Great Expectations MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature

Great Expectations MCQs
Updated on: October 21, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 16 min

Great Expectations MCQs

1. What is Pip’s full family name?

A. Philip
B. Gargery
C. Pirrip
D. Wopsle

C. Pirrip.
He derived “Pip” from his family name, Pirrip, as it was all he could pronounce as an infant.

2. What is Pip’s Christian name?

A. Pirrip
B. Philip
C. Joe
D. Abel

B. Philip.
His Christian name was Philip, given to him in honour of his father.

3. Who married Joe Gargery, the blacksmith?

A. Georgiana
B. Miss Havisham
C. Miss Estella
D. Pip’s sister

D. Pip’s sister.
His much older sister, Mrs. Joe, raised Pip “by hand” after their parents’ death.

4. Pip’s idea of his father came from what object?

A. His mother’s description
B. His tombstone
C. An old portrait
D. Joe’s stories

B. His tombstone.
As an orphan, Pip’s only idea of his parents came from the lettering on their graves.
5. What inscription described Pip’s mother?

A. Late of this parish
B. Also Georgiana Wife of the Above
C. Beloved wife
D. Rest in peace

B. Also Georgiana Wife of the Above.
This inscription led Pip to conclude his mother was “freckled and sickly.”

6. How many little brothers did Pip have, commemorated by lozenges?

A. Three
B. Four
C. Five
D. Six

C. Five.
The five small stone lozenges near his parents’ graves represented his deceased brothers.

7. What did the convict ask Pip if he knew the meaning of?

A. A file and food
B. A gun and money
C. Prison and freedom
D. Church and sin

A. A file and food.
The convict, Magwitch, demanded Pip bring him “wittles” (food) and a file to remove his leg-iron.

8. What expression did Mrs. Joe use to boast about raising Pip?

A. By the collar
B. By hand
C. By grace
D. By the book

B. By hand.
Mrs. Joe constantly reminded Pip she had raised him “by hand,” implying great personal sacrifice.

9. Joe Gargery was described as a Hercules in strength and also in what?

A. Temper
B. Weakness
C. Pride
D. Wit

B. Weakness.
Despite his physical strength, Joe was mild-mannered and submissive to his wife’s temper.
10. Where did Mrs. Joe say the firing of the warning gun came from?

A. The marshes
B. The village
C. The Hulks
D. The port

C. The Hulks.
The Hulks were prison-ships moored in the marshes, from which the convicts had escaped.

11. What were the Hulks defined as?

A. Prison-ships
B. Warships
C. Coastal towns
D. Swampy areas

A. Prison-ships.
These decommissioned ships were used as floating prisons, a grim reality of the 19th-century penal system.

12. What did Pip fear the young man wanted from him?

A. His money
B. His heart and liver
C. His file
D. His sister’s brandy

B. His heart and liver.
The convict terrified Pip by describing a “young man” who would tear out and eat his heart and liver.

13. What was Mr. Wopsle’s official role in the church?

A. The vicar
B. The clerk
C. The sexton
D. The warden

B. The clerk.
He was the church clerk, but he had ambitions of becoming a great tragic actor.

14. What animal did Uncle Pumblechook propose as a great moral text?

A. Lamb
B. Pork
C. Beef
D. Chicken

B. Pork.
Pumblechook pompously suggested the clergyman should have delivered a sermon on the “Prodigal” nature of pork.
15. What beverage did Mrs. Joe offer Uncle Pumblechook that made Pip fear exposure?

A. Beer
B. Wine
C. Brandy
D. Tar-water

C. Brandy.
Pip, having stolen brandy for the convict, was terrified when his sister offered it to Pumblechook.

16. Why did the sergeant prefer wine over Mrs. Joe’s brandy?

A. It was stronger
B. It was free
C. It contained no Tar
D. It was his Majesty’s health

C. It contained no Tar.
Pip had refilled the brandy bottle with tar-water, which Pumblechook drank by mistake.

17. What gesture did Pip use to assure his convict of his innocence?

A. He pointed
B. Moved his hands and shook his head
C. He smiled
D. He gave him a nod

B. Moved his hands and shook his head.
When the convict claimed he stole the food, Pip silently tried to signal that he was not the one who betrayed him.

18. Who kept the evening school in the village?

A. Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt
B. Mrs. Joe
C. Biddy
D. Uncle Pumblechook

A. Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt.
Pip received his rudimentary education at this chaotic evening school run by Mr. Wopsle’s eldérly relative.

19. What stopped Joe’s attempts at getting schooling as a child?

A. His father hammered them
B. He was awful dull
C. They had no money
D. His mother kept him home

A. His father hammered them.
Joe’s abusive, alcoholic father would beat him and his mother, preventing Joe from getting an education.
20. What fear motivated Joe to be lenient towards Pip and Mrs. Joe?

