How Long Are Psychology A Level Exams?

Knowing exactly how long Psychology A Level exams are is a game-changer for your revision sessions. If you want to practise under real exam conditions, you need the right timings, mark weightings, and paper structures. That way, you’ll go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect. 

In this guide, we break it down for you by exam board, so you can plan smarter and feel confident walking into the exam hall.

AQA Psychology Exam Length & Structure

AQA splits Psychology into three equal papers. Each paper is 2 hours long, worth 96 marks, and carries one third of the overall grade.

Important info: You’re allowed a calculator, which is really useful for research methods and stats questions. Also, watch your timings here. The longer essay questions usually take around 25–30 minutes each, so pacing yourself is key.

Edexcel & OCR Psychology Exam Lengths

Both Edexcel and OCR split Psychology into three papers, just like AQA. But the exact timings, mark weightings, and even the style of questions can be a little different. 

These differences matter because they can change how much time pressure you feel in the exam, and how you should pace yourself when practising past papers.

Let’s take a closer look at how each board structures its exams:

Edexcel A-Level Psychology

OCR Psychology

OCR has two versions of A Level Psychology (A and B), both structured around three papers.

Exam Boards Compared at a Glance

Here’s a side-by-side look at the main exam boards, showing how their Psychology A Level exams are structured: 

Revision Advice: Timed Practice Strategies

To feel properly exam-ready, it’s not enough just to revise the content, you also need to practise under the right conditions. Here are some practical tips to help you do this: 

• Practise under timed conditions. Use past papers as mock exams, set a timer, put your notes away, and treat it exactly like the real thing.
  

• Keep an eye on the clock. If you get stuck, don’t spend twenty minutes stressing over one tricky question. Move on and come back later if you have time.
  

• Simulate the exam hall. Sit at a desk with no phone or distractions. The closer your practice feels to the real exam, the more confident you’ll be on the day.
  

• Always leave time to check. Save at least five minutes at the end to read through your answers. A quick check can catch mistakes and grab you some easy extra marks.

Training yourself in this way makes the real exam feel much less overwhelming. With enough timed practice, your pacing will become second nature, so you can walk into the exam hall ready to perform at your best.

Final Thoughts

So, how long are Psychology A Level exams? For AQA (opens in a new tab), Edexcel (opens in a new tab), and OCR (opens in a new tab), it’s almost always three papers, each lasting two hours. The only real exception is Cambridge International (CIE), (opens in a new tab) which has slightly different timings.

But here’s the important bit: it’s not really about which board you’re with, it’s about how you use those timings to practise smartly. If you base your revision around the exact paper lengths, you’ll feel calmer and more in control when it comes to the real thing.

Save My Exams has everything you need to get ready for your A Level Psychology exam – from past papers and revision notes to mock exams – so you can walk into the exam hall confident and prepared. 

Good luck!

Sources

AQA | Psychology | A-level | A-level Psychology  (opens in a new tab)

Edexcel AS and A level Psychology 2015 | Pearson qualifications (opens in a new tab)

AS and A Level - Psychology - H167, H567 (opens in a new tab)

Cambridge International AS and A Level Psychology (9990)  (opens in a new tab)