Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology 9990 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
Updated: Sep 7
Access Cambridge International (CIE/CAIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 past papers and mark schemes for Papers 1–4, with examiner tips and focused 2026 revision guidance.
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 June 2026 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2026 CIE A Level Psychology (June) | Downloads | |
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/11) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/12) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/13) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/21) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/22) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/31) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/33) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/41) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
June 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/43) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 March 2026 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2026 CIE A Level Psychology (March) | Downloads | |
March 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/22) | ||
March 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
March 2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 October 2025 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2025 CIE A Level Psychology (October) | Downloads | |
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/11) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/12) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/13) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/21) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/22) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/23) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/31) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/33) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/41) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
October 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/43) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 June 2025 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2025 CIE A Level Psychology (June) | Downloads | |
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/11) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/12) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/13) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/21) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/22) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/31) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/33) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/41) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
June 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/43) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 March 2025 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2025 CIE A Level Psychology (March) | Downloads | |
March 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/22) | ||
March 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
March 2025 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 October 2024 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2024 CIE A Level Psychology (October) | Downloads | |
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/11) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/12) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/13) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/21) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/22) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/31) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/33) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/41) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
October 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/43) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 June 2024 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2024 CIE A Level Psychology (June) | Downloads | |
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/11) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/12) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/13) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/22) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/31) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/33) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/41) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/43) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 March 2024 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2024 CIE A Level Psychology (March) | Downloads | |
March 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Research Methods (9990/12) | ||
March 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
March 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 October 2023 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2023 CIE A Level Psychology (October) | Downloads | |
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/11) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/12) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/13) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/21) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/23) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/31) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/33) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/41) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
October 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/43) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 June 2023 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2023 CIE A Level Psychology (June) | Downloads | |
June 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/11) | ||
June 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates (9990/12) | ||
June 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/21) | ||
June 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/31) | ||
June 2024 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
June 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/33) | ||
June 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/41) | ||
June 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
June 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/43) | ||
Cambridge (CIE) AS & A Level Psychology 9990 March 2023 Past Papers & Mark Schemes
2023 CIE A Level Psychology (March) | Downloads | |
March 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 2: Research Methods (9990/22) | ||
March 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 3: Specialist Options: Theory (9990/32) | ||
March 2023 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application (9990/42) | ||
Many students actually know far more than they think — the challenge is usually translating that knowledge into the exam.
Here are some critical tips compiled by our teachers.
Tip 1: Results and conclusions are different things — know which one is being asked for
This distinction trips up a surprising number of students, including confident ones, because the two things feel closely related. They are related — but they are not the same, and the exam treats them as entirely separate.
A result is what the data showed. It is specific, numerical where possible, and tied directly to what was measured or observed in the study. It does not interpret or generalise — it reports. When describing a result from Bandura's Bobo doll study, for example, you would write something like: "Boys showed higher levels of imitative aggressive gun play than girls." That is a finding from the data. It describes what was observed in that specific sample under those specific conditions.
A conclusion is what that result means in broader terms. It steps back from the specific numbers and asks: what does this tell us about human behaviour generally? A conclusion from the same study would be: "Children are likely to imitate aggressive behaviour observed in a model, even in a new situation where the model is not present." No numbers, no specific sample details — just the general psychological principle the data supports.
The test to apply when writing either one is straightforward. If you are about to write a number, a specific observation, or a direct reference to what participants did, that is a result. If you are about to write a general statement about what the study tells us about people, that is a conclusion. Read the question, identify which one is being asked for, and stay on the correct side of that line.
Tip 2: "In this study" is an instruction — follow it literally
When a question contains the phrase "in this study," or presents a specific named study or scenario, it is telling you exactly what the examiner expects to see in your answer. Generic psychological knowledge on its own will not achieve full marks, regardless of how accurate or well-written it is.
This is one of the most consistent sources of partial credit rather than full credit across psychology papers. A student asked to explain a limitation of the Milgram study in terms of ethics writes: "A limitation is that the study was unethical because participants were deceived and experienced psychological harm." That answer is correct in the abstract. It could apply to dozens of studies. It does not demonstrate that the student has engaged with Milgram specifically, and the mark scheme reflects that.
