Organization of Latin Courses
The online courses are offered as pure self-study online courses without additional support. Email support is provided.
You can find a sample lesson here (if you use a pop-up blocker, the server “call.tu-dresden.de” must be allowed).
The teaching materials for the in-person courses will be made available free of charge in the folder section of the OPAL course at the beginning of the semester.
Please note the following information from LaSuB regarding registration for the supplementary examinations in Ancient Greek / Latin:
Since 1 August 2023, the application for admission to the supplementary examination must be submitted to the school supervisory authority no later than 12 weeks before the start of the examination. Any application for compensation for disadvantages must be submitted together with the application for admission (No. 2 letters b and c, Annex 4 to § 66 SOGYA).
For recognition of Latin qualifications below the level of the “Latinum” according to KMK regulations, the Saxon State Ministry of Education is responsible. Please contact:
Saxon State Ministry of Education
Department 45 / Ms. Krämer
Carolaplatz 1, 01097 Dresden
Phone: +49 351 56469514
Email: heidi.kraemer@smk.sachsen.de
Teaching Materials
All Latin courses (in-person courses) use their own internal course materials in book form, which are available for download in the OPAL course folder section.
The online courses use different course materials specifically developed for online instruction, independent of the in-person courses. All materials are free of charge.
The online courses can be accessed without time restrictions until the end of March (winter semester) or the end of September (summer semester). All information and the password will be sent to your student email address, which you must use for registration.
For both in-person and online courses, the purchase of a Latin–German dictionary is required from level B1 onward. The approved dictionaries are listed in the B1 course materials. The dictionary does not need to be available for the first session; instructors will provide information about approved dictionaries at the beginning of the course.
Qualifications
Please consult your study and examination regulations or your academic advisors regarding Latin requirements. Latin proficiency may be defined differently depending on the subject.
The following section provides general information and may not apply to every degree program.
Knowledge of Latin (Kenntnisse in Latein)
= Required in the relevant Bachelor’s and State Examination programs
To obtain the qualification “Knowledge of Latin,” two semester courses are generally required. Passing the exam after Latin B1.1 (2nd semester of Latin) corresponds to the “Knowledge of Latin” requirement in some Bachelor’s programs.
Note: In some Bachelor’s programs (e.g., core studies in Protestant Theology), knowledge of Latin is already acquired after completing a Latin A1 course (4 contact hours per week) and passing a 90-minute written exam. Please consult your study and examination regulations carefully.
Exception: Teacher training students (Mittelschule/Realschule/Oberschule) take the knowledge examination at the State Office for Schools and Education (LaSuB).
- The examination “Knowledge of Latin” (KELA), required under LAPO I for teacher training programs, falls under the legal responsibility of the SMK and is administered by LaSuB.
- The examination is oral (20 minutes, with 20 minutes preparation time).
- During preparation, a text (currently Caesar) of approximately 40 words must be analyzed linguistically using an approved dictionary.
- IDuring the examination, you translate the text and answer questions on grammatical phenomena (morphology, lexicon, syntax), basic vocabulary, background knowledge, and historical context.
- The examination is graded “passed” / “failed.”
Latinum Examination
= Required as a prerequisite for certain Master’s or State Examination programs.
The Latinum examination is usually prepared by attending three consecutive Latin courses.
- The supplementary examination in Latin (“Latinum”) required under LAPO I falls under the legal responsibility of the SMK and is administered by LaSuB.
- The examination consists of a written and an oral part.
- Written part: Duration 180 minutes. A Latin text of approximately 180 words must be translated. Grading follows the Abitur 15–0 point scale.
Admission to the oral examination requires at least 1 point in the written part.
- Oral part: Duration 20 minutes. Preparation time 30 minutes (with approved dictionary). You will receive a Latin text of approximately 50 words. The task sheet contains only the text.
- The oral examination has two parts:
- Part 1: (10 minutes) A paraphrase demonstrating full comprehension of syntax, semantics, and lexicon is expected. Additional questions relate directly to the text (morphology, grammar, lexicon, syntax, word formation, literary-historical background).
- Part 2: Further questions from the same areas, but independent of the text.
- The oral examination is also graded on the 15-point scale. The final result is the unweighted average of the written and oral parts. At least 5 points are required to pass.
- Please refer to Latein B2 – Sprachausbildung TU Dresden | TUDIAS under “Teaching Material” for the basic texts required for the Latinum concerning historical and cultural background.
- The oral examination is also graded on the 15-point scale. The final result is the unweighted average of both parts of the examination (oral and written). A minimum of 5 points is required to pass.
Urgent recommendation: Do not delay or interrupt your Latin studies. If you fail final exams in the three required courses, only one course repetition is possible. If the first attempt at the Latinum examination is also unsuccessful, the acquisition of the Latinum will be significantly delayed.
Examination Registration (KELA and Latinum)
Students required to take the knowledge examination in Latin (teacher training programs) must submit the appropriate form to the State Office for Schools and Education – Dresden branch by the registration deadline, fully completed, signed, and with a current certificate of enrollment: Registration form_Kenntnisse_La_Gr_LaSuB
Students required to take the Latinum examination must submit the appropriate form to the State Office for Schools and Education – Dresden branch by the registration deadline, fully completed, signed, and with a current certificate of enrollment: Registration form_Ergänzungsprüfung_LAT_GRAE_LaSuB
The documents must be sent by email to: poststelle-d@lasub.smk.sachsen.de (State Office for Schools and Education – Dresden branch)
Please note the following information from the LaSuB regarding registration for the supplementary examinations in Ancient Greek / Latin:
Since 1 August 2023, the application for admission to the supplementary examination must be submitted to the school supervisory authority no later than 12 weeks before the start of the examination. Any application for compensation for disadvantages in the supplementary examination must be submitted at the same time as the application for admission to the supplementary examination (No. 2 letters b and c, Annex 4 to § 66 SOGYA).
Examination Dates
Prüfungstermine 2026
FAQ on University Latin Examinations and State Examinations
University Latin Examinations
- When do the university examinations take place?
Centrally for all courses on the last Friday of the lecture period, usually in the afternoon.
- Are there make-up dates?
No. There are no make-up examinations at the Language Center. The next examination date is at the end of the lecture period of the following semester.
- Do I need to register for the written exam?
Yes: https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/slk/lsk/sprachen-fuer-alle-studiengaenge/pruefungen-und-anerkennung-1/pruefungsanmeldung?set_language=de
Without registration, you will not receive a language certificate and the course cannot be credited in the supplementary area.
For language modules in the core area, you may register only for that module. However, we strongly recommend that you also register via SELMA in the Language Center section.
- Do I need to have passed the written exam in order to attend the course at the next level?
No. We assume that you will independently work on any gaps during the lecture-free period. Otherwise, participation in the next higher-level course may not be effective for you.
- Are there oral examinations?
Only if explicitly required in the module description of your degree program. We are currently not aware of any module descriptions that require this.
Latinum / Knowledge of Latin (Kenntnisse in Latein)
- Do I need proof of courses up to B1 or B2 in order to take the Latinum / Knowledge of Latin examinations?
The supplementary examination in Latin (“Latinum”) and the examination “Knowledge of Latin” are under the responsibility of the SMK and are administered by the State Office for Schools and Education (LaSuB). Organizationally, they are not connected to the university.
