Origins in the Junior Classical League
Certamen is organized under the auspices of the Junior Classical League (JCL), a national organization founded in 1936 to promote the study of Latin and classical civilization among secondary school students. The JCL operates at the local, state, and national levels, and Certamen is its flagship competitive event. The name itself is quintessentially apt: certamen appears in classical Latin texts by authors such as Cicero and Livy to denote any contest of skill or strength — from gladiatorial bouts to oratorical debates. Bringing this word into a modern academic competition is a deliberate nod to the culture students are studying.
While the JCL hosts the most visible Certamen tournaments — including the prestigious National JCL Convention held each summer — independent Certamen invitationals have flourished in parallel. Tournaments hosted by university Classics departments, such as Yale Certamen and the University of Maryland Certamen, attract teams from across the country and carry their own prestige. These events are not affiliated with the JCL but follow broadly compatible formats, allowing students to compete year-round rather than only at JCL conventions.
Format: Toss-Ups, Bonuses, and Written Rounds
A Certamen match is played between teams of three to four students. The moderator reads questions aloud, and players compete to buzz in first on toss-up questions, each worth a set number of points (commonly 10). A correct toss-up answer earns the team a bonus round: a set of follow-up questions on the same or a related topic, often worth additional points of varying weight. An incorrect buzz or a failure to answer within the time limit typically results in the question being thrown open to the opposing team, though exact rules on interruptions and penalties vary by tournament.
Many Certamen tournaments also include a written round component, administered individually rather than as a team. The written portion tests the same content areas but rewards sustained accuracy over time rather than buzzer speed. Combined scores from the oral and written rounds determine final standings at many invitational tournaments, though the JCL convention format differs somewhat from invitational norms.
Levels of Competition
Certamen is divided into difficulty levels to accommodate students at different stages of Latin study. The most common tiers are Novice (typically students in their first or second year of Latin), Intermediate (third and fourth year), and Advanced or Open (experienced students with a strong grasp of Latin grammar and classical literature). Advanced-level questions routinely involve sight translation of passages, obscure mythological genealogies, and nuanced grammatical analysis that would challenge even experienced competitors. Novice questions, by contrast, focus on basic vocabulary, the most famous myths, and introductory grammar forms.
What the Questions Cover
Certamen questions span five broad content categories, each requiring a distinct set of knowledge and skills:
- Latin Language: Grammar, syntax, translation, and vocabulary drawn from classical Latin texts.
- Roman History: Events, figures, and institutions from the Roman Kingdom through the Late Empire.
- Roman Mythology: Gods, heroes, myths, and their sources, especially Ovid's Metamorphoses and Vergil's Aeneid.
- Latin Literature: Authors, works, literary terms, and passages — particularly Cicero, Caesar, Vergil, Horace, and Ovid.
- Classical Culture: Daily life, religion, Roman architecture, geography of the ancient world, and the Roman calendar.
Success in Certamen demands more than memorizing facts. The competition rewards students who can recognize definitive clues early in a question — before the moderator finishes reading — and buzz in confidently. Deep familiarity with the canonical sources of classical antiquity, combined with rapid recall under pressure, is what separates the top competitors from the rest.
Why Compete in Certamen?
Beyond the competitive thrill, Certamen offers something rare among academic contests: genuine engagement with one of history's most enduring civilizations. Students who prepare seriously for Certamen develop working knowledge of Latin grammar, a feel for the major works of Roman literature, and a mental map of ancient Mediterranean history that enriches their broader education. Colleges and universities with strong Classics programs consistently look favorably on Certamen experience, and the skills of rapid analysis and confident communication transfer directly to debate, law, and academic research. For any student studying Latin, Certamen is the most rewarding competitive outlet available.