From Anne Dicks, one of the question-setters
As the Observer article of 13.05.07 says of Latin : 'People are looking for something that is intellectually stimulating'.
The European CICERO competition was never intended to be a dumbed-down 'fun' quiz, but a chance for 6th Formers to show and be proud of their intellectual endeavours and achievements.

The competition website provided links to websites about the myth of Europa which the students were expected to look at before they attempted the questions - no-one could possibly answer these questions without some advance preparation! We are particularly grateful to the Schools and Young Audiences Team at the British Museum for providing photos and information about artefacts concerning Europa - some of which are not on public display.

So - yes, the questions were really hard - but anyone would have been impressed by the determined attitude of the students who answered them and by the positive atmosphere in the room as they worked! Judy Nesbit and I (the markers of the UK section of the competition) have certainly been impressed by the standard (and inventiveness!) of the answers we have read.