Complete OCR A-Level Greek specification revision resources. Tailored syllabus coverage with topic breakdowns, quizzes, and practice questions.
Overview
The OCR A-Level in Classical Greek offers students the opportunity to develop advanced language skills while immersing themselves in the literature and culture of ancient Greece. The course is designed to build on prior knowledge from GCSE, gradually extending grammatical understanding and vocabulary to enable fluent reading of original texts. Over two years, learners translate unseen passages of Greek prose and verse, studying the nuances of ancient authors’ style, vocabulary, and syntax. This component not only sharpens linguistic precision but also promotes a deeper appreciation of the literary artistry that has shaped Western thought.
Alongside language work, the specification requires the detailed study of set texts from both prose and verse genres. Students explore major works by authors such as Homer, Euripides, Sophocles, Plato, Lysias, and Thucydides, engaging critically with themes like heroism, justice, democracy, and the human condition. Through literary analysis and discussion of historical and cultural context, learners gain insight into the values and ideas of classical Athens and beyond. The set texts are prescribed by OCR and rotate periodically, ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum that covers epic, tragedy, philosophy, historiography, and oratory.
The linear structure of the qualification means all assessment takes place at the end of the two-year course, allowing time for deep learning and consolidation. Students are supported by a clear syllabus, endorsed textbooks, and a wealth of online resources including past papers and examiner reports. The balance of unseen translation, literature, and the option to specialise in either prose composition or comprehension gives learners the chance to play to their strengths while gaining a thorough grounding in the ancient language and its legacy.
Why Choose OCR for Greek?
OCR is one of the leading UK exam boards for classical subjects, with decades of experience in designing rigorous and respected qualifications. Its Classical Greek specification is carefully structured to reward genuine linguistic ability and literary appreciation, making it highly valued by top universities.
The choice between prose composition and comprehension in Paper 2 allows students to play to their strengths: those who enjoy active language production can opt for composition, while others can focus on analysis and understanding via the comprehension route. This flexibility is unique to OCR and helps tailor the course to individual learning styles.
OCR provides extensive support materials, including endorsed editions of set texts, detailed anthologies of prescribed passages, sample answers, and a large bank of past papers. The specification is transparently assessed with clear mark schemes, helping both teachers and students to target high performance.
Assessment & Exam Structure
The A-Level consists of four written examination papers, all taken in the summer of the second year. Paper 1 (Unseen Translation) is 1 hour 45 minutes and contributes 25% of the total marks with 100 raw marks. Paper 2 offers a choice between Prose Composition (a passage of English to translate into Greek) and Prose Comprehension (unseen Greek with questions and a short English-to-Greek task); this paper is 1 hour 15 minutes, carries 50 raw marks, and is worth 25% of the qualification. Papers 3 and 4 are each 2 hours long, each worth 25% and 100 raw marks, assessing set texts in prose and verse respectively. All components test knowledge, analysis, and understanding of language and literature, with no coursework or controlled assessment.
Specification Topics
- Classical Greek Accidence (Nouns, Adjectives, Pronouns, Verbs, Numbers, Prepositions, Adverbs)
- Classical Greek Syntax (Case usage, Negation, Direct speech, Infinitive, Participle, Subordinate clauses, Conditionals, Indirect speech etc.)
- Unseen Translation
- Unseen Prose Translation (Xenophon)
- Unseen Verse Translation and Scansion (Euripides / Sophocles, iambic trimeter)
- Prose Composition or Comprehension
- Comprehension, Translation and Grammar Questions on Unseen Prose (Oratory)
- Prose Composition (English into Classical Greek)
- Prose Literature
- Prose Set Text Group 1 (2023–24): Thucydides, Histories Book 6.19–6.32
- Prose Set Text Group 1 (2025–26): Herodotus, Book 1, 1–6, 8–13 and 19–22
- Prose Set Text Group 1 (2027–28): Herodotus, Book 7, 207–226
- Prose Set Text Group 1 (2023–24): Plato, Symposium 189c2–194e2
- Prose Set Text Group 1 (2025–26): Plato, Republic Book 1, 327a–332b
- Prose Set Text Group 1 (2027–28): Plato, Crito 43a–48d
- Prose Set Text Group 1 (2023–24): Plutarch, Alcibiades X.1.1–XVI.5
- Prose Set Text Group 1 (2027–28): Lucian, Charon 1–5 and 15–21
- Prose Set Text Group 2 (2023–24): Thucydides, Histories Book 6.47–6.50.1 & 6.53–6.61
- Prose Set Text Group 2 (2025–26): Herodotus, Book 1, 29–45
- Prose Set Text Group 2 (2027–28): Herodotus, Book 8, 6–26
- Prose Set Text Group 2 (2023–24): Plato, Symposium 201d–206b
- Prose Set Text Group 2 (2025–26): Plato, Republic Book 1, 336b–337a7 and 338a4–342
- Prose Set Text Group 2 (2027–28): Plato, Crito 48d to end
- Prose Set Text Group 2 (2025–26): Plutarch, Antony 76–86
- Verse Literature
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2023–24): Homer, Odyssey 1, lines 213–444
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2025–26): Homer, Iliad 16, lines 20–47, 644–867
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2027–28): Homer, Odyssey 16, lines 201–451
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2023–24): Sophocles, Ajax, lines 1–133, 284–347, 748–783
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2025–26): Euripides, Hippolytus, lines 284–361, 391–524
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2027–28): Sophocles, Electra, lines 1–85 and 254–416
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2023–24): Aristophanes, Clouds, lines 1–242
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2025–26): Aristophanes, Frogs, lines 1–208 and 830–874
- Verse Set Text Group 3 (2027–28): Aristophanes, Birds, lines 1–259
- Verse Set Text Group 4 (2023–24): Homer, Odyssey 6, lines 85–331
- Verse Set Text Group 4 (2025–26): Homer, Iliad 24, lines 349–595
- Verse Set Text Group 4 (2027–28): Homer, Odyssey 22, lines 1–238
- Verse Set Text Group 4 (2023–24): Sophocles, Ajax, lines 430–582, 646–692, 815–865
- Verse Set Text Group 4 (2025–26): Euripides, Hippolytus, lines 601–624, 627–633, 638–662, 664–668, 682–731, 885–911, 914–1035
- Verse Set Text Group 4 (2027–28): Sophocles, Electra, lines 516–763
Top Exam Board Tips
- Focus on building a wide vocabulary as there is no defined vocabulary list for A Level
- Practice distinguishing words with identical spelling but different accentuation
- Ensure proficiency in writing breathing marks for prose composition
- Do not spend time learning dual forms as they are not required
- Be prepared to handle lunate sigma and iota adscript as they will not be used in exam papers
- Focus on mastering the full range of standard and common irregular noun and verb forms
- Practice identifying and translating all types of subordinate clauses listed in the specification
- Ensure familiarity with the use of ἄν in various contexts
- Regularly practice scanning iambic trimeter for verse components
- Use the provided vocabulary lists as a foundation and build upon them through wider reading
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Failure to distinguish between words of identical spelling due to incorrect accentuation
- Incorrect handling of compound verb prefix changes
- Misidentification of irregular verb forms
- Omission or incorrect placement of breathing marks in prose composition
- Failure to distinguish between words of identical spelling with different accentuation
- Incorrect application of breathing marks in prose composition
- Misinterpretation of complex subordinate clauses within indirect speech
- Inaccurate handling of the infinitive or participle in context