A fully credited answer anchors the generic point to the specific study: "In Milgram's study, participants were deceived into believing they were administering real electric shocks to a learner, and many showed extreme signs of psychological distress during the procedure, including sweating, trembling, and nervous laughter." The principle — deception and psychological harm — is the same. The difference is that it is now demonstrably about this study.
The habit to build is simple: treat "in this study" as a trigger that requires you to include at least one explicit, specific detail from the study named — a procedure, a finding, a participant group, a specific condition. That detail is what converts a generic answer into an applied one, and it is almost always the difference between partial and full marks.
Tip 3: The named issue is not a suggestion — it is a requirement
In extended essay questions, the named issue is one of the most reliable sources of higher-band marks, and one of the most reliably ignored parts of the question. Students either skip it entirely because they are more comfortable writing about studies, or they describe what the issue is without actually using it to evaluate anything. Neither approach gains full credit.
Here is the distinction that matters. Describing an issue looks like this: "Self-report methods involve participants answering questions about their own behaviour or attitudes." That is a definition, not evaluation. Using an issue for evaluation looks like this: "A weakness of this study is that it relied on self-report data, which means participants may have given socially desirable answers rather than honest ones, reducing the validity of the findings." The issue is doing evaluative work — it is being used to make a judgement about the quality or limitations of the research.
Plan your extended essay before you write it, and build the named issue in deliberately. A strong structure for a four-point evaluation question is two strengths and two weaknesses, with at least one of those four points directly addressing the named issue in depth. Organise your response around the evaluative point itself rather than around individual studies — write about the issue first, then bring in studies as evidence to support your point. That structure signals to the examiner that you are evaluating, not just describing, and it is what the higher mark bands are designed to reward.
Tip 4: Defining a term using the term itself demonstrates nothing
This is the same trap that appears in other subjects and it is just as costly here. A circular definition tells the examiner that you recognise the word but cannot explain the concept it represents.
"The situational explanation refers to the situation." "Reliability means whether a study is reliable." "The cognitive approach focuses on cognition." None of those sentences adds any information. They simply rearrange the original term and present it back as a definition, and they receive no marks.
The fix requires you to go one level deeper — to ask what the term actually refers to at a psychological level and explain that instead. The situational explanation is not about "the situation." It is about the idea that behaviour is primarily shaped by external environmental factors and social context rather than by individual personality or internal characteristics. You have explained the concept without using the word "situation" as a crutch.
A reliable test: cover the term being defined and read back your definition. Does it still communicate the meaning of the concept clearly? If the definition only makes sense when you already know the term, it is circular. Rewrite it until it stands on its own.
Tip 5: Human ethics and animal ethics are governed by entirely different frameworks
This is a specific and examinable distinction that students regularly blur, and the consequences on the mark scheme are significant.
Human ethical guidelines exist to protect participants' autonomy and wellbeing. They include concepts such as informed consent, the right to withdraw, deception, and debriefing — all of which presuppose a participant who can understand what they are agreeing to, make voluntary choices, and be told the truth after the fact. These concepts are meaningless when applied to animals. An animal cannot give informed consent. Suggesting that an elephant walking away from a study constitutes exercising its "right to withdraw" conflates a behavioural observation with a formal ethical principle — and examiners are specifically briefed to penalise this.
Animal research in psychology is governed by a separate set of guidelines focused on four key areas: the housing conditions provided for the animals, the number of animals used, the rewards or reinforcements used during the study, and the species or strain selected and whether it is appropriate for the research being conducted. When evaluating an animal study on ethical grounds, these are the criteria you apply. Ask whether the housing was appropriate for the species, whether the number of animals used was justified, and whether the species chosen was suitable for the type of study being conducted.
When revising ethics, keep the two frameworks completely separate in your notes. Write them in different sections, practise applying each one only to the appropriate type of study, and treat any crossover as a signal that something has gone wrong in your answer.
Tip 6: Read the method the question requires before you plan anything else
This mistake tends to happen because students arrive at a planning question with a well-rehearsed experimental design in their head and apply it regardless of what the question actually asks for. The result is an answer built around independent variables, dependent variables, and controls — when the question asked for a questionnaire.
