AQA GCSE Psychology guide FAQ (8182)
Guide overview All 8 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
AQA GCSE Psychology: questions and answers
Specification 8182. Two sets, because students and parents ask different things.
For students
Which topics are on which paper?
Paper 1 is Memory, Perception, Development and Research Methods. Paper 2 is Social Influence, Language Thought and Communication, Brain and Neuropsychology, and Psychological Problems. The breakdown is here.
Do I have to name the studies?
Yes. The specification names the studies you are examined on, and questions ask who carried them out, what they did, what they found and what is wrong with them.
Is there maths in it?
Yes. Means, medians, modes and ranges, percentages and fractions, ratios, graph selection and interpretation, and reading data from tables. It sits inside the research methods topic and it is examined.
How much research methods is there?
More than most students expect. It is its own section on Paper 1 and it is applied inside every other topic, which is why it is the largest topic in the guide at 138 questions.
How long does one session take?
About twenty minutes for one subtopic, all three steps. Topics run from 64 to 138 questions.
Can I do it in my head instead of writing?
Write. Psychology marks turn on naming the study and the finding precisely. The method page sets out the evidence.
Do I still need past papers?
Yes. This guide handles recall. Past papers train applying psychology to a novel scenario and the extended answers. AQA publishes them free.
For parents
What is this, in plain terms?
A PDF of 619 exam-style questions covering the whole of AQA GCSE Psychology, with the answers printed after each topic.
How do I check it is the right course?
The specification code is on the exam timetable. AQA GCSE Psychology is 8182.
My child says they understand it but cannot remember the studies.
That is the standard gap in Psychology. The marks are in the name, the method, the sample and the finding, and those are exactly what the questions here ask for.
How do I know if it is being used properly?
There should be handwritten answers on paper and three passes over the same questions, and two scores per session to compare.
How much is it compared with a textbook?
£7.00 for the whole specification. A GCSE Psychology revision guide is usually £6 to £10.
How much time does it take?
39 subtopics at roughly twenty minutes each is about 13 hours for a full first pass of the course.
What else does my child need?
Past papers, free from AQA, and their own notes for anything not yet taught.
AQA GCSE Psychology Active Recall Guide
619 questions with their answers, 39 subtopics, one file.