Psychology is one of the most popular A Level subjects. It’s a fascinating but diverse subject with lots of different topics covered. While this allows for a breadth of knowledge, it can leave some students overwhelmed, particularly at revision time. This blog post outlines how to revise for A Level Psychology, helping you feel more exam-ready.
1: Understand the Assessment Objectives
When thinking about how to revise for A Level Psychology, remember it’s not just about what you know, it’s about how you use it. Examiners are looking for specific skills you can demonstrate to show that you can apply what you know in different ways. There are three key skills they are looking for, set out in the exam boards’ three Assessment Objectives (AOs):
- AO1 (Knowledge & Understanding): Describing a theory or a study. You need to be accurate and concise, showing the examiner that you know the content.
- AO2 (Application): Applying your knowledge to a “stem” (a short story or scenario). This may be a theoretical or practical scenario; apply what you have learned and take it one step further.
- AO3 (Evaluation & Analysis): This is where the big marks are. You must critique theories and studies: what are the strengths, weaknesses, and real-world implications? Reaching a judgment in an essay is key.
For mastering the Assessment Objectives, using practice and past exam papers is essential so you can see how you prefer to write, and ensure you cover all three of them where necessary.
2. The Secret Weapon: Research Methods
Many students leave the Research Methods questions until the last minute, but this is a common mistake. Research Methods can make up nearly 25-30% of your total grade across all papers. When you’re thinking about how to revise for A Level Psychology, remember these tips:
- Know your stats: Understand which statistical test method to use (e.g., Spearman’s Rho vs. Pearson’s R) and why you’re using it.
- Practice the maths: Be comfortable with mean, median, mode, and interpreting graphs.
- Think like a scientist: Understand the issues of data validity, reliability, and ethics.
3. Use “PEEL” for High-Scoring Essays
Psychology essays (worth 16 marks in AQA exams) require a clear line of reasoning. When you revise for A Level Psychology, make sure you get used to the PEEL structure.
- P (Point): State the strength or limitation (e.g., “One limitation of the Multi-Store Model is that it is oversimplified.”)
- E (Evidence): Provide a study or concept that supports your point.
- E (Explanation): Why does this matter? How does it affect the validity of the theory?
- L (Link): Connect it back to the original question.
4. Revision Techniques That Actually Work
One of the worst ways to revise for A Level Psychology is just by reading your textbook over and over again. This won’t cut it: revising for A Level Psychology requires active recall.
- Flashcards: Great for key terms like monotropy, neuroplasticity, or demand characteristics.
- Mind Maps: Use these to connect “Issues and Debates” (like Nature vs. Nurture) to specific topics like Attachment or Psychopathology.
- Timed Past Papers: Get used to using exam timing to get right into the detail of your essay, and practice your exam technique.
5. Don’t Ignore the “Issues and Debates”
Whether it’s idiographic vs. nomothetic approaches or cultural bias, these “Issues and Debates” are the “golden threads” of your A Level. If you can weave these into your AO3 evaluations throughout the course, you’ll demonstrate the higher-level thinking that examiners love.
Revise for A Level Psychology with Study Dog
Ready to ace your exams? We’re here to help you, as we are now developing a range of A Level Psychology resources. With a Study Dog membership, you’ll get access to our platform to help you revise for A Level Psychology. Your membership includes:
- In-depth Psychology Course Notes tailored to the AQA specification.
- Model Essay Answers that show you exactly how to hit those top marks.
- Interactive Quizzes to make memorising those tricky concepts and research methods easy.
Register interest for a Psychology Study Dog membership and be the first to hear when we launch our new courses!