The method specified in the question is not a minor detail. It is the foundation of your entire answer, and everything you write must be appropriate to that method. If the question asks you to design a questionnaire, the relevant considerations are the format of the questions — whether they are open questions that generate qualitative data or closed questions that produce quantifiable responses — and the practical decisions around administration, such as whether the questionnaire will be completed online, by post, or face-to-face. Each of those choices has implications for response rate, researcher bias, and the type of data collected, and those are the things your answer should address.
Introducing independent variables, hypotheses about cause and effect, or experimental controls into a questionnaire design answer signals to the examiner that you have not read the question carefully. It does not matter how technically accurate your experimental design knowledge is — it is answering a question that was not asked.
Before you write a single word of a planning answer, identify the method and write it down. Then ask: what are the key decisions specific to this method? For observations: covert or overt, participant or non-participant, structured or unstructured. For interviews: structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. For questionnaires: open or closed questions, method of delivery. Your answer lives entirely within whichever of those frameworks the question has specified.
Tip 7: GRAVE is a checklist, not an answer
The GRAVE framework is a useful revision tool — a way of reminding yourself of the evaluative dimensions available to you. The mistake is treating it as the answer itself, listing the points mechanically without explaining why each one represents a strength or weakness in the specific study being discussed.
"A weakness of this study is that it has low generalisability" earns very little. It identifies a category of criticism without demonstrating any understanding of why it applies here or what it means for the research. An answer that earns marks explains the mechanism: "A weakness of this study is that the sample consisted entirely of male American participants, which means the findings may not generalise to women or to participants from collectivist cultures where conformity to authority operates differently." The GRAVE category — generalisability — is the same. The quality of the evaluation is entirely different.
For every evaluative point you make, two things must follow the initial statement: an explanation of why it is a strength or weakness in this specific case, and a reference to a specific detail from the named study that supports your point. If either of those two elements is missing, the point is incomplete.
One additional note on real-world application: unless the question specifically asks for it, avoid using this as one of your GRAVE evaluation points in AO3 questions. It tends to attract weaker, descriptive writing and rarely reaches the level of analysis the mark scheme rewards.
Tip 8: These terms are not interchangeable — build a glossary and use it
A significant number of marks are lost in psychology not because students cannot evaluate research, but because they reach for the wrong technical term and undermine an otherwise sound point. Terminology precision is not pedantry in this subject — it is part of the assessment.
The pairs that cause the most confusion are worth addressing directly.
Reliability and validity are related but distinct. Reliability is about consistency — whether a study or measurement produces the same results when repeated under the same conditions. Validity is about accuracy — whether a study actually measures what it claims to measure. A study can be highly reliable but low in validity: a questionnaire that consistently produces the same scores may be measuring something other than what it was designed to assess.
Random sampling and random allocation operate at different stages of a study. Random sampling is how you select participants from a population — every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen. Random allocation is what you do with participants once you have them — assigning them to conditions in an experiment by chance to control for individual differences. Confusing these two in a methods answer is a meaningful error.
Independent measures and repeated measures describe different experimental designs. Independent measures uses different participants in each condition. Repeated measures uses the same participants in all conditions. Each has different implications for participant variables and order effects.
On reductionism: this is not automatically a weakness. Reductionism — breaking behaviour down into its component parts — is the basis of the experimental method and allows for controlled, replicable research. Whether it is a strength or weakness depends on the context of the question and the study being discussed. Treat it as a nuanced point, not a default criticism.
Tip 9: Description of a study is not the same as evaluation of it
In the sections of the paper that target AO3, description earns very little. This is one of the clearest disconnects between what students practise and what the exam actually rewards in its higher mark bands.
Here is what the distinction looks like in practice. A descriptive response to a debate question about whether behaviour is innate or learned might write two paragraphs explaining what Bandura's Bobo doll study involved — the procedure, the sample, the conditions, the findings. That is AO1. It demonstrates knowledge of the study. It does not engage with the debate.
An evaluative response uses the study as evidence in an argument: "Evidence that behaviour is learned rather than innate comes from Bandura's finding that children who observed an aggressive model were significantly more likely to reproduce that aggression than those in the control condition, suggesting that environmental exposure can directly shape behaviour. However, this evidence can be challenged on the grounds that the aggressive behaviours observed — hitting a Bobo doll — are low-cost, consequence-free actions that may not reflect how children would behave in real social situations, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn about learned aggression more broadly."
