationery, and any access arrangements. Resolve any uncertainty with your school's Baccalaureate coordinator now rather than on the morning.
Do one full timed practice paper or a representative set of tasks, then mark it honestly against the criteria. Identify your two weakest areas, for example case usage, subordinate clauses, or vocabulary recall, and target those in your remaining revision.
Do light revision only: vocabulary, principal parts of irregular verbs, constructions, and a final pass over your set-text summaries. Prepare your bag with ID, permitted texts, pens, and water. Confirm the start time and room one last time.
Protect your sleep. Avoid cramming new material late at night; a rested mind handles unseen translation far better than a fatigued one. Set two alarms.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive early, and use the waiting time for calm vocabulary review rather than new content. Hand in or switch off your phone before entering the room.
At your seat, check that you have the correct paper and any permitted materials, read the instructions and mark allocations, and note the finishing time. Raise any problem with the invigilator immediately.
Read the whole paper first and allocate time according to mark weight. Start with the section you are most confident in, but leave enough time for the highest-tariff translation or essay.
For translation, read the whole passage before writing, identify the main clauses and verb forms, and render sense rather than word-for-word. Leave a gap for any word you cannot recall and return to it later.
For comprehension or commentary questions, answer in the form requested, quote or cite the text where the question asks for evidence, and keep answers focused on what is being asked.
Reserve the last ten to fifteen minutes to check verb endings, agreement, cases, and completeness of answers, and to make sure every question has a response. Write legibly and cross out clearly rather than overwriting.
Rules to check
Bring and display the identification required by your centre. The accepted forms of ID and the check-in procedure are set by your school and the examination authority, so confirm them with your coordinator before the exam.
Do not bring unauthorised material into the room. Only texts, dictionaries, or notes explicitly permitted for the Latin paper may be used, and their permitted form, such as unannotated or centre-provided, must be confirmed with the provider.
Phones and other electronic devices must be switched off and stored according to the centre's procedure. Possession of an unauthorised device during the examination may be treated as malpractice, so ask in advance where devices go.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on timing, leaving the room, and breaks. Toilet breaks and movement during the paper are governed by centre rules, so confirm the procedure with the invigilator at the start.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the examination has begun, and do not attempt to read another candidate's work. Any suspected malpractice should be avoided entirely and reported concerns raised with the invigilator.
Write only in the permitted ink and in the spaces or answer booklets provided. Do not write on your ID, permitted texts, or any surface not intended for answers, and do not remove examination materials from the room.
Scoring follows the official mark scheme for the paper, with marks allocated according to the published weighting of translation, comprehension, and any commentary or essay tasks. Confirm the exact weighting and grade boundaries with your teacher rather than relying on estimates.
If you believe there has been an error in the paper, a problem with the room, or a disruption, tell the invigilator immediately and ensure it is recorded. Appeals procedures and deadlines are set by the examination authority, so confirm them with your school.