U skripti piše da studenti ne smiju prepisivati odgovore, čak ni kad je pismeni težak.

Because u meaning in normally takes the locative case when it expresses location.

• skripta = nominative singular
• u skripti = locative singular, meaning in the script / in the handout / in the course packet

So:

• Skripta je na stolu. = The script/handout is on the table.
• U skripti piše... = It says in the script...

Not usually in the English sense of a movie or theater script. In Croatian, skripta often means a study handout, course packet, or compiled set of notes/materials used for studying.

So U skripti piše... is more like:

• It says in the course handout
• The study materials say
• In the packet, it says...

In sentences like this, Croatian often uses piše impersonally, meaning something like:

• it says
• it is written
• one can read

So U skripti piše da... literally looks like In the script, writes that..., but natural English is:

• It says in the script that...
• The script says that...

The subject is not stated directly because Croatian does not always need one in this kind of expression.

Da introduces a subordinate clause, often translated as that.

So:

• U skripti piše da studenti ne smiju... = It says that students must not...

This is very common in Croatian:

• Znam da... = I know that...
• Mislim da... = I think that...
• Piše da... = It says that...

Ne smiju means they must not or they are not allowed to.

It comes from smjeti, which means to be allowed to / may.

• smiju = they may / they are allowed to
• ne smiju = they may not / they are not allowed to

So:

• Studenti ne smiju prepisivati odgovore. = Students must not copy answers.

This is about permission/prohibition, not ability.

Compare:

• ne mogu = they cannot / are unable to
• ne smiju = they are not allowed to

This is an aspect question.

• prepisivati = imperfective
• prepisati = perfective

Here, prepisivati is used because it refers to the general action/activity of cheating by copying answers, not one single completed act.

With verbs like smjeti, morati, moći, Croatian often uses the imperfective infinitive when talking about general permission, obligation, or prohibition.

So:

• ne smiju prepisivati = they must not copy / they are not allowed to be copying answers

This sounds natural for a rule.

If you used prepisati, it would sound more like a single completed act of copying.

Literally, prepisivati means to copy / to write out from another source. But in a school or exam context, it very often means:

• to copy someone else’s answers
• to cheat

So in this sentence, prepisivati odgovore clearly means copying answers dishonestly.

Odgovore is the accusative plural of odgovor (answer), because it is the direct object of prepisivati.

Forms:

• odgovor = nominative singular
• odgovori = nominative plural
• odgovore = accusative plural

So:

• Studenti prepisuju odgovore. = Students copy answers.

The verb is acting on answers, so the accusative is needed.

Čak ni kad means not even when.

Breakdown:

• čak = even
• ni = used in negative emphasis, here giving not even
• kad = when

So:

• čak ni kad je pismeni težak = not even when the written exam is difficult

It strengthens the prohibition:

• Students must not copy answers, even if / not even when the test is hard.

Depending on context, English may translate it as either:

• not even when
• even when
• even if

Pismeni here is short for pismeni ispit or pismeni zadatak, meaning a written exam/test.

Croatian often uses adjectives as nouns when the meaning is obvious from context.

So:

• pismeni = the written exam/test
• usmeni = the oral exam

Very common pair:

• Imam pismeni sutra. = I have a written test tomorrow.
• Položio je usmeni. = He passed the oral exam.

Because težak agrees with pismeni, which is treated as a masculine singular noun here.

• pismeni = masculine singular
• therefore težak = masculine singular

Compare:

• Pismeni je težak. = The written exam is hard.
• Skripta je teška. = The handout is hard/difficult.

The adjective changes to match the noun in gender, number, and case.

Because kad je pismeni težak is a subordinate clause (when the written exam is difficult), and Croatian normally separates this kind of added clause with a comma.

So the structure is:

• main statement: studenti ne smiju prepisivati odgovore
• added subordinate clause: čak ni kad je pismeni težak

The comma helps show that the second part is an additional condition or circumstance.

Yes. Kad and kada both mean when.

• kad is shorter and very common in everyday language
• kada can sound a bit more neutral, careful, or formal depending on context

So both are possible:

• čak ni kad je pismeni težak
• čak ni kada je pismeni težak

The meaning stays the same.