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How to Revise for A Level Psychology

Raj Bonsor

Written by: Raj Bonsor

Reviewed by: Cara Head

Published

Header image titled "How to Revise for A Level Psychology" on a peach background, featuring a brain outline and the author's name, Raj Bonsor.

Contents

  1. 1. 1. Know your specification
  2. 2. 2. Master key terms and concepts
  3. 3. 3. Know your named studies 
  4. 4. 4. Know your learning style
  5. 5. 5. Know your assessment objectives and command words
  6. 6. 6. Know your exam papers
  7. 7. 7. Know your issues and debates
  8. 8. Improve Your Grades with Save My Exams

Struggling to stay on top of A Level Psychology revision? You’re not alone. With so many theories, case studies, and research methods to learn, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. You might find yourself wondering where to begin—or worse, putting it off altogether.

But here’s the good news: with the right strategies, revising Psychology doesn’t have to be stressful or boring. It can be structured, manageable, and even a bit rewarding.

As a Psychology teacher with over 10 years of experience, I’ve helped hundreds of students turn confusion into clarity. In this article, I’ll share practical tips that will help you revise smarter, stay motivated, and walk into your exams feeling confident and well-prepared.

1. Know your specification

Your A Level Psychology specification (whether it’s AQA, Edexcel, OCR, or another board) is your best friend. It outlines exactly what you need to know for each exam paper—from topics like Memory and Social Influence to Research Methods and Biopsychology. 

Think of the specification as a checklist that keeps you on track. It shows how each topic fits into the bigger picture, helping you focus on what the examiners expect you to learn.

Top Tip: Many students find it helpful to look through the specification at the start of their revision. Highlight areas you find tricky, then tackle them first. This approach helps you use your study time effectively and ensures you don’t miss any key points

Table on social influence and conformity with columns for confidence levels: confident, unsure, and don't know. Rows list conformity topics.

Personal learning checklist for social influence

2. Master key terms and concepts

Psychology has a unique language: key terms like ‘monotropy’, ‘schema’, ‘content analysis’, or ‘excitation’ can pop up in your exams. Knowing definitions and concepts such as these inside out is essential because:

  • They help you understand important areas of psychology

  • You’ll often need to use or define them in short-answer and extended responses

  • Examiners reward precise, correct terminology

Top Tips: Review your exam specification, as exam boards clearly state the key terms and concepts you may need to define. Refer to the glossary at the back of your textbook to help you understand and define key terms accurately. 

Find a strategy that helps you learn these key terms; some examples are below:

  • Glossary Notebook: Keep a small notebook of important words. Update it regularly

  • DIY Quizzes: Create multiple-choice or matching exercises to test yourself

  • Flashcards: Write the term on one side and the definition on the other. Over time, add extra details like examples or related studies

  • Mind Maps: For bigger concepts (e.g., obedience, memory stores, development), make a visual map of the key ideas, strengths/weaknesses, and any relevant psychologists

3. Know your named studies 

Lorenz and Harlow’s animal studies of attachment, Milgram’s obedience experiment, and Pavlov’s research on classical conditioning — these are examples of studies you might encounter in A Level Psychology. Referring to relevant research shows that you understand the evidence behind theories. It also helps you evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

Top Tip: Compile a summary of all the key studies or theories your exam board requires. Exam board specifications list the ones you could be asked about explicitly. Create revision grids or mind maps for each study, including:

  • The aim and method of the research

  • The results and conclusions

  • Any criticisms (ethical, methodological, or theoretical)

Having these summaries at hand makes it easier to recall details during the exam.

Harlow’s Study on Rhesus Monkeys (1958)

Aim: to investigate the role of comfort and food in the formation of attachment bonds

Strengths (AO3):

  • High control over variables allowed for clear cause-and-effect conclusions about the role of comfort in attachment

  • The use of rhesus monkeys, who are genetically and behaviourally similar to humans, provided valuable insights into human infant-caregiver attachment

  • The study contributed to major theoretical developments in attachment, influencing Bowlby’s work

Method:

  • Harlow studied 16 rhesus monkeys separated from their biological mothers at birth

  • Each monkey was placed in a cage with two surrogate ‘mothers’

    • A wire mother that provided milk

    • A cloth mother covered in soft fabric but without food

  • The monkeys’ attachment behaviour was observed, particularly which mother they spent more time with and which one they turned to when frightened

  • Harlow also observed the monkeys' long-term social behaviour after rearing

Results: 

  • All monkeys spent significantly more time clinging to the cloth mother (22/24 hours)

  • When frightened, the monkeys consistently sought comfort from the cloth mother, not the wire one

  • Those reared with only a wire mother showed signs of extreme distress, such as rocking, self-harming behaviours, and social dysfunction

