Here is a comprehensive guide to Chapter 7, “Evans Tries an O-Level,” from the VISTAS textbook, created to help you prepare thoroughly for your upcoming AHSEC Class 12 exams. This guide includes a summary, complete textual answers, previous years’ AHSEC questions, and other important questions.
Evans Tries an O-Level
Summary Note
“Evans Tries an O-Level” by Colin Dexter is a clever and suspenseful story about a prisoner, James Evans, who outwits the entire prison staff to escape. Evans, known as “Evans the Break” for his history of escaping from prison, expresses a desire to take an O-Level German examination. The prison Governor, determined not to be outsmarted, arranges for the exam to be held in Evans’s cell under maximum security.
Elaborate precautions are taken. Evans’s cell is bugged, and all sharp objects are removed. The invigilator, Reverend S. McLeery, is thoroughly frisked before entering the cell. The exam proceeds under the watchful eye of prison officer Stephens, who peeps through the cell’s peephole every minute. During the exam, a correction slip is read out, and Evans requests a blanket, complaining of the cold.
As soon as the exam is over, Stephens discovers a horrifying scene: McLeery is lying in the cell, grievously injured and covered in blood, while Evans has escaped. The injured “McLeery” points to a photocopied sheet on the question paper, which contains a coded plan for Evans’s escape, and tells the Governor that Evans has gone to “Elsfield Way.” The police are called, and the injured man is sent off in an ambulance.
However, the plot takes a series of twists. The Governor realizes that the injured man was not McLeery but Evans himself, disguised and using pig’s blood to fake the injury. He deciphers the “coded message” on the question paper, which cleverly uses an index number and a center number to form a map reference, leading him to a hotel in Chipping Norton. The Governor corners Evans in his hotel room.
Just when it seems Evans has been caught, the final twist is revealed. Evans confesses the details of his brilliant plan, including how his “German teacher” was part of the plot. The Governor, feeling triumphant, calls for a prison van to take Evans back. However, the prison van and the officer in it are also part of Evans’s escape plan. The story ends with Evans once again a free man, having outsmarted the Governor for the last time.
Complete Textual Question and Answer
- Reflecting on the story, what did you feel about Evans’ having the last laugh?
Answer: Evans having the last laugh evokes a sense of admiration for his cleverness and ingenuity, despite his criminal nature. The entire prison system, led by the Governor, takes extensive precautions, yet Evans outwits them at every turn. The story is structured like a battle of wits, and Evans proves to be the superior player. While we do not condone his criminal actions, his brilliant planning and calm execution make his final escape feel like a well-deserved victory in the game he was playing against the authorities. It leaves the reader with a feeling of amusement and respect for his sharp mind. - When Stephens comes back to the cell he jumps to a conclusion and the whole machinery blindly goes by his assumption without even checking the identity of the injured ‘McLeery’. Does this show how hasty conjectures can prevent one from seeing the obvious? How is the criminal able to predict such negligence?
Answer: Yes, this incident clearly shows how hasty conclusions can prevent one from seeing the obvious. Stephens sees an injured man in a parson’s clothes and immediately assumes it is McLeery. The shock of the scene prevents him and the other officers from thinking logically and verifying the man’s identity. The entire prison machinery acts on this flawed assumption. Evans, being a clever student of human psychology, is able to predict such negligence. He knows that in a moment of panic and crisis, people are less likely to think critically. He masterfully stages a dramatic and bloody scene, counting on the fact that the prison officers’ shock and haste would cause them to overlook the simple, obvious step of checking who the injured man actually was. - What could the Governor have done to securely bring back Evans to prison when he caught him at the Golden Lion? Does that final act of foolishness really prove that “he was just another good-for-a-giggle, gullible Governor, that was all”?
Answer: To securely bring Evans back, the Governor should have personally escorted him or sent him back with trusted officers from his own prison. Instead, he complacently handed Evans over to the two men in the prison van without verifying their identities. This final act of foolishness does indeed prove that he was a “gullible Governor.” Despite his intelligence in deciphering the clues, he remained overconfident and was easily tricked. He underestimated Evans one last time, assuming that the prison van was legitimate. This gullibility and lack of thoroughness allowed Evans to have the last laugh. - While we condemn the crime, we are sympathetic to the criminal. Is this the reason why prison staff often develop a soft corner for those in custody?
Answer: Yes, the story suggests that prison staff can develop a soft corner for inmates. Evans is described as a “pleasant sort of chap” with “no record of violence.” He is known for his imitations at the Christmas concert and is seen as a “bit of a card.” Jackson, the senior prison officer, despite his stern exterior, allows Evans to keep his lucky bobble hat, showing a “tiny core of compassion.” This familiarity and the non-violent nature of the inmate can lead to a more relaxed attitude from the staff, making them more susceptible to being manipulated. This human element of sympathy can sometimes compromise the strict security required in a prison. - Do you agree that between crime and punishment it is mainly a battle of wits?
