OCRGCSE42 resources

OCR GCSE English Literature (9-1) Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free OCR GCSE English Literature (J352) past papers, mark schemes & examiner reports. Shakespeare, poetry, 19th-century prose and modern texts. 42 resources.

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June 2023

1 file

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Exploring poetry and Shakespeare

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June 2022

6 files

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Modern prose or drama

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Modern prose or drama post exam correction

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Poetry across time

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Shakespeare

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English Literature (9-1) – Mark scheme – Poetry across time

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English Literature (9-1) – Mark scheme – Shakespeare

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November 2021

4 files

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Modern prose or drama

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Poetry across time

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Shakespeare

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English Literature (9-1) – Mark scheme – Shakespeare

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November 2020

2 files

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Exploring poetry and Shakespeare

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English Literature (9-1) – Modified papers

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No date

12 files

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Practice Set 1

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English Literature (9-1) – Question paper – Practice Set 1

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English Literature (9-1) – Youth and Age

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English Literature (9-1) – Exploring modern and literary heritage texts

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English Literature (9-1) – Exploring modern and literary heritage texts – A Christmas Carol – Set 1

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English Literature (9-1) – Mark scheme – Practice Set 1

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English Literature (9-1) – Exploring modern and literary heritage texts – A Christmas Carol – Set 2 and 3

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English Literature (9-1) – Mark scheme – Practice Set 1

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English Literature (9-1) – Exploring modern and literary heritage texts – A Christmas Carol – Set 4 and 5

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English Literature (9-1) – Exploring modern and literary heritage texts – Leave Taking Set 1

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English Literature (9-1) – Exploring poetry and Shakespeare

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English Literature (9-1) – Annotated sample assessment materials

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OCR English Literature (J352): Shakespeare, Poetry Anthology, and the Closed-Book Challenge

OCR GCSE English Literature (J352) is a closed-book examination — students cannot take their set texts into the exam, making thorough knowledge of quotations and context essential. The entire grade rests on two written papers — there is no coursework element. Paper 1, Exploring Modern and Literary Heritage Texts, lasts 2 hours and carries 80 marks (50%). It includes a Shakespeare play and a 19th-century prose text such as A Christmas Carol or Pride and Prejudice. Students answer one extract-based question on Shakespeare and one essay on the prose text, demonstrating understanding of character, theme, language, and historical context. Paper 2, Exploring Poetry and Shakespeare, lasts 2 hours and carries 80 marks (50%). It covers the OCR poetry anthology — students are given one printed poem and must compare it with another from the same cluster (such as Love and Relationships, Conflict, or Youth and Age) — and a modern prose or drama text. The unseen poetry section requires analysis of a poem the student has not seen before. OCR's poetry anthology is organised into thematic clusters rather than the chronological groupings used by other boards. This means students can draw on poems spanning several centuries within the same answer, rewarding those who can identify connections across time periods.

Exam Paper Structure

Paper 1

Exploring Modern and Literary Heritage Texts

⏱ 2 hours🎯 80 marks📊 50% of grade

Shakespeare — extract-based close reading19th-century prose — essay on themes, characters and contextClosed-book assessment

Paper 2

Exploring Poetry and Shakespeare

⏱ 2 hours🎯 80 marks📊 50% of grade

Poetry anthology — comparative response within a thematic clusterUnseen poetry analysisModern prose or drama — essay response

Key Information

Exam Board	OCR
Specification Code	J352
Qualification	GCSE
Grading Scale	9–1
Assessment Type	2 written exams (closed book, no coursework)
Tiers	None (single tier)
Number Of Papers	2
Exam Duration	2 hours per paper
Total Marks	160 (80 per paper)
Calculator Status	Not applicable
Total Resources	42

Key Topics in English Literature (9-1)

Topics you need to know

Shakespeare — dramatic techniques, character and themes19th-century prose — social and historical contextPoetry anthology — thematic clusters and comparisonUnseen poetry — analysis without prior knowledgeModern prose or drama — character and narrative voiceWriter's methods — language, form and structure

Exam Command Words

Command word	What the examiner expects
Explore	Examine a theme, character or technique in depth, considering multiple interpretations
Analyse	Examine how language, structure or form creates meaning and effects
Compare	Identify similarities and differences between two texts with developed analysis
How does	Examine the methods a writer uses to achieve an effect or convey meaning
Explain	Give reasons supported by evidence from the text
To what extent	Assess how far a statement is true, weighing evidence from the text

Typical Grade Boundaries

Grade	Approximate mark needed
Grade 9	70–82%
Grade 8	60–69%
Grade 7	50–59%
Grade 6	42–49%
Grade 5	33–41%
Grade 4	25–32%
Grade 3	17–24%
Grade 2	9–16%
Grade 1	~4–8%

⚠️ Typical boundaries across two papers (160 total marks). Actual boundaries vary by series — check OCR's website.

Closed-Book Revision: Building Quotation Banks and Contextual Knowledge for OCR English Lit

Because OCR English Literature is closed book, your revision should centre on building a quotation bank for each text — aim for 3–5 quotations per character and 3–5 per theme. Choose short, versatile quotations (2–6 words) that you can analyse at word level rather than long passages you might misremember under exam pressure. For the poetry anthology, learn the poems in pairs within each cluster. When you open the paper, you will see one printed poem and must choose a second to compare. If you have already practised pairing poems by theme, tone, or technique, you can make your choice quickly and spend more time writing. OCR examiners consistently reward responses that address the writer's methods — language, form, and structure — rather than retelling the plot. A common pitfall is narrative paraphrase: 'Scrooge sees the ghost and becomes scared' earns far fewer marks than 'Dickens uses the exclamatory sentence to convey Scrooge's terror, reflecting the Victorian fascination with the supernatural.' The second version analyses method and links to context. Practise writing under timed conditions for each section separately before attempting a full 2-hour paper. For the Shakespeare extract question, allocate 45–50 minutes; for the prose essay, 50–55 minutes. Use the remaining time to review your quotation accuracy.

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OCR GCSE English Literature (9-1) Past Papers & Mark Schemes

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June 2023

June 2022

November 2021

November 2020

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OCR English Literature (J352): Shakespeare, Poetry Anthology, and the Closed-Book Challenge

Exam Paper Structure

Key Information

Key Topics in English Literature (9-1)

Exam Command Words

Typical Grade Boundaries

Closed-Book Revision: Building Quotation Banks and Contextual Knowledge for OCR English Lit

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