100+ Free A-Level Ancient Greek Practice Questions

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In Aristophanes' Acharnians, what does the protagonist Dicaeopolis do?

Leads an Athenian fleet to victory

Becomes general of the Acharnians

Surrenders Athens to Sparta

Makes a private peace treaty with Sparta and enjoys its benefits while the war continues

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Key Facts: A-Level Ancient Greek Exam

H444

OCR specification code

OCR

4 components

Papers in full A-Level

OCR H444 specification

May-June

Exam series

OCR timetable

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep

OCR A-Level Classical Greek (H444) is a linear two-year course assessed by four written components totalling 300 marks. The 2025-2026 series features Herodotus Book 1, Homer Iliad 16, and Euripides Hippolytus among set texts; grading uses the A*-E scale.

Sample A-Level Ancient Greek Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your A-Level Ancient Greek exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which Greek letter corresponds to the English consonant 'p'?

A.π (pi)

B.φ (phi)

C.ψ (psi)

D.ρ (rho)

Explanation: π (pi) is the plain unaspirated stop transliterated as 'p'. φ is the aspirated 'ph', ψ is the cluster 'ps', and ρ is the trilled 'r'.

2What does a rough breathing (῾) over an initial vowel indicate?

A.The vowel is preceded by /h/

B.The vowel is long

C.The vowel carries pitch accent

D.The vowel is elided

Explanation: A rough breathing represents the sound /h/ before an initial vowel (e.g. ὁ = 'ho'). A smooth breathing (᾽) marks the absence of /h/. Breathings are not length or accent marks.

3On Greek finite verbs, the accent is described as 'recessive'. What does this mean?

A.It falls as far back from the end as the quantity of the final syllable allows

B.It must fall on the ultima

C.It is always a circumflex

D.It alternates between syllables in different persons

Explanation: Recessive accent retreats toward the beginning of the word, going back as far as the last-syllable rule allows: only to the antepenult if the ultima is short, otherwise only to the penult. This contrasts with the 'persistent' accent of nouns.

4Which accent can stand only on a long vowel or diphthong?

A.Circumflex (῀)

B.Acute (´)

C.Grave (`)

D.Both grave and acute

Explanation: A circumflex requires a long vowel or diphthong because it represents a high–low pitch movement contained within one long syllable. Acute can stand on long or short; grave only appears on the ultima in connected text.

5What is the genitive singular of λόγος (logos, 'word')?

A.λόγου

B.λόγος

C.λόγῳ

D.λόγον

Explanation: λόγος is a 2nd-declension masculine noun. Its case endings are -ος, -ου, -ῳ, -ον in the singular, so the genitive singular is λόγου.

6Which form is the dative plural of πόλις (polis, 'city')?

A.πόλεσι(ν)

B.πόλεις

C.πόλεων

D.πόλει

Explanation: πόλις is a 3rd-declension i-stem noun. Its dative plural is πόλεσι, with movable ν before a vowel or pause. πόλεις is nom./acc. plural, πόλεων is genitive plural, πόλει is dative singular.

7What is the nominative plural of the 1st-declension feminine noun θάλασσα ('sea')?

A.θάλασσαι

B.θαλάσσας

C.θαλάσσης

D.θάλασσα

Explanation: 1st-declension feminine nouns ending in -α or -η form the nominative plural in -αι. θάλασσα → θάλασσαι. Note recessive accent shift is not required because -αι counts as short for accent.

8Which form of the adjective ἀγαθός correctly agrees with τὴν γυναῖκα?

A.ἀγαθήν

B.ἀγαθόν

C.ἀγαθούς

D.ἀγαθή

Explanation: γυναῖκα is feminine accusative singular. The matching adjective form is ἀγαθήν (1st-declension feminine accusative singular). ἀγαθόν is neuter or masc. acc. sg.; ἀγαθούς is masc. acc. pl.; ἀγαθή is nom. sg. fem.

9What is the irregular comparative form of ἀγαθός ('good')?

A.ἀμείνων / βελτίων / κρείσσων

B.ἀγαθότερος

C.ἀγαθώτατος

D.πλείων

Explanation: ἀγαθός is irregular and has several suppletive comparatives: ἀμείνων, βελτίων, κρείσσων (and also λῴων), each with its own nuance. The regular -τερος suffix is not used.

