Vergilius Romanus, an illuminated manuscript from the 5th century.
For centuries, Latin has been considered essential to a liberal arts education, being woven into the very fabric of Catholic intellectual life. Yet many Catholic schools still struggle to answer what success in Latin education truly looks like.
Schools often point to its practical benefits: Latin helps students understand English grammar, strengthens vocabulary, improves SAT scores, and cultivates careful, logical thinking—the very heart of the liberal art of grammar. These are all true and good reasons to study Latin. But for Catholic schools, there is more. Latin is not simply an academic subject; it is a living connection to the heart of our tradition. The prayers of the Church, her theology, her philosophy, were all formed in Latin. To enter into that world, not as spectators but as participants, requires proficiency in the language itself.
At Veterum Sapientia Institute, we believe this goal is clear: to form students who can truly read and use Latin. Students formed in this way gain direct access to the Church’s treasury of wisdom. No translation can perfectly capture Augustine’s rhetorical skill, Aquinas’ clarity, or the beauty and simplicity of the Vulgate.
But setting proficiency as the goal for Latin classrooms raises important questions:
How do we measure it? How can teachers know whether their students are making real progress?
To meet this need, VSI developed the Latinitas Proficiency Exam (LPE)—a new, standardized assessment designed to measure a student’s proficiency in Latin. Every question on each level of the exam is based on authentic texts from the Latin canon, carefully leveled for grammar and vocabulary frequency. The result is a reliable, data-driven picture of student and school-wide proficiency.
After a successful beta year in 2025, the LPE has already provided participating schools with concrete insights into their students’ strengths and growth areas, helping teachers refine instruction and curricula in their Latin classrooms. You can view an example of this data here.
This coming spring 2026, VSI is expanding the LPE to schools nationwide. Each new participant offers valuable data and contributes to the renewal of Latin education everywhere. We invite your school to be part of this historic step forward, helping establish clear, meaningful standards for Latin in Catholic classrooms.
Join us this spring and help set a new standard for excellence in Latin education.
Learn more about the Latinitas Proficiency Exam and how your school can participate.
For teachers seeking formation in this same vision, VSI offers the Teaching Credential in Latin Pedagogy—a program designed to equip educators with the tools to lead students to true proficiency in the Church’s language. Learn more here.