A. The fear of jail
B. The fear of his father
C. His mother slaving and breaking her heart
D. The fear of Mrs. Joe leaving

C. His mother slaving and breaking her heart.
Joe’s own childhood trauma made him protective of women, leading him to endure his wife’s temper.

21. What rumour was widely known about Miss Havisham?

A. She was generous
B. She lived in seclusion
C. She was married to a blacksmith
D. She was a great traveller

B. She lived in seclusion.
She was the eccentric, wealthy recluse who lived in Satis House and never saw the light of day.

22. What was Uncle Pumblechook’s supposed financial role related to Miss Havisham?

A. Her banker
B. Her tenant
C. Her agent
D. Her lawyer

B. Her tenant.
Pumblechook was the tenant of her property in town, a connection he used to gain access for Pip.

23. When did Miss Havisham’s watch and clock stop?

A. Quarter past seven
B. Twenty minutes to nine
C. Noon
D. Midnight

B. Twenty minutes to nine.
All clocks were stopped at this exact time, the moment she received the letter ending her wedding.

24. What did Miss Havisham say Estella could do to Pip?

A. Flatter him
B. Teach him
C. Break his heart
D. Entertain him

C. Break his heart.
Miss Havisham explicitly states her cruel intention of using Estella to exact revenge on the male sex.
25. What card game did Estella play with Pip?

A. Whist
B. Beggar my neighbour
C. Poker
D. Cribbage

B. Beggar my neighbour.
Estella playing this particular game symbolizes how she and Miss Havisham plan to ruin Pip emotionally.

26. Besides being pretty, what did Pip whisper that Estella was?

A. Very proud and very insulting
B. Very kind and gentle
C. Very wise and educated
D. Very shy and simple

A. Very proud and very insulting.
This was Pip’s honest assessment after Estella mocked his “coarse hands” and “thick boots.”

27. What description did Pip give Pumblechook of Miss Havisham?

A. Short and pale
B. Very tall and dark
C. Old and withered
D. Gentle and kind

B. Very tall and dark.
Ashamed of the truth, Pip lied and fabricated a completely false image of Miss Havisham.

28. Where did Pip claim Miss Havisham was sitting when he went in?

A. In her chair
B. In a black velvet coach
C. At the table
D. By the fire

B. In a black velvet coach.
This was one of the elaborate lies Pip told Pumblechook to satisfy his meddling curiosity.

29. What was the subject that Pip told Joe the lies had come of?

A. Joe’s low station
B. Estella calling him common
C. His sister’s temper
D. The convict’s needs

B. Estella calling him common.
This is the moment Pip confesses his new, deep-seated shame about his social class to Joe.
30. Joe said Pip must be a common scholar before becoming a …..?

A. Clever one
B. Good one
C. Uncommon one
D. Working one

C. Uncommon one.
Joe’s simple wisdom comforts Pip, explaining that everyone must start commonly before becoming “uncommon.”

31. What object did the strange man at the Jolly Bargemen carry that made Pip recognize him?

A. A knife
B. Joe’s file
C. A gun
D. A piece of bread

B. Joe’s file.
The man, a messenger from Magwitch, used the file to secretly identify himself to Pip.

32. What items did Mrs. Joe discover in the paper with the shilling?

A. A golden coin
B. Two One-Pound notes
C. A letter
D. A receipt

B. Two One-Pound notes.
The money, given by the stranger, was the first anonymous payment Pip received from Magwitch.

33. What did Estella do immediately after Pip said she was “Not so much” insulting this time?

A. She laughed
B. She slapped his face
C. She kissed him
D. She left the room

B. She slapped his face.
Her violent and unpredictable behavior continued to confuse and fascinate Pip.

34. What was the prominent object in the damp, dust-covered feast-chamber?

A. A broken coffin
B. A long table with a cloth spread on it
C. A chair and a desk
D. An old bed

B. A long table with a cloth spread on it.
The table was covered with the decaying remnants of her wedding feast, including the bride-cake.
35. What was the burden of the song Joe used to hum at the forge?

A. Old King Cole
B. Old Clem
C. Rule Britannia
D. The Blacksmith’s Song

B. Old Clem.
This song, a traditional blacksmith’s tune, represents the simple, honest life Pip begins to despise.

36. Who did Joe persistently address throughout the interview with Miss Havisham?

A. Estella
B. Miss Havisham
C. Pip
D. Mr. Pumblechook

C. Pip.
Too uncomfortable to address Miss Havisham directly, Joe spoke only to Pip, which embarrassed Pip greatly.

37. How much was the premium Pip earned at Miss Havisham’s?

A. Five shillings
B. Ten guineas
C. Five-and-twenty guineas
D. Forty pounds

C. Five-and-twenty guineas.
This payment bound Pip as Joe’s apprentice, seemingly ending his association with Satis House.

