Eduqas GCSE English Literature
Eduqas GCSE English Literature An Inspector Calls Exam Questions
Free Eduqas GCSE English Literature practice questions for An Inspector Calls. Covers Priestley's play, the Birlings, Gerald croft, Inspector Goole, Eva Smith, responsibility, class, generations and dramatic methods.
An Inspector Calls practice questions
1 pack of exam-style practice questions for An Inspector Calls. Plan and write as many answers as you can under timed conditions, then compare them with the guidance on this page and your notes.
About Eduqas GCSE English Literature An Inspector Calls
An Inspector Calls is a set text in Component 2, Section A (post-1914 prose/drama) of the Eduqas GCSE in English Literature. J.B. Priestley's play, set in 1912, shows Inspector Goole interrupting the Birlings' celebration to reveal how each of them contributed to the death of Eva Smith. You answer one 40-mark question that uses a printed extract as a starting point and asks you to write about the whole text. The section assesses AO1, AO2 and AO4 (spelling, punctuation and grammar); context is not assessed here. Because context is not assessed in this section, put your effort into how Priestley uses characters, stage directions and structure.
Key themes, characters and context
- The Inspector Goole questions each character in turn, controls the pace and delivers the final warning about 'fire and blood and anguish'.
- Arthur and Sybil Birling Mr Birling sees society as people looking after themselves; Mrs Birling is cold and snobbish and condemns the father of Eva's child without realising it is Eric.
- Sheila She is shaken by her part in Eva's sacking and becomes perceptive and challenging, warning others not to build a wall between themselves and the girl.
- Eric and Gerald Eric confesses to his treatment of Eva and turns on his parents. Gerald admits his affair with Daisy Renton but later tries to prove the Inspector a fake.
- Structure and staging Three acts in one room with continuous time, cliffhanger act endings, lighting from 'pink and intimate' to 'brighter and harder', and a final telephone call that restarts the cycle.
Common mistakes in An Inspector Calls
- Writing paragraphs on 1912 or 1945 history. Context is not assessed in this section, so focus on Priestley's methods.
- Only writing about the extract. Use it as a starting point, then range across the play.
- Saying the Inspector is definitely a ghost. Discuss possibilities and what his mystery achieves dramatically.
- Forgetting SPaG. Accurate writing is assessed in this section.
Try three An Inspector Calls practice questions
1. Using the extract as a starting point, write about Mrs Birling and how she is presented in the play. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse her snobbery and coldness to the Inspector; her refusal of help to Eva; her blaming of the father; the dramatic irony as she condemns Eric; her refusal to change.
2. Using the extract as a starting point, write about how Priestley presents Sheila's change in the play. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse her excitement over the ring; her guilt over Milwards; her insight into the Inspector; her criticism of her parents at the end; use stage directions and language as evidence.
3. Using the extract as a starting point, write about how tension is created in An Inspector Calls. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse the doorbell interrupting Birling's speech; the photograph; act endings; Eric's entrance; the final phone call.
An Inspector Calls FAQs
What does Eduqas GCSE English Literature An Inspector Calls cover?
It covers Priestley's play as a post-1914 text: the Birlings, Gerald, the Inspector and Eva Smith, themes of responsibility, class and generations, and Priestley's dramatic methods.
Which component is An Inspector Calls examined in?
It is in Component 2, Section A (post-1914 prose/drama). You answer one 40-mark question that starts from a printed extract and asks you to write about the whole text.
Which quotations should I learn for An Inspector Calls?
Learn short lines such as 'unsinkable', 'members of one body', 'fire and blood and anguish' and Sheila's warning about building a wall, plus key stage directions about lighting.
