Scheme of assessment
Find past papers and mark schemes, and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers
This specification is designed to be taken over two years.
This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.
GCSE exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2019 and then every May/June for the life of the specification.
All materials are available in English only.
Our GCSE exams in Psychology include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:
- draw together their knowledge, skills and understanding from across the full course of study
- provide extended responses.
Aims and learning outcomes
Courses based on this specification must encourage students to:
- use specialist vocabulary, psychological concepts, terminology and convention to engage in the process of psychological enquiry
- acquire knowledge and understanding of psychology, developing an understanding of self and others, and how psychological understanding can help to explain everyday social phenomena
- understand how psychological research is conducted, including the role of scientific method and data analysis
- present information, develop arguments and draw conclusions through a critical approach to psychological evidence, developing as reflective thinkers
- develop an understanding of the relationship between psychology and personal, moral, social and cultural issues, and develop an understanding of ethical issues in psychology
- develop an understanding of psychological issues, the contribution of psychology to individual, social and cultural diversity, and how psychology contributes to society.
Assessment objectives
Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE Psychology specifications and all exam boards.
The exams will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.
- AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychological ideas, processes and procedures.
- AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of psychological ideas, processes and procedures.
- AO3: Analyse and evaluate psychological information, ideas, processes and procedures to make judgements and draw conclusions.
Assessment objective weightings for GCSE Psychology
| Assessment objectives (AOs) | Component weightings (approx %) | Overall weighting (approx %) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Paper 2 | ||
| AO1 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 35 |
| AO2 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 35 |
| AO3 | 15 | 15 | 30 |
| Overall weighting of components | 50 | 50 | 100 |
Assessment weightings
The marks awarded on the papers will be scaled to meet the weighting of the components. Students’ final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.
| Component | Maximum raw mark | Scaling factor | Maximum scaled mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 100 | x1 | 100 |
| Paper 2 | 100 | x1 | 100 |
| Total scaled mark: | 200 | ||
