A complete guide to OCR GCSE English Literature

Key takeaways:

• OCR English Literature consists of two papers, both 2 hours long and 80 marks each.

• The exams are closed-text, so you won’t be able to bring your texts into the exam hall with you.

• Grade boundaries are set after the exams. Take a look at the previous years' marks below to get an idea of how many marks you’ll need to hit your target grade.

What’s the format of the OCR GCSE English Literature exam?

The OCR English Literature exam consists of the following:

• Two closed-text written papers, which means you can’t bring the exam texts into the exam hall with you.

• Each paper is 2 hours long and worth 80 marks.

• The total available marks are 160.

• The papers each contribute towards 50% of your final grade.

You will be tested on four set texts, which must include one Shakespeare play, a selection of poetry post-1789, one 19th-century novel, and one modern prose or drama text from the British Isles.

What’s the difference between Papers 1 and 2 for OCR English Literature?

The two papers are of equal length and weighting, but test you on different parts of the English Literature curriculum.

Paper 1: Exploring modern and literary heritage texts

Paper 1 is split into two sections: the first tests you on modern prose or drama, and the second tests the 19th-century novel.

Section A: Modern prose or drama

In this section, you will be given a choice of questions to answer based on the different set texts you have studied.

Once you’ve chosen the question you feel most confident in answering, there are two parts to answer.

• Part A: Asks you to compare the themes, characters or other topics that are presented in your set text and an extract of another piece that’s provided. The aim is to provide a close comparison of the texts, focusing on language, narrative voice and other techniques.

• Part B: Asks you a related question focusing on another aspect of your set text, with no extract provided.

Section B: 19th-century prose

You will need to select one question from the two options given. Again, you’ll need to choose a question from the set text that you studied.

• The questions will either be an extract-based question, where you are given an extract to refer to, or an essay question about the whole text.

• Questions on Paper 1 are marked on your ability to sustain your arguments, the structure of your response, your use of textual evidence and your ability to create a coherent personal response.

Take a look at the OCR English Literature Paper 1 from May 2024 to learn more.

Paper 2: Exploring poetry and Shakespeare

Paper 2 focuses on your other two set texts: a Shakespeare play and a selection of poems.

The paper is once again split into two sections, which consist of:

Section A: Poetry

You will be asked to answer one question, split into two parts.

• Part A: Asks you to compare a poem from your set text anthology to an unseen poem included in the paper on the same theme.

• Part B: Asks a related question on another poem from your set text anthology, again linked by the same theme.

Section B: Shakespeare

• You will need to select one question from the two options given. Again, you’ll need to choose a question from the set text that you studied.

• The questions will either be an extract-based question, where you are given an extract to refer to, or an essay question about the whole play.

Take a look at the OCR English Literature Paper 2 from May 2024 to learn more.

What are examiners looking for?

The questions are asking you to show your knowledge of the texts and wider contexts.

• Examiners are looking for a detailed, clear analysis of the texts and a well-structured argument.

• You’ll gain marks for supporting your arguments with evidence, such as quotes.

• You should be analysing language, structure, and form, and showing your understanding of the wider historical context of the novel, play, or poem.

• It’s also important to show you can compare and contrast texts and show your own opinions on them, too.

Find out more about what examiners are looking for by taking a look at previous OCR GCSE English Literature mark schemes.

What are the grade boundaries for OCR GCSE English Literature?

It’s important to remember that the exact grade boundaries for your GCSE exams will change every year. Exam boards adjust the grade boundaries after an exam has happened, depending on how advanced the exam content was and how the cohort performed.

This is so students don’t have an advantage or disadvantage because of the year they took the paper. For example, if your paper were harder, grade boundaries would be lowered so that a grade 5 reflects the same level of knowledge as in previous years.

To give a sense of what to expect, here’s a summary of the grade boundaries for the last few years for OCR English Literature GCSE:

As you can see, the fluctuation year on year is not that significant, which gives you a sense of the marks you need to aim for to reach your target grades in the next round of exams.

*The table looks back at the last few years, excluding 2022, as the total marks available that year were reduced.

What are the core texts for OCR English Literature?

The set texts for OCR are periodically reviewed, but as of the 2024 specification, they are currently:

Modern prose or drama

• Anita and Me by Meera Syal

• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

• Animal Farm by George Orwell

• An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

• DNA by Dennis Kelly

• Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock

19th-century prose

• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

• The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

• The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Shakespeare

• Romeo and Juliet

• The Merchant of Venice

• Macbeth

• Much Ado About Nothing

Poetry anthology

• One selection of poems from the OCR Poetry Anthology on the themes of: Love & Relationships, Conflict, Youth & Age

• The anthology includes 15 poems per theme

Each school will select and teach:

• One modern prose/drama

• One 19th-century prose

• One Shakespeare play

• One poetry cluster

Your school will choose your set texts in advance of the exam and teach them in detail throughout Year 10 and 11, preparing you for the exams.

How can I prepare for GCSE English Literature?

Here are 5 top tips for preparing for your GCSE English Literature exams:

1. Know your set texts

The key area that GCSE English Literature tests is your knowledge and understanding of your set texts.

• Read and re-read each of your set texts, noting key themes, passages and characters.

• Make summary sheets for each of the key themes, characters, context, and quotes.

• Learn a selection of short, powerful quotations per text, aiming to cover the key themes that may come up on the exam.

• Watch theatre or film adaptations to expand your understanding, but always compare them to the original text.

Top tip: Try teaching others what you know about a text to help build confidence in your understanding.

2. Practise writing little and often

English Literature exam questions are asking you to write clear and comprehensive answers.

• Practise writing PEE/PEEL paragraphs (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) as a clear way to structure your thoughts.

• Use past papers and practise writing answers under timed conditions.

• Focus on analysing the text, not just retelling the story. Think about how language, structure, and form create meaning.

• Get feedback from your teacher to refine your essay writing technique.

Top tip: Use practice papers under timed conditions to get used to planning and writing clear answers.

3. Don’t forget to revise the wider themes and context

Literature doesn’t exist in isolation. All your set texts relate to the time they were written; examiners will want to see your knowledge of wider issues at play.

• Identify what each text says about society, morality, gender, power, class, love, conflict, etc.

• Link these to the historical and cultural context of the piece, for example, the use of Victorian morals in Jekyll and Hyde.

• Create theme maps showing how different characters and events connect to key ideas.

Top tip: Colour code your notes to help organise your thoughts and make them easier to digest.

4. Practise with new poems and extracts

Testing your skills with past papers is a great way to build speed, accuracy and confidence.

• For unseen poetry or extracts, practise reading and annotating quickly

• Ask yourself: What’s the tone? What’s the main message? How does the writer create mood or tension?

• Then write short comparative responses to your set texts.

Top tip: You can find examples of extracts or poems in OCR past papers to practise with.

5. Mimic test conditions

Set yourself up for success by practising in exam conditions to get used to working quickly and with full focus.

• Try to sit a full paper under timed conditions, without your notes or texts.

• Afterwards, mark your own work using the OCR marking criteria or swap with a friend and mark each other.

• Reflect on the process: How did you manage your time? Did you plan before writing? Did you include enough quotations and analysis?

Top tip: Break down each question into chunks and set yourself enough time to answer each section.

For more revision top tips, check out our blog on GCSE study habits to build.