National Mythology Exam (NME)

The National Mythology Exam is an annual assessment administered by the American Classical League (ACL) to students in the United States who are studying classical mythology. The National Mythology Exams comprise two tests: the Pegasus Mythology Exam, and the Medusa Mythology Exam.

Interested in the competition?

Medusa Mythology Exam Competition Overview

Grade 9 to 12

Eligibility

$6.50 per student (online) and $8.50 (paper) (ACL member receives $1 discount)

Registration and Shipping Fee

September 1 - January 31

Registration Timeline

February 9 - March 16

Exam Administration

Mid-May

Exam Results

📌 Note: Aralia is not the organizer of this competition. For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer directly to the competition organizer. Aralia provides listings and information about competitions for student reference. Aralia is an online education platform offering competition preparation classes to students worldwide.

Pegasus Mythology Exam Competition Overview

Grade 3 to 8

Eligibility

$7 per student (online) and $9 (paper) (ACL member receives $1 discount)

Registration and shipping fee

September 1 - January 31

Registration timeline

February 9 - March 16

Exam Administration

Late April

Exam Results

Competition Details

1. Introduction

These exams are available to all students interested in classical mythology and are administered annually to over 9,000 students in about 400 schools worldwide.

The Medusa Mythology Exam was established in 1998 to recognize and acknowledge students’ excellence and passion for Greco-Roman mythology and encourage their pursuit of the subject. It also aims to enhance their understanding of the ancient world and its impact on contemporary society. While the exam’s content changes each year to reflect a unique theme, it consistently covers a broad array of ancient Greco-Roman mythological topics and characters, including those historically underrepresented, such as the stories of mythological women.

2. Theme

Medusa: Game of Thrones: Olympian Edition

Pegasus: The Underworld

3. Awards

Medusa:

Perfect paper: special perfect paper certificate + summa cum laude recognition
Summa cum laude: gold medal + printable certificate
Maxima cum laude: silver medal + printable certificate
Magna cum laude: ribbon + printable certificate
Cum laude: printable certificate

Pegasus:

Perfect paper: Certificate + gold medal
Summa cum laude: gold medal + printable certificate
Maxima cum laude: silver medal + printable certificate
Magna cum laude: (listed as bronze on results report) ribbon + printable certificate
Cum laude: printable certificate