No Surprises: A Walkthrough of Every Question in the OCR Latin GCSE exam
- Ana Martin
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
Not knowing what the exam will look like can be unnerving, especially when each subject has different expectations for different question types.
Whereas you cannot predict what the passages to translate or analyse will be, you can enter the room with a good idea of how much time and attention you should be giving to every question: it is very important that you keep this in mind when working through the answers to have a good chance to show how much you know in full.
Below is a question-by-question overview of both the Language Paper and the Latin Prose Literature and Latin Verse Literature papers. I have kept it as summarised as possible to help you get a good overview.
Disclaimer: please check OCR website for latest information and make sure you understand their requirements. This is just my interpretation based on past papers, examiner reports and general experience as a teacher and examiner.
You should always learn what works best for you by completing past papers and getting feedback on your work.
General advice before you start:
Complete the exam in order, as the story will make more sense in that way. You can always leave blanks and then return once you have a better overview of what is going on.
Always spend time reading the introduction in italics first, and then revisiting if you are confused. There are clues about what is happening there, and you may even get the meaning of a couple of words confirmed!
Read well the glossary, making sure you understand if a word is a noun, verb, adjective, etc, so that you can use it properly. Always check people's name to make sure you are using the translation they give you: the form in the text might not be how we call the person or place in English.
Marks and times by paper:
Language: 100 marks, 90 minutes = less than a minute per mark, but you should work quickly through short questions and spend more time on the final translation
Prose and Verse: 50 marks, 60 minutes = just over a minute per mark. Allow at least 10 minutes for 8 marker and 12-15 for 10 marker
Below are the all 3 papers in the order they will be scheduled in the calendar. I have not included the Literature and Culture Paper.
OCR GCSE LATIN LANGUAGE PAPER
SECTION A
Comprehension: 16 marks
Passage 1 followed by short questions, 1-2 marks each.
Derivation exercise: 4 marks
2 words, 2 marks each for derivative and meaning
Question 10 and 11, or 11 and 12 (10 marks each, only one counts)
They ask you to choose, but do first the easiest and go back to the other one at the end if you have time, as they will allocate the highest mark.
I will insist on this: yes, you can do both. What is more, you should prepare for both, as the skills they develop are essential to understand how the language works.
Composition is not a nice to have, it is your way of testing whether you actually know Latin.
Grammar questions, examples:
· Identify the tense of X
· Pick out an adverb/pronoun/adjective in line X
· Identify a verb in the present/future/imperfect/perfect/pluperfect in line x
· Identify the form of X and explain why it is used here
· Identify the case of X
· Identify an example of case X in line Y
· Identify the case of X and explain why it is used here
· Identify the form of X and explain why it is used here
· Explain why X is in the subjunctive
Remember that there are 7 uses of the subjunctive, 6 cases, 8 parts of speech; “form” can be infinitive, imperative, etc but is almost always a question about an infinitive.
Translation English > Latin
3 sentences to translate using the restricted vocabulary list
1 mark per word (sentences are 3 or 4 marks)
SECTION B
Comprehension:
20 marks, passage 2 followed by 8 questions, 1-4 marks each
Translation: 50 marks
· Make sure to cross out any rough translations and alternative translations
· Make sure you do not omit any words
OCR GCSE PROSE AND VERSE PAPERS
(Prose Literature A, Prose Literature B, Verse Literature A, Verse Literature B)
Types of questions (order will vary):
Latin text, followed by short questions (1-3 marks)
Here, make sure you answer from within the text cited in the question
Latin text, followed by a style/content question (4 marks) for which they want 2 points clearly marked.
Example of prompt “Make two points, each referring to the Latin.”
Longer Latin text with an extended style and content question (8marks):
o Two subpoints as examples of what to cover (basically content from across passage)
o Example of prompt: “You should refer to the Latin and discuss the author’s use of language.”
o Use MANGOES
o USE PETE: Point/Example/Translation/Explanation (or similar)
o For an 8, board asks for at least 5 points, of which 2 must be style. Be safe and do at least 3-5 style, plus content
o Content points are acceptable but style ones are mandatory
o Show the link between style and content
o No needed intro
o Conclusion desirable but not essential
o Mark allocation is general and not per point, so make sure you quote from across the text and include different types of style points (MANGOES can you give an indication here)
Translate this passage into English: 5 marks
Pick out and translate a Latin word from this sentence which shows X.
2 marks. If it says one word, it is one word.
Text in Latin with translation below:
Style only question. Prompt example: “make two points, each referring to the Latin.”
NB: Even if there is a translation, you must still quote and translate the Latin
Mini-essay (10 marks)
o Prompt: “You should support your answer with a range of references to the texts you have read, and you may include passages printed on the question paper.”
o No Latin quotation needed (but they are allowed)
o Intro and conclusion needed
o Text must be cohesive and coherent
o All points must have thorough examples and link to the argument
o Examining board seems to ask for at least 6 points, but you can do more to be safe, as long as structure and quality are the focus
o Breadth and depth is as important as the quantity of points
o You must cover the whole text (beginning, middle and end)
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