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Key Facts: A-Level Psychology Exam

A*-E

Grading scale

Ofqual

May-June

Exam series

AQA, Edexcel, OCR timetable

3 boards

Specifications available

AQA, Edexcel, OCR

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep

AQA, Edexcel, OCR A-Level Psychology is assessed through linear end-of-course exam papers (Year 13). Coverage spans social influence, memory, attachment, and grading uses the A*-E scale on 2026 specifications.

Sample A-Level Psychology Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the A-Level Psychology exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In Asch's 1951 line-judgement study, what was the approximate overall conformity rate to the incorrect majority answer across critical trials?
A.About 5%
B.About 25%
C.About 37%
D.About 65%
Explanation: Asch (1951) reported that participants conformed to the wrong majority answer on about 37% of critical trials. Around 75% of participants conformed at least once, demonstrating substantial normative social influence.
2Which type of conformity, according to Kelman (1958), involves a permanent change in private belief as well as public behaviour?
A.Compliance
B.Identification
C.Internalisation
D.Obedience
Explanation: Internalisation occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group's view, leading to both public and private change that persists even when the group is absent. It reflects informational social influence.
3In Zimbardo's 1973 Stanford Prison Experiment, the study was terminated early after approximately how many days?
A.2 days
B.6 days
C.10 days
D.14 days
Explanation: The study was planned to last 14 days but was stopped after 6 days due to extreme distress among the prisoners and abusive behaviour from the guards. Zimbardo argued participants had identified strongly with their assigned social roles.
4In Milgram's 1963 obedience study, what percentage of participants administered the full 450-volt shock?
A.12.5%
B.35%
C.50%
D.65%
Explanation: Milgram (1963) found that 65% of participants (26 of 40) continued to the maximum 450-volt level. All 40 participants went to at least 300 volts, illustrating the power of legitimate authority.
5According to Milgram's agency theory, the 'agentic state' refers to:
A.Acting on one's personal moral conscience
B.Seeing oneself as an agent carrying out another person's wishes
C.A state of physiological arousal during obedience
D.The free-will state opposite of determinism
Explanation: The agentic state is the mental shift in which an individual no longer sees themselves as responsible for their actions, instead acting as an agent of an authority figure. It contrasts with the autonomous state where a person acts on personal conscience.
6Which of the following is a 'situational' rather than a 'dispositional' explanation for obedience?
A.Authoritarian personality
B.Right-wing political orientation
C.Proximity of the authority figure
D.F-scale score
Explanation: Proximity is a situational variable: Milgram showed that obedience fell from 65% to 40% when the experimenter gave orders by telephone. Situational variables relate to the environment, not the person's traits.
7Moscovici et al.'s (1969) blue-slide / green-slide study is most associated with which process?
A.Majority influence via normative pressure
B.Minority influence through consistency
C.Obedience to legitimate authority
D.Deindividuation in crowds
Explanation: Moscovici demonstrated that a consistent minority (who always called blue slides 'green') produced agreement from about 8% of participants, compared with 1% in an inconsistent condition. Consistency is the key behavioural style for minority influence.
8Nemeth's (1986) concept of the 'snowball effect' in social change refers to:
A.Larger groups producing exponentially greater conformity
B.A minority view spreading until it becomes the majority
C.Rapid decay of a minority position over time
D.Compliance reverting to internalisation under pressure
Explanation: The snowball effect describes how a minority position gradually attracts more supporters until it becomes the majority view. It is a stage in the social-change process driven by consistent, committed minority influence.
9Which factor did Asch (1955) find INCREASED conformity?
A.Giving answers privately on paper
B.Having a dissenter who also gave wrong but different answers
C.Increasing task difficulty
D.Reducing the group size from six to two
Explanation: Asch found that conformity increased as the task became more difficult, because informational social influence rises when participants are uncertain. Private responding, dissenters and very small groups all reduced conformity.
10Adorno et al. (1950) developed the F-scale to measure which dispositional factor?
A.Locus of control
B.Authoritarian personality
C.Need for cognition
D.Social desirability bias
Explanation: The F-scale (potentiality for fascism scale) was designed by Adorno and colleagues to assess the authoritarian personality, a constellation of traits including rigid adherence to convention and submission to authority. High F-scale scorers were more obedient in later research.

About the A-Level Psychology Exam

A-Level Psychology is offered by AQA, Edexcel, OCR as part of the UK A-Level qualification framework. The course covers social influence, memory, attachment, psychopathology and is assessed primarily through written exam papers at the end of the two-year course.

Exam sponsor: AQA, Edexcel, OCR. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

100 questions

Time Limit

5-7 hours total across multiple papers

Passing Score

Grade E is the minimum pass, Grades A*-E count as a pass (A*-A-B-C-D-E)

Exam / Certification Fees

£75-£130 per subject (school-set entry fee)

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Core

Social Influence

Conformity (Asch), obedience (Milgram), resistance, minority influence, social change

Core

Memory

Multi-store model, working memory, types of LTM, forgetting, eyewitness testimony, cognitive interview

Core

Attachment

Bowlby's monotropy theory, Ainsworth strange situation, cultural variations, deprivation, privation

Core

Psychopathology

Definitions of abnormality, phobias, depression, OCD; characteristics, explanations, treatments

Core

Approaches

Behaviourist, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic, humanistic, social learning, comparison of approaches

Core

Biopsychology

Nervous system, endocrine system, neurons, synaptic transmission, brain plasticity, biological rhythms

Core

Research Methods

Experimental design, sampling, observational techniques, self-report, correlations, data analysis, ethics

Core

Issues and Debates

Gender and culture bias, free will vs determinism, nature vs nurture, reductionism vs holism

Preparing for the A-Level Psychology Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Grade E is the minimum pass, Grades A*-E count as a pass (A*-A-B-C-D-E)
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 5-7 hours total across multiple papers
  • Exam / certification fees: £75-£130 per subject (school-set entry fee) Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

A-Level Psychology: Suggested Study Strategy

1Use past papers from your specific exam board — questions follow the same style year on year
2Time yourself on full papers to build pacing for the long extended-response questions
3Build a clear understanding of mark schemes — examiners reward specific assessment objectives
4Review examiner reports each summer; common errors repeat

Frequently Asked Questions

What exam boards offer A-Level Psychology?

A-Level Psychology is offered by AQA, Edexcel, OCR. All boards follow Ofqual subject content but vary in the choice of set texts, optional topics, and paper structure.

When is the A-Level Psychology exam taken?

Exams are written in the May-June series at the end of the two-year linear A-Level course. Most students sit the papers in Year 13.

How is A-Level Psychology graded?

A-Levels are graded A*-E. A* is the highest grade and E is the minimum pass. UCAS tariff points are awarded for A-Level grades on most university applications.

How many papers does A-Level Psychology have?

Most A-Level subjects have 3 written papers. The exact number, timing, and weighting depend on the chosen exam board. Some subjects also include a non-examined assessment (NEA) coursework component.