A-Level Psychology: A Guide to Success
What is A-Level Psychology?
The GCE Advanced Level (often referred to as A-level, or AL more simply) is a subject-based qualification offered in the United Kingdom. Similarly to the IGCSEs, it is spread across two years. Students will begin studying the curriculum in Year 12, and take the examinations in the summer of Year 12 and Year 13. Students will often start with four A-Levels and drop the weakest one in the second year to focus on the others. Only three A-Level courses are required in order to meet most university requirements, though students will sometimes elect to take additional courses to build a more competitive application profile.
Though AQA is the most commonly selected exam board, psychology as a subject is offered by all major A-Level exam boards in the U.K. (e.g. Edexcel, OCR, CIE). Although there are variations to the content covered across exam boards, all A-Level psychology courses review foundational concepts, theoretical models, and case studies that have been instrumental to shaping the field. The difference, then, lies in the optional modules that teachers select for their classes in the second year of the A-Level psychology course.
How is A-level Psychology Assessed?
The A-level Psychology course is linear, and the exam is split into three papers. Paper One assesses foundational knowledge and skills; Paper Two looks at Psychological studies; and Paper Three usually focuses on application and issues in psychology. The assessment objectives for the A-Level psychology exams are the same across all exam boards; however, the weightings of each vary as the papers themselves are structured differently.
A-Level psychology students must demonstrate that they are able to understand scientific ideas, processes, procedures, and techniques, and to apply these in the research setting. Moreover, students will need to learn to collect and analyse data from psychology studies, and draw conclusions from these. This challenging A-Level subject not only requires students to show how well they have learned the taught materials, but also how well they can extract the relevant psychological models and techniques, and apply these to the task at hand.
Analytical Skills and Psychology
A-Level psychology is an engaging but challenging course that pushes students to develop their analytical, research, and writing skills. Although it is classified as a science, it incorporates many of the strengths seen in the humanities subjects, which are not necessarily present in the hard sciences—specifically, extrapolating data and information that may not always be easy to interpret in meaningful ways in order to promote our understanding of human behaviours.
Consequently, a student’s analytical skills are crucial to their success in the A-Level psychology exams. Specifically, in addition to using all the correct terminology and explanations, students need to be able to communicate the pros and cons of different methods and techniques, as well as the ethical and practical implications of each in the psychology exams effectively. This makes a solid understanding of essay structure essential for success in A-Level psychology.
Useful Resources for A-Level Psychology
There are a lot of textbooks and course guides available on A-Level psychology, but students should not rely on these resources alone. Instead, it would be wise for A-Level psychology students to familiarise themselves with their syllabuses so that they can revise more efficiently. For example, if criminal psychology is an optional unit in the course, but was not chosen by their teachers, then it makes little sense to try to learn all the criminal psychology case studies when preparing for these types of questions. Instead, focus on mastering the content in the modules being studied in psychology class.
Each exam board also has different models and case studies that they focus on in each unit. Psychology students should ensure that they choose the ones relevant to their A-Level exam boards, and aim to cover all three of the assessment objectives when they are referencing these studies (i.e. rather than just reporting the findings, talk about the conclusions that can be drawn and what implications it may have on future research endeavours).
Tips and Tricks for Succeeding in A-Level Psychology
At BartyED, students often come to us for two reasons: they struggle to tie their answers together coherently, and they are losing marks in the A-level exams but are unsure why. While coherence appears to be more of a matter for English writing skills, it has important implications across all subjects that require essay writing, and thus forms a vital part of exam technique. For A-Level psychology, the most frequently missed element in extended responses is the third assessment objective, which relates to issues, debates, and implications of psychological findings.
As opposed to analysing data or simply regurgitating core models, ideas, processes, and techniques, psychology students will need to evaluate how the results or currently existing models, methods, and technologies can be developed and improved upon. This includes ethical and practical considerations.
Common Mistakes in A-Level Psychology
One of the most common mistakes that students make in their A-Level psychology exams is not allocating enough time to the extended response questions. Unlike the other question types, A-Level extended response questions require students to construct and develop coherent arguments that are backed up with evidence.
As with other essay-heavy A-Level subjects such as economics and history, students will need to sustain a clear line of reasoning in their writing, taking into account the theories and models generated from different parts of the discipline. An essay without a clear direction or that does not offer relevant psychological research as evidence will not score highly. Essays that only consider singular fields within psychology will also unlikely make a strong standing.
How a BartyED Tutor Can Help with A-Level Psychology
A-Level psychology combines the scientific method with critical thinking and analytical writing to form a course that introduces students to the world of psychology. Given the breadth of the subject, and the amount of content students will need to memorise, it is crucial that they begin compiling study materials and seek support early on in the A-Level course. From study tips to coaching students through assessment objectives, our expert psychology tutors will help your child make a strong standing in their A-Level exams through sessions that are carefully tailored to their learning needs.
Don’t wait until study leave or days before the exam, get in touch with us now via our contact page to ensure that your child can pass their A-Level psychology exams with ease and confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The most common A-Level exam board for those studying psychology is AQA.
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There are three papers for the A-Level psychology exam, each with a unique focus.
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Psychology is often considered a challenging subject, as it mixes elements of the sciences, such as analysing and interpreting data—with essay-based work, commonly found in humanities subjects like history.
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One of the most common mistakes among A-Level psychology students is poor time management, particularly with regard to the extended response questions.