Practise for the national exam the way it really feels. This paper follows the structure, question types, marks and timing of the NESA Senior 6 (A-Level) Literature exam.
These questions simulate the national exam. They are original Ganzaa questions written in the same format as the NESA papers — not the official NESA papers, and not endorsed by NESA. The official papers stay free on our past papers page.
10 versions of every question, so each attempt is a fresh paper with the same structure.
180 minutes, 100 marks, the same sections and question types as the national exam.
Your score, the correct answer to every question and a clear explanation of why.
Section A: Prose and Poetry
Attempt ALL questions in this section. (40 marks)
Section B: Plays
Attempt this question. (10 marks)
Section B: Plays — passage: EITHER (A) OR (B)
Choose ONE of the two passages below, read it carefully and then answer the questions that follow as concisely as possible. (10 marks)
Answer any 1 of 2
Section B: Plays — essay: EITHER (A) OR (B)
Choose ONE play and answer the question on it. (15 marks)
Answer any 1 of 2
Section C: Novels — passage: EITHER (A) OR (B)
Choose ONE of the two passages below; read it carefully and then answer the questions that follow as concisely as possible. (10 marks)
Answer any 1 of 2
Section C: Novels — essay: EITHER (A) OR (B)
Choose ONE novel and answer the question on it. (15 marks)
Answer any 1 of 2
A taste of the paper. Every exam you sit has different questions in this style.
Sample 1 · Prose terms: tradition, novel, setting, oral literature
Attempt the following questions on key terms related to prose.
What is meant by the term literary tradition?
Answer: B. A body of works sharing a language, region or conventions, handed down over time
A literary tradition is the accumulated body of works (and their conventions) of a people, language, region or period, passed on from generation to generation — e.g. the African oral tradition or the English novel tradition.
