Course introduction
Welcome to your A Level Psychology course with Open
Study College. Psychology is a fascinating subject and one
we hope you enjoy studying. The examining board for this
course is AQA. AQA describes this qualiDcation as ‘an
engaging and eFective introduction to Psychology. You will
learn the fundamentals of the subject and develop skills
valued by Higher Education (HE) and employers, including
critical analysis, independent thinking and research. (AQA,
A Level Psychology SpeciDcation, 2019).
Your course is divided into 17 parts. These parts can be
divided into the 3 exam papers you will sit. The table below
shows the format of each exam paper and also which
topics will be covered in each paper.
Paper 1: Introductory topics in Psychology
Topics assessed:
Social inVuence
Memory
Attachment
Psychopathology
Assessment type:
Written exam: 2 hours
96 marks
33.3% of A Level
Question types:
Section A: multiple choice, short answer and extended writing
(24 marks)
Section B: multiple choice, short answer and extended writing
(24 marks)
Section C: multiple choice, short answer and extended writing
(24 marks)
Section D: multiple choice, short answer and extended writing
(24 marks)
Paper 2: Psychology in context
Topics assessed:
Approaches in Psychology
Biopsychology
Research methods
Issues and debates in Psychology
Assessment type:
Written exam: 2 hours
96 marks
33.3 % of A Level
Question types:
Section A: multiple choice, short answer and extended writing
(24 marks) Previous page Next page
Section B: multiple choice, short answer and extended writing
(24 marks)
Section C: multiple choice, short answer and extended writing
(48 marks)
Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology
Topics assessed:
Compulsory content: Issues and debates in Psychology
Optional content
One topic from:
Relationships
Gender
Cognition and development
One topic from:
Schizophrenia
Eating behaviour
Stress
One topic from:
Aggression
Forensic Psychology
Addiction
Assessment type:
Written exam: 2 hours
96 marks
33.3% of A Level
Question types:
Section A: multiple choice, short answer and extended writing
(24 marks)
Section B: one topic from option 1, multiple choice, short
answer and extended writing (24 marks)
Section C: one topic from option 2, multiple choice, short
answer and extended writing (24 marks)
Section D: one topic from option 3, multiple choice, short
answer and extended writing (24 marks)
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What are examiners
looking for?
Examination boards term these qualities ‘Assessment
Objectives’, and we shall now consider the AQA A-level
Psychology Assessment Objectives, or AOs. From the
speciDcation:
Assessment Objective 1 (AO1):
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientiDc
ideas, processes, techniques and procedures.
Assessment Objective 2 (AO2):
Apply knowledge and understanding of scientiDc ideas,
processes, techniques and procedures:
• In a theoretical context
• In a practical context
• When handling qualitative data
• When handling quantitative data.
Assessment Objective 3 (AO3):
Previous page Next page
Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientiDc information,
ideas and evidence, including in relation to issues, to:
• Make judgements and reach conclusions
• Develop and reDne practical design and procedures.
Quality of Written
Communication (QWC)
Communication (QWC)
In A Level speciDcations which require candidates
to produce written material in English, candidates
must:
• Ensure that text is legible and that spelling,
punctuation and grammar are accurate so that meaning
is clear
• Select and use a form and style of writing appropriate
to purpose and to complex subject matter
• Organise information clearly and coherently, using
specialist vocabulary when appropriate
In this speciDcation, QWC will be assessed in all units.
It will be assessed in answers to selected longer questions.
The criteria for QWC are incorporated into the mark bands
for those questions.
All of the AOs are important, but they are not all examined
with equal weighting in each of the examinations. The
materials that follow take this into account since they are
shaped around the AQA course requirements.
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How to study this
course
Tutor support
Your tutor is available to support you via email throughout
your course. If you would like to contact your tutor or ask
any questions about your course, you are able to do so at
any point. You will receive a separate email with your
tutors’ details and how to contact them.
Assessment types
Throughout your course there will be a variety of di?erent
assessments to help enhance your learning and practice
your skills ready for the exam. These include:
Learning activities
These are independent activities in place to support and
enhance your learning. Completing these will develop your
knowledge and understanding further. These are not Previous page Next page
marked by your tutor but an opportunity for you to
practice the new skills and further your knowledge that you
have learnt in preparation for the exam.
Tutor Marked Assessments
Throughout the course you will Cnd a Tutor Marked
Assessment (TMA). These are pieces of work that your tutor
will mark for you and give you feedback on in preparation
for your exam.
You will need to complete the TMAs and email them to
your tutor for marking as word documents. Your tutor will
mark and return your work to you, usually within 14 days.
There are no deadlines for these TMAs, and they do not
count towards the formal A Level assessment. However,
they are designed to help test your knowledge and allow
you to get feedback on your work prior to your exams.
These TMAs can only be marked once by your tutor (no re-
drafts) so try your best Crst time.
Exam preparation
In preparing for examination and self-testing at the end of
each unit, you can access specimen and past and exemplar
papers for free on the AQA website:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/as-and-
a-level/psychology-7181-7182/assessment-resources
You will also Cnd the mark schemes here to self-assess
yourself on these papers here.
Your tutor will be unable to mark and support with these
exam papers, these are for independent and revision
practice purposes only.
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Exam preparation
In preparing for examination and self-testing at the end of
each unit, you can access specimen and past and exemplar
papers for free on the AQA website:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/as-and-
a-level/psychology-7181-7182/assessment-resources
You will also Qnd the mark schemes here to self-assess
yourself on these papers here.
Your tutor will be unable to mark and support with these
exam papers, these are for independent and revisionPrevious page Next page
practice purposes only.
Entering for the Exams as a
Private Candidate
Please consult your A level Student
Guide for more information around
booking exams
Please note - for students enrolled onto an A Level course
including exams, any information about booking your
exams independently or choosing a recommended centre
is not applicable. Exam booking for all students studying on
these courses will be arranged directly by the college.
Private Candidates
For all other students, it is up to you to book your exams.
To do this, we recommend you use the list of
‘recommended centres’ provided within your A level
student guide. Contact the exam centre well in advance of
student guide. Contact the exam centre well in advance of
the date you intend to sit your exams, the best time is
usually the December before the May/June you want to sit
the exam.
Most students register at the start of the academic year
that they're going to take the exams. So, for example, you
would register in Autumn 2021 to take the exams in
Summer 2022. Or you would register in the Autumn of
2022, to take the exams in the Summer of 2023.
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