Eduqas GCSE English Literature
Eduqas GCSE English Literature The History Boys Exam Questions
Free Eduqas GCSE English Literature practice questions for The History Boys. Covers alan Bennett's play, Hector, Irwin and Mrs Lintott, the oxbridge boys, education, truth, history, sexuality and teaching.
The History Boys practice questions
1 pack of exam-style practice questions for The History Boys. 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 The History Boys
The History Boys is a set text in Component 2, Section A (post-1914 prose/drama) of the Eduqas GCSE in English Literature. Alan Bennett's 2004 play is set in a Sheffield grammar school in the 1980s, where eight boys prepare for Oxford and Cambridge entrance with three very different teachers. 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. Questions often compare Hector's and Irwin's ideas of education or focus on boys such as Posner, Dakin or Scripps.
Key themes, characters and context
- Hector An eccentric teacher of General Studies who loves poetry and learning for its own sake. His inappropriate behaviour on his motorbike leads the Headmaster to push him out, and he dies in an accident.
- Irwin Hired to give the boys an edge, Irwin teaches them to argue the unexpected, valuing performance over truth. Bennett opens the play with him later as a television historian.
- Mrs Lintott The boys' history teacher offers a dry, female perspective, pointing out that history ignores women.
- The boys Dakin is confident and manipulative; Posner is anxious, Jewish and gay, and in love with Dakin; Scripps is religious and observant; Rudge succeeds in his own way.
- Hector and Posner The scene where they discuss Hardy's 'Drummer Hodge' shows Hector's idea of literature as a shared feeling passed between readers.
Common mistakes in The History Boys
- Turning the play into a debate about education policy. Focus on how Bennett presents characters and ideas.
- Missing the time shifts. Bennett opens with a later scene and moves between time frames; analyse why.
- Summarising Hector's lessons. Analyse how dialogue, humour and dramatic irony present him.
- Writing context paragraphs, which are not assessed in this section.
Try three The History Boys practice questions
1. Using the extract as a starting point, write about Hector and how he is presented in the play. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse his love of language and quotation; his relationship with the boys; his flaws; the 'Drummer Hodge' scene; his death and Mrs Lintott's final words; evaluate Bennett's presentation.
2. Using the extract as a starting point, write about how Bennett presents different views of education. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would compare Hector's learning for its own sake, Irwin's exam technique and the Headmaster's focus on results; analyse classroom scenes; consider which view the play favours.
3. Using the extract as a starting point, write about Posner and how he is presented. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse his songs and comedy; his feelings for Dakin; his conversations with Hector and Irwin; his later life; evaluate how Bennett creates sympathy.
The History Boys FAQs
What does Eduqas GCSE English Literature The History Boys cover?
It covers Bennett's play as a post-1914 text: Hector, Irwin, Mrs Lintott and the boys, and themes of education, truth, history and sexuality.
Which component is The History Boys 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.
How do I revise The History Boys?
Make character cards for each teacher and the key boys, note the play's time shifts, and learn short lines from key classroom scenes.