Answer: Yes, the story strongly suggests that the relationship between crime and punishment is often a battle of wits. The entire plot revolves around the intellectual contest between Evans and the prison authorities, especially the Governor. The prison staff uses surveillance, frisking, and other security measures to prevent the crime of escape. Evans, on the other hand, uses clever planning, disguise, misdirection, and psychological manipulation to commit the crime. The Governor even acknowledges this when he deciphers the clues, treating it like a puzzle. The story shows that success, both in committing a crime and in enforcing punishment, often depends on who is mentally sharper and one step ahead of the other.
Previous Year AHSEC Question Answers (2015-2025)
Short Answer Questions (2 Marks)
1. What kind of a person was Evans? (AHSEC 2015, 2018)
Answer: Evans was a clever and cunning prisoner known as “Evans the Break” because he had escaped from prison three times. He was a “congenital kleptomaniac” but was not violent. He was described as a “pleasant sort of chap” and was quite amusing, known for his imitations at the Christmas concert.
2. What were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of the examination? (AHSEC 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022)
Answer: Several precautions were taken. The examination was held in Evans’s own cell. His cell was bugged so the Governor could listen in. All sharp objects like his razor and nail-file were removed. The invigilator was frisked before entering, and a prison officer, Stephens, was posted to keep a constant watch through the peephole.
3. Will the injured McLeery be able to help the prison officers track Evans? (AHSEC 2016)
Answer: No, the injured “McLeery” will not be able to help them track Evans, because the injured man was actually Evans himself in disguise. His entire act of being injured and providing clues was a part of his escape plan designed to misdirect the police and prison officers.
4. Where did Evans go? (AHSEC 2020, 2023)
Answer: After escaping from the prison, Evans went to the Golden Lion hotel in Chipping Norton. The Governor was able to figure this out by deciphering the clues left behind on the German question paper.
Long Answer Questions (5-7 Marks)
1. How did the Governor of Oxford prison describe Evans to the Secretary of the Examination Board? (AHSEC 2017)
Answer: The Governor described Evans as a prisoner who was keen to get some academic qualification. When the Secretary asked if Evans was violent, the Governor assured him that there was “no record of violence.” He described Evans as a “pleasant sort of chap” and a “bit of a card,” famous for his imitations at the prison’s Christmas concert. He downplayed Evans’s criminal nature by stating that he was “just a congenital kleptomaniac, that’s all.” He presented Evans as a non-threatening inmate, which convinced the Secretary to agree to the examination.
2. How did Evans outwit the Governor of Oxford Prison in the end? (AHSEC 2020, 2023)
Answer: Evans outwitted the Governor in the end through a final, brilliant act of deception. After the Governor cleverly tracked Evans down to the Golden Lion hotel, he felt triumphant. He arranged for a prison van to take Evans back to prison. However, Evans had anticipated this. The prison van, along with the silent prison officer who handcuffed Evans, were all part of his escape plan, arranged by his friends. The Governor, in his moment of overconfidence, failed to verify the identity of the van or the officers. As soon as the van was out of sight, the driver, a friend of Evans, asked where they should go, and Evans suggested Newbury, making his final escape successful.
Most Important Question Answers
1. What was the purpose of the correction slip?
Answer: The correction slip served two purposes in Evans’s escape plan. Firstly, it was a way to communicate the exact time the exam started to Evans’s accomplices outside. Secondly, and more importantly, it contained the coded message that revealed the name of the hotel (“Zum goldenen Löwen” or The Golden Lion) and the location (Chipping Norton) where Evans planned to go after his escape.
2. How did the fake blood and the blanket contribute to the escape plan?
Answer: The fake blood, which was pig’s blood brought in a semi-inflated rubber ring, was crucial for creating the dramatic scene of an injured “McLeery.” This shocking sight caused panic and confusion, allowing Evans (disguised as the injured man) to be escorted out of the prison without anyone checking his identity. The blanket was used by Evans to conceal his change of clothes and his disguise as he transformed himself into the wounded “McLeery” during the exam, hidden from the view of the peeping officer, Stephens.
3. Who was the real McLeery?
Answer: The real Reverend S. McLeery was a parson from Broad Street. On the morning of the exam, two of Evans’s friends visited him, tied him up, and gagged him in his study. One of Evans’s accomplices then impersonated McLeery and went to the prison to act as the invigilator, playing a key role in the escape plan.
4. What clues did the Governor use to locate Evans?
Answer: The Governor used the photocopied sheet on the German question paper to locate Evans. He translated the German text, which gave instructions for the escape plan. He then used his knowledge of Ordnance Survey maps to realize that the Index number (313) and the Centre number (271) together formed a six-figure map reference (313/271). This reference pointed directly to the middle of Chipping Norton, which led him to the Golden Lion hotel.
