OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) (J198/2017) Past Papers 2026
Download free OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) J198/2017 past papers from 6 exam sessions.
June 2024
Latest Session
4
Sessions
2021–2026
12
Question Papers
12
Mark Schemes
100% coverage
0
Specimen Papers
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute shows how fast you have to work — the higher the number, the tighter the time pressure in that paper.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J198/01 | J198/01 — Greek Period Study and Depth Study | 105 | 2 hours | 0.88 | High |
| J198/02 | J198/02 — Roman Period Study and Depth Study | 105 | 2 hours | 0.88 | High |
Component structure extracted from 4 official OCR documents (2023–2024). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
How is OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) examined?
OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) is examined through 2 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
J198/01
105 marksJ198/01 — Greek Period Study and Depth Study
Duration: 2 hours
J198/02
105 marksJ198/02 — Roman Period Study and Depth Study
Duration: 2 hours
What OCR examiners say about Ancient History (9-1)
Verbatim quotes from 4 official OCR examiner reports (2023–2024). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things OCR markers flag year after year.
Making sweeping generic statements about source…
Some centres are still teaching candidates to make sweeping statements that authors writing after an event are unreliable.
In depth study essays, naming sources without evaluating…
Less successful responses focused on the narrative elements and sources were named, without evaluation of their utility.
In the Cleopatra depth study
The most common examples of this were along the lines of 'we cannot trust any of the ancient historians because they were all Roman and they hated women'
Most Common Mistakes — Ancient History (9-1)
Based on analysis of 4 official OCR examiner reports (2023, 2024). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Making sweeping generic statements about source reliability instead of evaluating the specific passage
J198/01, J198/02 · Both papers, both series — the single most cited problem across depth study source questions
In depth study essays, naming sources without evaluating them — or omitting prescribed sources entirely
J198/01, J198/02 · Both depth study essays across both papers, both series
In the Cleopatra depth study, reducing all Roman sources to 'Augustan propaganda' or generalising that all Romans hated women or foreigners
J198/02 · J198/02 Section C, both series
In the period study essay (Question 5*), writing a narrative of kings or events rather than building a sustained argument with specific comparisons
J198/01, J198/02 · Both papers' Section A essays, both series
In Questions 3 and 4, failing to use both the passage and own knowledge, or confusing which question requires which
J198/01, J198/02 · Both papers' period study sections, both series
Topics Students Struggle With Most
J198/01 Section A — Cyrus Cylinder misconception: the Jewish people are not mentioned on it
In 2024 the examiner noted the misconception directly: 'The Jewish people are not mentioned on the Cyrus Cylinder. Candidates frequently stated that this was written on it.' This error affected responses to Questions 2 and 4 (Cyrus' religious policy and comparison with other kings), leading to inaccurate points that could not be credited.
J198/01
J198/01 Section A — Cyrus linked with Ahuramazda: this is Darius' innovation, not Cyrus'
In 2024 the examiner noted: 'Cyrus is not linked with the god Ahuramazda; this is an innovation by Darius.' Candidates writing about Cyrus' religious policy who attributed Ahuramazda-worship to him were making an inaccuracy that undermined AO1 marks in Questions 4 and 5*.
J198/01
J198/01 Section C — Pheidias and the Parthenon: candidates could not identify the sculptor
In 2023, most candidates 'did not correctly identify Pheidias' in the short-answer question (Question 11c). The examiner recommended creating a 'who's who' list or character family tree for the figures in Pericles' life — Pheidias, Aspasia, Thucydides the historian, and other key personalities.
J198/01
J198/01 Section C — Genre errors: Medea, Lysistrata, and Xenophon's identity
In 2023 the examiner flagged misconceptions: 'Medea by Euripides is a tragedy. Lysistrata by Aristophanes is a comedy. Xenophon is a philosopher and historian.' Also: 'Pericles and Aspasia were not married.' These factual errors affected AO1 marks in the Pericles women/society questions.
J198/01
J198/01 Section D — Alexander's successors: not recognising that post-Alexander coins were minted by Successors, not Alexander himself
In 2024 'a significant number of candidates were unable to recognise that this coin was minted by one of Alexander's successors and a member of his companions who would have known him very well.' Treating a Ptolemaic or Seleucid-era Alexander-iconography coin as issued during Alexander's lifetime produced inaccurate source evaluations.
J198/01
J198/02 Section A — Foundations of Rome: candidates omitted the Republic from the period study essay
In 2023, 'a significant majority did not mention the Republic and focused on the kings.' In 2024, examiners gave the same warning. The Foundations of Rome period study is a longer period running from the early kings through to the Twelve Tables — it requires coverage of both the monarchic and early republican phases for full credit in Question 5*.
J198/02
J198/02 Section C — Cleopatra: confusion about the timeline, especially conflating events leading to her death with earlier challenges
In 2024, 'less successful candidates confused the timeline and focused on events which led to her death' when asked about the challenges Cleopatra faced early in her reign. The examiner noted that 'some candidates did not describe other events' beyond Actium, meaning responses were limited to one narrow phase of Cleopatra's life rather than addressing her 22-year reign.
J198/02
J198/02 Section D — Roman Britain: candidates unable to distinguish between archaeological and literary evidence
In 2024 'some candidates do not appear to understand the difference between archaeological and literary evidence.' A significant number 'did not know what the Vindolanda tablets represent and were therefore confused about the nature of the evidence.' Correctly categorising and evaluating both types is essential for higher-level responses in Question 18 (source accuracy) and Question 20* (depth study essay).
J198/02
OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) (J198/2017) — Full Archive 2021–2026
This page contains all 32 OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) (J198) past papers and assessment resources — 6 exam sessions from 2021 to 2026. Question papers, mark schemes, specimen papers, and sample materials are all free to download as PDF with no account required.
OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) follows the 9–1 grading scale used across England, where 9 is the highest grade. Grade 4 is a standard pass. OCR is one of the UK's three major exam boards alongside AQA and Edexcel.
OCR provides specimen papers (SQP) and Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs) for every specification. These are especially valuable when fewer past paper sessions are available, as they show the exact format, timing, and mark allocation the board intends. Specimen mark schemes follow the same conventions as live papers, so use them as part of your practice rotation.
Pay close attention to OCR command words when answering questions — 'state' requires a brief factual answer, 'explain' needs a reason or mechanism, 'evaluate' demands a balanced judgement with evidence, and 'analyse' means breaking a topic into components. Mark schemes penalise answers that don't match the command word, even if the subject knowledge is correct. After each timed practice paper, cross-reference your answers against the mark scheme and note which command words you handled poorly — this is often where the easiest marks are recovered.
Questions, answered.
PapersDaddy provides 32 free OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) (J198/2017) files. That includes dated past-paper sessions, specimen papers, sample materials, and separate OCR assessment resources — all free to view or download as PDF.
We have 32 OCR GCSE Ancient History (9-1) (J198/2017) files, including papers from 6 exam sessions.
Practise with the tier you are entered for. Foundation tier targets grades 5-1, Higher tier targets grades 9-4. If you're unsure, ask your teacher which tier you are entered for. Practising with the wrong tier will not prepare you for the correct question style and difficulty.
OCR filenames follow the pattern {refId}-{description}.pdf. The reference ID is a unique OCR document number. The description includes the unit code (e.g., J198), unit name, and paper type (specimen, sample-assessment-material, mark-scheme, etc.). For example, a file like "234581-unit-j198-01-sample-assessment-material.pdf" is the SAM for Unit 1.