  • Monkeys raised without any real mother or peer interaction showed severe long-term social deficits, including aggression and difficulties mating or parenting

Limitation (AO3):

  • Ethical concerns: The monkeys experienced severe and lasting emotional harm, raising serious issues about psychological distress and lack of protection from harm

  • Generalisability: While rhesus monkeys share similarities with humans, they are not human. Therefore, extrapolating findings to human infants must be done with caution

  • Artificial setting: The experimental conditions (e.g., wire and cloth mothers) lack ecological validity and may not reflect real-world caregiving environments

Conclusion: 

  • Contact comfort is more important in the formation of attachment than food 

  • These findings challenge the learning theory of attachment

  • The study supports Bowlby’s theory that attachment has an evolutionary basis and provides emotional security critical for healthy development

4. Know your learning style

Everyone learns differently, so it is helpful to identify your preferred learning style early on. Try out different revision techniques until you find the one that works for you

Below are a few ideas to help you get started:

  • Visual learners: Use mind maps, diagrams, and colour-coding

    • These are especially helpful for revising concepts such as the multi-store model of memory

  • Auditory learners: Record yourself summarising topics on your phone or watch videos on the topics that you are revising

    • Teaching others helps you to understand the content you’re learning

  • Kinaesthetic learners: Create physical models or carry out experiments

    • Practical experience is especially important for understanding research methods content in A Level Psychology

5. Know your assessment objectives and command words

In A Level Psychology, Assessment Objectives (AOs) guide how you’re marked. It is important to know what the following AOs mean:

  • AO1: Knowledge and understanding

  • AO2: Application to scenarios

  • AO3: Analysis and evaluation

Likewise, command words (e.g., 'explain', 'outline', or 'evaluate') tell you exactly what examiners want. Spot them and structure your answers to fit. For example, if the question says ‘evaluate’, you need strengths, weaknesses, and a justified conclusion.

Top Tip: Ensure that you are familiar with the AOs and command words. Knowing them means you’ll focus your answers correctly, which helps you save time and avoid missing marks.

6. Know your exam papers

Go through past papers to understand the structure of the questions and the types of tasks you might face. Whether it’s multiple-choice, short-answer, or an extended response, each question format tests a different skill.

  • Practice mock papers under timed conditions to get used to working quickly yet accurately

  • Review mark schemes to see how marks are awarded and what excellent answers look like

  • Use the examiner’s reports to learn from common mistakes made by past students

Top Tip: When practising past papers, set a timer. This will help you build good time management skills so you can complete all the questions within the time limit on exam day.

7. Know your issues and debates

Understanding the issues and debates in A Level Psychology is a game-changer. These big ideas—like nature vs. nurture or free will vs. determinism—come up across lots of topics, not just one. If you know them well, you can make stronger evaluation points and link your knowledge together. That’s exactly what examiners are looking for when they award top marks.

Top Tip: Make a simple revision grid for the issues and debates. Write down each debate and then add examples from different topics. For example, which theories exemplify nurture? Which ones show determinism? This will help you spot patterns and make better links in the exam, saving time and boosting your confidence!

Improve Your Grades with Save My Exams

Here at Save My Exams, we develop high-quality, affordable revision resources that will help you study effectively and get the most out of your revision. Our revision resources are written by teachers and examiners. That means notes, questions by topic and worked solutions that show exactly what the examiners for each specific exam are looking for. 

Explore Our A Level Psychology Revision Resources

References

AQA (2021) AS and A Level Psychology Specification (7181; 7182), Version 1.2:   Accessed 27 June 2025

AQA (2024) A Level Psychology Summary of Changes (7182), Version 1.0:   Accessed 27 June 2025

Pearson Edexcel (2016) Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Psychology (9PS0), Issue 2:  Accessed 27 June 2025

OCR (2024) A Level Psychology Specification (H567), Version 1.4:  Accessed 27 June 2025

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Author
Reviewer
Raj Bonsor

Author: Raj Bonsor

Expertise: Psychology & Sociology Content Creator

Raj joined Save My Exams in 2024 as a Senior Content Creator for Psychology & Sociology. Prior to this, she spent fifteen years in the classroom, teaching hundreds of GCSE and A Level students. She has experience as Subject Leader for Psychology and Sociology, and her favourite topics to teach are research methods (especially inferential statistics!) and attachment. She has also successfully taught a number of Level 3 subjects, including criminology, health & social care, and citizenship.

Cara Head

Reviewer: Cara Head

Expertise: Biology & Psychology Content Creator

Cara graduated from the University of Exeter in 2005 with a degree in Biological Sciences. She has fifteen years of experience teaching the Sciences at KS3 to KS5, and Psychology at A-Level. Cara has taught in a range of secondary schools across the South West of England before joining the team at SME. Cara is passionate about Biology and creating resources that bring the subject alive and deepen students' understanding

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