Psychology

Assessment

This is a linear A-level course. Assessment will be through three exams at the end of the second year of the course. There will be one exam for each unit, and all exams will be two hours long. The ways in which you are assessed are quite varied: • Unit 1 (Research Methods) - the exam includes multiple-choice questions as well as questions in which you are asked to design a study of your own, and questions requiring you to analyse some 'dummy data' that you are given from a made-up study. • Unit 2 (Psychological Themes through Core Studies) - the exam includes short-answer questions about the detail of the Core Studies as well as a structured essay on one or more of the debates you will study (e.g. the nature-nurture debate; the debate about whether psychology is a science). You will also be given a novel source (e.g. a newspaper article) and invited to identify the psychological issues it raises, make (evidence-based) suggestions for the people in the article, and evaluate the suggestions you have made. • Unit 3 (Applied Psychology) - the exam includes structured essays on your two Applied Options (e.g. criminal psychology, and environmental psychology) as well as a variety of shorter questions on issues in mental health. Unit 1 is worth 30% of the A level as a whole, while the other two units are each worth 35%. There is no coursework.