LC Latin exam-day guide
LC Latin · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission ticket / confirmation email
Print or download the registration confirmation for your sitting. Confirm the exact venue, arrival time, and reporting instructions with your test provider, since these are set by the administering body and can change between sessions.
Valid photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired photo ID in the name used on your registration. Confirm with the provider which specific documents (passport, national ID, driver's license) are accepted and whether photocopies are refused.
Approved writing instruments
Bring several HB or No. 2 pencils and a good eraser, plus blue or black pens if your sitting includes a written or translation component. Confirm the provider's rules on pens versus pencils and on pencil sharpeners.
No prohibited electronics
Leave phones, smartwatches, and other devices switched off and stored as instructed. Confirm with the provider whether devices must be handed in and where they are kept during the paper.
Clear, unmarked water bottle
Hydration helps on a long paper, but bottle rules vary. Confirm with the provider whether drinks are allowed at the desk and whether labels must be removed.
Small snack for the break
If the sitting includes a supervised break, bring something quiet and quick to eat. Confirm whether food must stay outside the exam room and how long the break lasts.
Watch (optional, needs_review)
Some rooms lack a visible clock. Confirm with the provider whether a plain analogue or basic digital watch is permitted; smartwatches and many multi-function watches are usually banned.
Route and travel plan
Rehearse the journey to the venue and note a backup route. Aim to arrive with a comfortable margin before the reporting time; confirm the provider's late-arrival policy in advance.
Rest and breakfast plan
Protect sleep in the final week and plan a normal breakfast. Avoid new caffeine doses or unfamiliar foods on the morning of a long translation or comprehension paper.
Scratch paper and notes left behind
Do not carry loose notes, vocabulary lists, or annotated texts into the room. Confirm with the provider what materials, if any, are supplied and whether rough work is collected.
Read the provider's regulations
Review the current candidate handbook or regulations page for your specific sitting. Rules on dictionaries, calculators, and annotation of texts differ by level and session, so confirm rather than assume.
Plan the day
Do a final review pass focused on weak areas rather than new material: principal parts of irregular verbs, common subordinating constructions, and vocabulary you have already met. Re-read one or two short passages aloud to steady your reading rhythm. Check the venue location and travel time, and confirm reporting instructions with the provider.
Complete one timed practice paper under realistic conditions, including a break if your sitting has one. Mark it honestly and note the two or three error patterns that cost the most marks, such as case endings, verb tense, or misread question stems. Stop intensive study in the evening.
Pack your bag: admission ticket, photo ID, pencils, eraser, pens, water, and snack. Lay out clothes and confirm your alarm and transport. Do light revision only, such as a short vocabulary list or a single passage. Eat a normal meal, avoid alcohol, and go to bed at your usual time.
Eat a normal breakfast and leave earlier than strictly necessary. Re-read your short summary of common pitfalls, not a full textbook. Arrive at the venue with time to spare, follow signage, and keep your phone off and stored per instructions before entering the room.
Read the front-page instructions and check the time allowed and the marks per section. Fill in your details exactly as registered. Scan the whole paper briefly to plan your order and rough time per section, then start with the section you handle most confidently if the rules permit working out of order.
Watch the clock at checkpoints rather than continuously. For translation, read the whole sentence before writing, keep the syntax of the original clear, and leave a line between answers if space allows. For comprehension, answer in the language and length the question demands, and quote or cite the text only where it earns marks. If you stall, mark the item and move on, returning later.
Check that every question has an answer, that multiple-choice bubbles are unambiguous, and that your name and candidate number are correct. Correct only clear errors; avoid last-minute rewrites that risk legibility. Stop writing immediately when instructed.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID in the name on your registration and present it when asked. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted; expired or photocopied ID is commonly refused, but the exact rule is set by the administering body.
Arrive by the stated reporting time. Late candidates may be admitted or refused at the provider's discretion, and no extra time is normally given; confirm the late-arrival policy before the day.
Keep all electronic devices switched off and stored as directed for the whole session, including any break. Do not keep a phone or smartwatch on your person in the exam room.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on breaks, leaving the room, and returning. In most sittings you may not take papers or notes out of the room, and talking is not permitted until you have left the exam area; confirm the specific break rules with the provider.
Work only from the materials supplied or explicitly permitted. Dictionaries, glossaries, and annotated texts are allowed only if the regulations for your level say so, so confirm the permitted materials in advance rather than bringing your own.
Write in the language and format the paper requires, and make sure your answers are legible and clearly attributed to the right question. Illegible or ambiguously placed answers may not be marked.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the paper or attempt to view another candidate's work. Suspected misconduct is handled under the provider's regulations and can lead to cancellation of results.
Scoring and grade boundaries are set by the awarding body and can vary by session. Check the current specification for how sections are weighted and what counts as a pass, rather than relying on older information.