At the NJCL convention, there are many written tests. There is no harm to taking tests, so even if one has little knowledge concerning Greek Derivatives, they can and should still take the test. The tests include Classical Greek, Heptathlon, the Decathlon, Ancient Geography, Classical Art, Latin Grammar, Greek Derivatives, Greek History, Greek Life and Literature, Latin Derivatives, Latin Literature, Mottoes Abbreviations and Quotations, Mythology, Reading Comprehension, Roman History, Roman Life, and Latin Vocabulary. The resources given on this page will hopefully help WJCLers to prepare for the rigorous tests at nationals. The Certamen resources page should be used to study for the Roman history, Latin Grammar, Latin Vocabulary, Mythology, and Latin literature tests. Old NJCL tests can be found only on this page. There is no other website or place that has these tests.
Ancient Greek Grammar
There is a Greek Grammar test at both national and state convention. Because there is a scarcity of people who know any syntax, vocabulary, or even to read the letters, it is possible to score well without much knowledge of Greek. At state convention, there is a Greek Grammar test, and although it is very easy, few people have any knowledge of Greek. The state Greek Grammar test is fairly easy and asks no questions about actual syntax, and if one were to know the Greek alphabet and the 65 most common Greek words, they would likely place first or second on the state Greek Grammar test. At national convention, the test is very difficult and rigorous. It starts with 50 vocabulary questions which are often obscure, and then 50 grammar questions which are often very hard. Using these guides will ensure a good score on either.
Ancient Greek Letters Guide - Unfortunately Greek and English do not share an alphabet. This is a one page guide that shows the Ancient Greek letters and their English equivalents.
The 50% vocabulary list (65 most common words) - This list makes up 50% of the Greek database. There are only 65 words in this guide, and if it were to be memorized, one would do very well (1st, 2nd, or third place) on the WJCL test. It is barely a page, and includes only the most important words. Knowing this guide is beneficial for state convention, however at NJCL convention, knowing this guide will not be enough information to place in the top ten.
80% vocabulary list - This 1193 word vocabulary Ancient Greek vocabulary guide which makes up 80% of all vocabulary says "As students of ancient Greek know, some Greek words can appear in multiple forms. Did the Greeks have a memory vastly superior to speakers of other languages? No. They knew multiple forms of many words but Greek uses a smaller number of different words. Many languages have a core of about 2,000-3,000 words generate the 80% portion (in English it's about 2,300). Greek, however, reaches the 80% mark with half the number of vocabulary items. The goal, here, then is to capture those words which make up 80% of most Greek."
Ancient Greek principle Parts - Ancient Greek verbs have a total of six parts (unfortunately). This makes Greek verbs much harder than Latin verbs. This 10 page guide offers many of the principle parts of Attic Greek.
Hansen and Quinn Greek Textbook- It is extremely difficult to find textbooks online for free, however this one is in the form of a Scribd document. It is a textbook which can be used to study from and slowly learn about the syntax of the language. It is quite long and detailed and gives a lot of information for studying.
The Perseus Project- gives almost all of the surviving works of Ancient Greece.
Greek Bible - The New Testament was famously written in Greek. It is the easiest work of Greek to read, and after two weeks, a student of Ancient Greek can start to understand it.
Smyth - A book that is a comprehensive guide to Greek Grammar. It is extremely hard to read and has numerous footnotes. It has 3048 sections and is probably better used as a reference, or to challenge inaccuracies.
To take the Greek derivatives test, one does not need to have knowledge of the Greek Alphabet. Greek derivatives are asked on both national and state tests.
Greenwald's Greek Derivatives Dictionary - A very long national source that is essentially comprehensive FJCL Greek Derivatives Study Guide - The Florida Junior Classical League's rather short guide to Greek Derivatives, learning this short, 4 page guide would ensure one of the top places at the state level, and proficiency at the national level
There are only two guides posted here because there is a scarcity of guides concerning Greek history. These two guides together are more or less comprehensive