38. Biddy asked if Pip wanted to be a gentleman to spite Estella or to do what to her?

A. Impress her
B. Gain her over
C. Prove his worth
D. Rival her

B. Gain her over.
Biddy astutely identifies that Pip’s ambition is not for himself, but to win Estella’s approval.

39. The stranger had a large head, deep-set eyes, and even the smell of what on his hand?

A. Iron
B. Scented soap
C. Whiskey
D. Dust

B. Scented soap.
This detail of Jaggers, the lawyer, washing his hands obsessively, becomes a recurring motif.
40. What was the first stipulation given to Pip regarding his benefactor?

A. He must leave Joe
B. The name remains a profound secret
C. He must move to London
D. He must work at the bank

B. The name remains a profound secret
Jaggers informs Pip he is to be a gentleman of “great expectations” but must never know the source.

41. What relative of Miss Havisham did Mr. Jaggers suggest as Pip’s tutor?

A. Mr. Pumblechook
B. Mr. Matthew Pocket
C. Mr. Wopsle
D. Mr. Wemmick

B. Mr. Matthew Pocket.
This suggestion reinforces Pip’s mistaken belief that Miss Havisham is his benefactor.

42. What odd items, besides a pistol and sword, were on a shelf in Jaggers’s room?

A. Law books
B. Two dreadful casts of faces
C. Old hats
D. A golden bird

B. Two dreadful casts of faces.
These were the death masks of two of his most famous clients, symbolizing his dark profession.

43. What did Mr. Pocket do when domestic affliction was announced?

A. Put his hands in his disturbed hair and tried to lift himself up
B. Began shouting
C. Complained to the cook
D. Asked for help

A. Put his hands in his disturbed hair and tried to lift himself up.
Mr. Pocket’s habit of pulling his hair illustrates his frustration with his chaotic, mismanaged household.

44. What did Pip’s benefactor say his real name was?

A. Provis
B. Compeyson
C. Magwitch
D. Abel

C. Magwitch.
The convict’s reappearance, revealing his name as Magwitch (and Provis), shatters Pip’s illusions.
45. Miss Havisham asked Pip how much money was wanting to complete Herbert’s purchase?

A. Five hundred pounds
B. Seven hundred pounds
C. Nine hundred pounds
D. A thousand pounds

C. Nine hundred pounds.
Pip’s request for Herbert, an act of true generosity, prompts Miss Havisham’s first show of remorse.

46. What was the name of the woman convicted and acquitted of murder who was also Estella’s mother?

A. Miss Havisham
B. Molly
C. Miss Skiffins
D. Mrs. Joe

B. Molly.
Pip realizes that Jaggers’s housekeeper, Molly, is Estella’s mother, linking his two worlds.

47. What did Mr. Jaggers principally rest Molly’s case on for acquittal?

A. Her beauty
B. Her lack of motive
C. The improbabilities of her having been able to do it
D. The strength of her hands

C. The improbabilities of her having been able to do it.
Jaggers argued she was too small and weak, dressing her to hide the true, powerful nature of her hands.

48. What did Pip realize was Estella’s father?

A. Mr. Jaggers
B. Compeyson
C. Magwitch
D. Mr. Pumblechook

C. Magwitch.
Pip’s final discovery is that his benefactor is the father of the woman he loves.

49. Who was the other convict who betrayed Magwitch?

A. Provis
B. Arthur
C. Compeyson
D. Jaggers

C. Compeyson.
Compeyson was the second convict on the marshes and Magwitch’s lifelong mortal enemy.
50. What was Compeyson’s connection to Miss Havisham?

A. Her long-lost brother
B. Her former lover
C. Her lawyer
D. Her cousin

B. Her former lover.
Compeyson was the man who jilted Miss Havisham at the altar, ruining her life.

Brief Overview

Great Expectations tells the story of an orphan named Pip. He lives with his harsh sister and her kind husband, Joe, who is a blacksmith. Pip’s life changes after two key events.

He helps a scary escaped convict in a graveyard. He also starts visiting a strange, rich woman named Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham lives in a dark, decaying house and always wears her old wedding dress.

There, Pip meets Estella, her beautiful but cruel adopted daughter. Pip falls in love with her. Estella makes Pip ashamed of his “common” life and his work. Because of this, Pip desperately wants to become a gentleman, hoping to win Estella’s love.

One day, a lawyer announces Pip has a secret benefactor. He has been given a large fortune! Pip moves to London to begin his new life. He assumes Miss Havisham gave him the money. He spends time and makes new friends, but sadly, he neglects his oldest friend, Joe.

The book’s biggest twist comes when Pip learns the truth. His money did not come from Miss Havisham at all. It came from Magwitch, the very convict Pip helped as a boy.

Pip must then figure out what kind of man he truly wants to be. The story is about social class, love, and learning the difference between simple wealth and real goodness.

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