How Many A Level Psychology Papers Are There?

Most A Level Psychology students take three papers. AQA (opens in a new tab) and WJEC Eduqas (opens in a new tab) have three equally weighted papers, while Pearson Edexcel (opens in a new tab) and OCR (opens in a new tab)’s three papers have unequal weighting. WJEC CBAC (opens in a new tab), which is primarily for Welsh learners, consists of four units.

This article offers a simple breakdown for all exam boards on what each paper covers, and how you’ll be assessed.

Key Takeaways

• AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas all have three papers, while WJEC CBAC has four units

• Assessments are referred to as papers (AQA and Pearson Edexcel), components (OCR and WJEC Eduqas) or units (WJEC CBAC)

• Prepare for your A Level Psychology exams using a variety of methods and resources, including our revision notes

A Level Psychology Assessment Structure Explained

AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas all offer linear qualifications for A Level Psychology. This means you’ll sit your A Level exams at the end of Year 13.

WJEC CBAC is unitised: Unit 1 and Unit 2 are AS Level, and Unit 3 and Unit 4 are A Level. You’ll take Unit 1 and Unit 2 in Year 12, and Unit 3 and Unit 4 in Year 13.

All specifications cover similar topics for A Level Psychology, such as research methods and psychological debates.

How Many Exam Papers Are There For A Level Psychology?

AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas all have three papers, while WJEC CBAC has four units.

AQA

1) Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology
2) Paper 2: Psychology in Context
3) Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology

Pearson Edexcel

1) Paper 1: Foundations in Psychology
2) Paper 2: Applications of Psychology
3) Paper 3: Psychological Skills

OCR

1) Component 01: Research Methods
2) Component 02: Psychological Themes through Core Studies
3) Component 03: Applied Psychology

WJEC Eduqas

1) Component 1: Psychology: Past to Present
2) Component 2: Psychology: Investigating Behaviour
3) Component 3: Psychology: Implications in the Real World

WJEC CBAC

1) Unit 1: Psychology: Past to Present (AS Level)
2) Unit 2: Psychology: Using Psychological Concepts (AS Level)
3) Unit 3: Psychology: Implications in the Real World (A Level)
4) Unit 4: Psychology: Applied Research Methods (A Level)

Breakdown by Exam Board

AQA A Level Psychology

The table below provides an overview of each paper:

*See the current specification (opens in a new tab) for more information on optional topics.

Pearson Edexcel A Level Psychology

The table below provides an overview of each paper for the current specification (opens in a new tab):

OCR A Level Psychology

The table below provides an overview of each component for the current specification (opens in a new tab):

WJEC Eduqas A Level Psychology

The table below provides an overview of each component for the current specification (opens in a new tab):

WJEC CBAC A Level Psychology

The table below provides an overview of each unit for the current specification (opens in a new tab):

Tips for Preparing for A Level Psychology Papers

Use a variety of different revision methods

If you’re wondering how to revise for A Level Psychology, here are some useful techniques:

• Flashcards for key concepts and vocabulary, e.g. ‘androcentrism’ or ‘social influence’

• Mind maps to show connections between concepts, e.g. key ideas about memory, strengths and weaknesses of different theories and relevant psychologists

• Target Test for tailored practice, which is especially useful for tackling the hardest A Level Psychology topics

Know your experiments

• Each exam board will have set experiments or studies for you to learn, e.g. Pavlov’s dogs or Bandura’s Bobo doll

• Create a table for each experiment, including details like what it tested/discovered, who conducted it, and any criticisms

Read examiner reports

• Find out what mistakes to avoid and what other students did well by reading what examiners have said

• Here’s a sample examiner report from AQA and one from Pearson Edexcel (opens in a new tab)

Use Save My Exams

• If you’re aiming for the top grade, read our guide on how to get an A* in A Level Psychology

• Use our A Level Psychology revision notes

• Complete past papers and assess how you did against the mark schemes

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all A Level Psychology papers compulsory?

Yes. AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas all have three compulsory papers, and WJEC CBAC has four compulsory units.

Do the papers have equal weighting?

AQA and WJEC Eduqas have equal weighting, as each one of their papers is worth 33.3%.

Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC CBAC do not have equal weighting. Pearson Edexcel and OCR both have two papers worth 35% and one worth 30%. WJEC CBAC has three units worth 20% and one worth 40%.

Can I resit individual A Level Psychology papers?

A Level resits require you to resit all papers for linear qualifications. You therefore can’t resit individual AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas papers.

WJEC CBAC does allow you to resit an individual unit. However, if you attempt any unit twice and want to try a third time, you’ll have to re-enter all units.

Check with your teacher for more information on resits.

References

• AQA A Level Psychology (opens in a new tab)

• Pearson Edexcel A Level Psychology (opens in a new tab)

• OCR A Level Psychology (opens in a new tab)

• WJEC Eduqas A Level Psychology (opens in a new tab)

• WJEC CBAC A Level Psychology (opens in a new tab)