OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199): complete guide to the components, options and exam skills

OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (specification J199) is a linear course that explores the literature and the visual and material culture of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. It is assessed by two written papers at the end of the course, with no coursework. The course pairs a thematic study (a big topic studied across both cultures) with a Literature and Culture option (a focused study of one part of the ancient world through its remains and texts). This page is the index: below is a map of the two papers, the most-taught options, the question types, and the skills that run across the whole course. Always confirm which options your school teaches, because the content differs.

The two papers

The course splits into two equally weighted components.

• Component Group 1: Thematic Study. 1 hour 30 minutes, 90 marks, 50% of the GCSE. One option from Myth and Religion (J199/11) or Women in the Ancient World (J199/12), studying a big theme across the Greek and Roman worlds.
• Component Group 2: Literature and Culture. 1 hour 30 minutes, 90 marks, 50%. One option from The Homeric World (J199/21), Roman City Life (J199/22) or War and Warfare (J199/23), pairing a Culture study of the ancient world with a Literature study of set texts.

Across the qualification, the two assessment objectives are weighted roughly AO1 60% (knowledge) and AO2 40% (analysis and evaluation).

The options covered on this site

Students take one option from each component group. The most widely taught options, covered in depth on this site, are below.

Thematic study: Myth and Religion (J199/11)

The gods and their Roman equivalents, the universal hero Heracles, the local hero Theseus, Rome's founders Aeneas and Romulus, myth as a symbol of power under Augustus, and beliefs about death and the underworld; plus the practice of religion (temples and sacred space, Roman temples, priests and civic religion, sacrifice and offerings, and festivals).

Literature and Culture: The Homeric World (J199/21)

The Culture of the Mycenaean world (the citadels, society and the palace, art and material culture, Troy and Knossos and trade, and the collapse), and the Literature of Homer's Odyssey (the prescribed Books 9, 10, 19, 21 and 22: Homeric society and values, xenia, Odysseus the hero of cunning, the gods and fate, and the homecoming and revenge).

Literature and Culture: Roman City Life (J199/22)

Daily life in a Roman city: housing (the domus, insula and villa), the family and household, slavery and freedmen, education, and leisure (the baths, the amphitheatre and the circus), grounded in the evidence of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The skills that run across the course

Each option rewards content knowledge, but the marks come from applying it through a fixed set of question types.

1. Knowledge and recall. Know the named gods, heroes, monuments, episodes, dates and terms precisely (AO1).
2. Source and stimulus analysis. Describe a visual or literary source, identify figures from their attributes, and explain what it means (AO1 and AO2).
3. Comparison. Set the Greek and Roman worlds side by side, with similarities and differences, especially in Myth and Religion (AO2).
4. Extended judgement. Build a balanced, well-supported "how far do you agree" argument with a clear conclusion in the 15-mark essay (AO1 and AO2).

Browse the option overviews for the content and the dot-point pages for each topic.

How to study OCR Classical Civilisation

The subject rewards precise knowledge and disciplined exam technique in equal measure.

1. Learn the named detail. Gods and their Roman equivalents, heroes and their myths, the prescribed sources and monuments, the set text, and the key terms.
2. Master the sources. Practise the routine describe, identify, explain on the prescribed images and texts, and learn the standard attributes of the gods and heroes.
3. Drill each question type. Short, source and 15-mark questions are marked very differently, so practise each against its mark scheme.
4. Always compare Greek and Roman. In Myth and Religion especially, be ready to give both versions side by side.
5. Practise timing. With 90 marks in 1 hour 30 on each paper, the 15-mark essay must be planned and written quickly.

The options, dot point by dot point

Each option has overview guides, dot-point answer pages and quizzes. Browse the full set at /gcse-ocr/classical-civilisation/syllabus.

For the official specification

OCR publishes the full specification (J199), past papers and mark schemes at ocr.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and OCR's own past papers, because the question style and the option content are board-specific, and confirm which options your school teaches.