The study appears in both versions. In the second, it is doing evaluative work — supporting a side of the debate and then being critically examined. That is the difference between AO1 and AO3, and it is the difference between a mid-band and a high-band answer in these sections.
In debate questions, your position should be clear, your evidence should support it, and your counter-argument should genuinely challenge it. Description of studies is the starting point — not the answer.
Are there any significant changes to the Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology (9990) for the 2027 examination cycle?
No. There are no significant changes for 2027. The major syllabus revision was introduced for the 2024–2026 period, and the curriculum remains stable going into 2027.
Can I still use the same textbooks and materials from 2024?
Yes. Textbooks and materials endorsed for the syllabus since 2024 remain fully suitable for students sitting exams in 2027.
Is Cambridge A Level Psychology (9990) much harder than IGCSE Psychology?
"Hard" is subjective, but the jump from IGCSE to A Level is a genuine step up — not just a slight increase in difficulty.
Depth Over Breadth
IGCSE gives you a broad overview across many topics without requiring you to go too deep. A Level flips this — at AS, you must master 12 specific Core Studies in fine detail (exact sample sizes, apparatus, results), and at A2, you go into complex specialist fields like Clinical or Organizational Psychology.
Where Most Students Struggle
The Assessment Shift
IGCSE leans heavily on AO1 (Knowledge) and AO2 (Application) — memorize the facts, apply them to a scenario, and you're largely fine. A Level places far greater weight on AO3 (Analysis and Evaluation). You can't just describe a study; you have to argue its strengths and weaknesses, engage with debates like Nature vs. Nurture, and critically evaluate research ethics and methodology.
Writing Demands
IGCSE answers can be short and punchy. A Level — especially Papers 1 and 3 — is essay-heavy. If extended writing isn't your strength, this is where the difficulty will really show.
Quick Comparison
Feature | IGCSE (0266) | A Level (9990) |
Content | General foundations | High-level research & specialist fields |
Memory Load | Moderate | Heavy — specific study details required |
Maths/Science | Basic data interpretation | Stronger research methodology focus |
Exam Style | Short & structured questions | Long essays and data analysis |
The Bottom Line
A strong IGCSE foundation gives you a real head start — especially on research methods, which underpins the entire A Level. But the A Level demands a different mindset altogether: less recitation, more thinking like a psychologist.
How do I calculate what I need for an A* in Cambridge A Level Psychology (9990)?
The A* works differently from other grades — it isn't awarded per paper, but based on your total weighted score across all four components. Here's how to break it down:
Step 1: Know Your Option Route
Your school will be entered under a specific option combination. Most international students sit Option AY (Variant 2):
Option | Components | Max Mark | A* Threshold |
AX | 11, 21, 31, 41 | 240 | 150 (62.5%) |
AY | 12, 22, 32, 42 | 240 | 166 (69.2%) |
AZ | 13, 23, 33, 43 | 240 | 155 (64.6%) |
Option AY tends to have the highest threshold as candidates generally find Papers 12 and 22 more approachable.
Step 2: Know Your Target Per Paper
Each paper is out of 60, making the total a clean 240 with equal weighting. For Route AY, you need 166 total, which averages out to 41.5 marks per paper. You don't need to hit that on every paper though — you can balance your strengths:
Paper | Target | Notes |
Paper 12 (AS Core) | 48/60 | Content-heavy; aim high |
Paper 22 (AS Research Methods) | 45/60 | Strong methodology = easy marks |
Paper 32 (A2 Specialist) | 38/60 | Higher difficulty, lower expectation |
Paper 42 (A2 Application) | 35/60 | Hardest to score perfectly in |
Total | 166/240 | = A* |
Step 3: Understand the A → A* Gap
For Option AY, the difference between an A and an A* is 19 marks — nearly 5 extra marks per paper. In Psychology, those marks almost always come from Section C evaluation essays and Research Design questions, where precise use of terminology is critical.
The Strategy
Consistently aim for 42–45 in AS Papers (1 & 2) during practice to build a buffer for the less predictable A2 papers. If you're comfortably clearing 45+ on past papers for AS, you can afford to drop a few marks on the A2 side and still hit 166.