10What is the distinction between a 'thematic' and an 'athematic' Greek verb?

A.Thematic verbs add a thematic vowel (ο/ε) before personal endings; athematic verbs add endings directly to the stem

B.Thematic verbs are deponent; athematic verbs are not

C.Thematic verbs lack an aorist; athematic verbs have one

D.Thematic verbs only appear in poetry

Explanation: Thematic verbs (the -ω type, e.g. λύω) insert a thematic vowel ο/ε between the stem and personal endings. Athematic verbs (the -μι type, e.g. δίδωμι, εἰμί) add the endings straight onto the stem. This is the most fundamental verbal classification in Greek.

About the A-Level Ancient Greek Exam

A-Level Classical Greek (OCR H444) is the only A-Level Ancient Greek specification in the UK. Learners take four components: Unseen Translation (H444/01), Prose Composition or Comprehension (H444/02), Prose Literature (H444/03), and Verse Literature (H444/04). Set texts for 2025-2026 include Herodotus Histories Book 1, Homer Iliad 16, and Euripides Hippolytus.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

Approx. 6 hours 30 minutes total across four components

Passing Score

Grade E is the minimum pass, Grades A*-E count as a pass (A*-A-B-C-D-E)

Exam Fee

£75-£130 per subject (school-set entry fee) (OCR)

A-Level Ancient Greek Exam Content Outline

~30%

Greek Grammar

Alphabet, breathings and accents; noun declensions; adjective agreement; verb system (six principal parts, all tenses, voices, moods); participles; conditionals; subordinate clauses; genitive absolute; sequence of moods

~25%

Greek Vocabulary

Top 500 high-frequency words; particles (μέν...δέ, γάρ, οὖν, γε, τοι, τε); prepositions taking multiple cases (ἐπί, παρά, περί, ὑπό, etc.)

~25%

Set Text Content

Homer Iliad 16 (Patroclus); Herodotus Histories Book 1; Plato Apology/Republic; Thucydides funeral oration/Melian dialogue; Euripides Hippolytus; Aristophanes Acharnians or Frogs; Sophocles Antigone or OT

~10%

Literary Technique and Metre

Dactylic hexameter, iambic trimeter, lyric metre; Homeric epic conventions (epithet, simile, ring composition, type-scene); Greek tragic structure; rhetorical figures

~10%

Historical and Cultural Context

Greek city-states; Persian Wars (490, 480-479 BC); Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC); Macedon and Alexander; Greek religion; Athenian democracy (boulê, ekklêsia, dikastēria); Socrates and the Sophists

How to Pass the A-Level Ancient Greek Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Grade E is the minimum pass, Grades A*-E count as a pass (A*-A-B-C-D-E)
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: Approx. 6 hours 30 minutes total across four components
Exam fee: £75-£130 per subject (school-set entry fee)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

A-Level Ancient Greek Study Tips from Top Performers

1Learn the six principal parts of every irregular verb early — they unlock all tense formation

2Read set texts aloud to internalise word order and metre; mark long and short syllables

3Build a particle bank: μέν...δέ, γάρ, οὖν, γε, τοι, τε all signal argument structure

4Practise scansion of dactylic hexameter on Homeric lines weekly to prepare for H444/01

5Use OCR examiner reports to learn which literary techniques score highest in essay answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Which exam board offers A-Level Ancient Greek?

OCR is the only board offering A-Level Classical Greek (specification code H444). Students take all four components: H444/01, /02, /03, and /04.

What are the set texts for A-Level Greek in 2026?

For the 2025-2026 series the prose set texts include Herodotus Histories Book 1 (sections 1-6, 8-13, 19-22). Verse set texts include Homer Iliad 16 (lines 20-47 and 644-867) and Euripides Hippolytus (selected lines from 601-1035).

Do I have to do prose composition?

No. Component H444/02 offers a choice between English-to-Greek prose composition and a Greek prose comprehension passage. Many centres choose comprehension, though composition rewards strong grammarians.

How is A-Level Classical Greek graded?

A-Levels are graded A*-E. A* is the highest grade and E is the minimum pass. Grade boundaries are set each year by OCR after marking.

100+ Free A-Level Ancient Greek Practice Questions

A-Level Ancient Greek