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Exam Review

Key Facts: GCSE Psychology Exam

9-1

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 GCSE Psychology is assessed through linear end-of-course exam papers (Key Stage 4). Coverage spans memory, perception, development, and grading uses the 9-1 scale on 2026 specifications.

Sample GCSE Psychology Practice Questions

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

1According to Atkinson and Shiffrin's multi-store model of memory (1968), what are the three stores in the correct order of flow?
A.Short-term, sensory, long-term
B.Sensory, short-term, long-term
C.Long-term, short-term, sensory
D.Sensory, long-term, short-term
Explanation: The multi-store model proposes that information passes from the sensory register into short-term memory (if attended to) and then into long-term memory (if rehearsed). Each store has different capacity, duration and encoding.
2What is the approximate capacity of short-term memory according to Miller (1956)?
A.3 plus or minus 1 items
B.5 plus or minus 1 items
C.7 plus or minus 2 items
D.12 plus or minus 2 items
Explanation: Miller's classic 'magic number' research found that short-term memory holds about 7 items, plus or minus 2, although chunking can increase the effective amount of information stored.
3In Baddeley and Hitch's (1974) working memory model, which component is responsible for holding and manipulating verbal information such as a phone number you are repeating?
A.Visuospatial sketchpad
B.Phonological loop
C.Central executive
D.Episodic buffer
Explanation: The phonological loop deals with auditory and verbal information. It includes the phonological store (inner ear) and the articulatory process (inner voice) which allows sub-vocal rehearsal of sounds and words.
4Long-term memory mainly encodes information in which form?
A.Acoustically
B.Visually
C.Semantically
D.Iconically
Explanation: Long-term memory primarily encodes information by meaning (semantic encoding). Baddeley (1966) showed participants made more semantic confusion errors than acoustic ones when recalling lists from LTM.
5Which of these best describes 'interference' as an explanation of forgetting?
A.Memories fade because they are not used
B.New and old memories disrupt each other when they are similar
C.Information was never encoded in the first place
D.The retrieval cues present at learning are missing
Explanation: Interference theory says forgetting happens when one memory disrupts another, particularly when material is similar. Proactive interference is when old memories disrupt new; retroactive interference is when new disrupts old.
6Loftus and Palmer (1974) found that participants who were asked how fast cars were going when they 'smashed' into each other gave higher speed estimates than those asked with the verb 'contacted'. What does this study illustrate?
A.Flashbulb memory
B.The misinformation effect on eyewitness testimony
C.The reconstructive nature of perception
D.Decay in short-term memory
Explanation: Loftus and Palmer's study demonstrated that the wording of questions can distort eyewitness memory — the leading verb changed both speed estimates and the likelihood of recalling broken glass. This is a classic example of the misinformation effect.
7A student remembers their PIN better when standing at the same cashpoint where they first used it. Which explanation of forgetting does this best support?
A.Retroactive interference
B.Cue-dependent forgetting
C.Trace decay
D.Displacement
Explanation: Cue-dependent (retrieval failure) forgetting suggests that information is not lost but inaccessible without the right cues. Context cues from the original learning environment can trigger retrieval — supported by Tulving's encoding specificity principle.
8Bartlett's (1932) 'War of the Ghosts' study is most often used to illustrate which idea about memory?
A.Memory has unlimited capacity
B.Recall is reconstructive and shaped by schemas
C.Sensory memory lasts about 0.5 seconds
D.Rehearsal is essential for STM
Explanation: Bartlett showed that English participants distorted an unfamiliar Native American folk tale to fit their existing cultural schemas, omitting and altering details. This supported the view that recall is reconstructive rather than a literal playback.
9Which feature distinguishes episodic from semantic long-term memory?
A.Episodic memory is for skills, semantic is for facts
B.Episodic memory is for personal events, semantic is for general knowledge
C.Episodic memory is unconscious, semantic is conscious
D.Episodic memory is short-term, semantic is long-term
Explanation: Episodic memory stores personal experiences tied to time and place (e.g. your last birthday). Semantic memory stores general facts about the world (e.g. capital cities). Both are conscious (declarative) long-term memories.
10Peterson and Peterson (1959) asked participants to count backwards in threes after hearing a trigram. After 18 seconds without rehearsal, recall was about:
A.90 percent
B.60 percent
C.10 percent
D.0 percent
Explanation: Peterson and Peterson found that recall of trigrams dropped to around 10 percent after 18 seconds when rehearsal was prevented, supporting the idea that short-term memory has a short duration without rehearsal.

About the GCSE Psychology Exam

GCSE Psychology is offered by AQA, Edexcel, OCR as part of the UK General Certificate of Secondary Education qualification framework. The course covers memory, perception, development, research methods 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

3-5 hours total across multiple papers

Passing Score

Grade 4 is the standard pass, Grade 5 is the strong pass (1-9 scale)

Exam / Certification Fees

£40-£80 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

Memory

Multi-store model, working memory model, encoding, retrieval, forgetting, eyewitness testimony

Core

Perception

Sensation vs perception, depth perception, monocular and binocular cues, Gibson's vs Gregory's theories

Core

Development

Piaget's stages, brain development, Dweck's mindset theory, Willingham's learning theory

Core

Research Methods

Experimental design, sampling, variables, ethics, validity, reliability, statistical tests

Core

Social Influence

Conformity (Asch), obedience (Milgram), prejudice, social facilitation, bystander effect

Core

Language, Thought and Communication

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, non-verbal communication, animal communication

Core

Brain and Neuropsychology

Nervous system, brain structure and function, neurological damage, cognitive neuroscience

Core

Psychological Problems

Depression, addiction, mental health prevalence, biological vs psychological explanations

Preparing for the GCSE Psychology Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Grade 4 is the standard pass, Grade 5 is the strong pass (1-9 scale)
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 3-5 hours total across multiple papers
  • Exam / certification fees: £40-£80 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

GCSE 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 GCSE Psychology?

GCSE 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 GCSE Psychology exam taken?

Exams are written in the May-June series at the end of the two-year Key Stage 4 course. Most students sit the papers in Year 11.

How is GCSE Psychology graded?

GCSEs are graded on the 9-1 scale, where 9 is the highest grade. A grade 4 is a standard pass, and grade 5 is a strong pass. Grade 7 is broadly equivalent to the old A grade.

How many papers does GCSE Psychology have?

Most GCSE subjects have 2-3 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.