Five years of school Latin — compressed into two semesters. For many university students (history, theology, classics), that is exactly what the Latinum is: an intensive course that feels like drowning. I know the feeling first-hand: I earned my Latinum in record time while living with dyslexia — and Lapicida Latinus grew straight out of that struggle.
What the Latinum actually tests
At its core, the Latinum tests a single skill: reading real Latin texts and recognising the constructions with confidence — against the clock. Not memorised tables, but Cicero, Caesar, Sallust and Ovid in the original. If you can’t spot the ACI or the ablative absolute inside a sentence, you don’t fail on vocabulary — you fail on structure.
These are the constructions the exam expects you to master:
- ACI and NCI (accusative / nominative with infinitive)
- Ablative absolute and the conjunct participle
- Use of the infinitive, the passive, and every tense
- Relative clauses and ut-clauses
- Indicative and subjunctive, in main and subordinate clauses
Greater and Lesser Latinum
The exact requirements are set locally — by each region, and often by the individual university. When in doubt, ask your examination office which certificate your degree needs. Broadly: the Lesser Latinum certifies a working command of easier prose (often Caesar), while the Greater Latinum demands harder texts (Cicero, historical or philosophical prose, sometimes poetry). Both test the same core constructions — the difference lies in the difficulty and volume of the text, not in the craft itself. That craft is exactly what Lapicida drills.
How Lapicida prepares you for the Latinum
Sentence Quiz — constructions inside a real sentence
The heart of the app. Fifteen sequential areas (levels L3–L27) drill precisely the constructions the Latinum tests — ACI, NCI, ablative absolute, subjunctive, passive and more. You analyse genuine sentences from Cicero and Caesar, and every sentence element is colour-coded the moment you answer. You see instantly what you missed.
Reading mode — the bridge to the exam
Nineteen collections with 322 hand-curated original sentences (Caesar, Cicero, Sallust, the Vulgate), worked through one sentence at a time with analysis right on the text. This is the step from exercise to real reading — the step where the Latinum is won or lost.
Vocabulary trainer & exam mode
Over 11,000 words — from core to frequency vocabulary — in a 7-box Leitner system (spaced repetition). The exam mode gathers exactly the words you’re still shaky on for intensive review in the final weeks before the test.
Forms trainer — read endings with confidence
Morphology learned not from isolated tables but through active production inside real sentences — all declensions, all conjugations, every tense and mood. Because in the exam you rarely fail on vocabulary; you fail on forms: an accusative mistaken for a subject, a case confused, an ACI missed.
Honestly — what Lapicida is not
Lapicida is a training tool, not a full course. For the actual work of translation — continuous texts, interpretation — I’d recommend a course or a tutor alongside it. What Lapicida does: make you so secure in the constructions, forms and vocabulary that grammar stops being the thing that trips you up in class and in the exam. No artificial pressure, no streaks to protect — just an honest account of what it can do.
Who is this for?
- Students required to pass the Latinum (history, theology, classics and more)
- Adults earning the Latinum later in life
- Self-taught learners who want structure
Start free — no account, no credit card. You’ll be inside your first sentence in seconds.
Frequently asked questions about Latinum prep
How long does Latinum preparation take?
From scratch, two to three years is the usual estimate; intensive courses often compress this to three to nine months. What matters is consistency: short daily sessions (10–20 minutes) keep the constructions fresh — which is exactly what Lapicida is built for.
Can I pass the Latinum without a course?
Grammar and forms training without a teacher works very well with a structured app. For genuine translation practice, we still recommend a course or a tutor — Lapicida is a training tool, not a full course.
Do I need the Greater or the Lesser Latinum?
It depends on your subject and your region. Check with your examination office or your study regulations — they’ll tell you which certificate is required.