# A Level Psychology (9990) tutoring online

> Our A Level Psychology tutors teach Cambridge International 9990, AQA 7182, OCR H567 and Pearson Edexcel 9PS0. Live 1:1 or small-group online classes cover approaches, core and key studies, research methods, issues and debates, and specialist options, with practice on short-answer questions, evaluative essays and planning studies.

Source: https://www.gradeupinternational.com/a-level/psychology
Last updated: 2026-10-01
Publisher: GradeUp International (https://www.gradeupinternational.com/)

Taught by: our most qualified teachers for the subject.

A Level Psychology attracts students interested in psychology, medicine, nursing, criminology, education, marketing or social work. Most students meet it for the first time in the sixth form, so nobody starts with an advantage beyond good reading and writing habits. It sits between the sciences and humanities: students learn how experiments, questionnaires and observations are designed, then write extended evaluations of theories using evidence, so it complements both Biology and essay subjects.

Cambridge 9990 is staged. At AS Level students sit two ninety-minute papers on approaches, issues and debates and on research methods, built around twelve core studies. The A Level adds two papers on specialist options chosen from clinical, consumer, health and organisational psychology. AQA 7182, OCR H567 and Edexcel 9PS0 are linear UK qualifications with three papers each, covering approaches, applied topics and research methods, with mathematical and statistical skills assessed throughout.

Students find it tough to remember study details, such as samples, procedures and findings, accurately enough for short-answer questions, and to evaluate rather than describe in essays. Research methods carry substantial weight on every board, including experimental design, inferential statistics and ethics. Our tutors use study summary cards, structured evaluation frameworks covering validity, reliability, generalisability and ethics, and frequent planning questions so students can design and justify a study under exam conditions.

## How is A Level Psychology examined?

### Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology (9990), Cambridge International Education

| Paper | Duration | Marks | Weighting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates | 1 hour 30 minutes | 60 | 50% of AS Level / 25% of A Level |
| Paper 2: Research Methods | 1 hour 30 minutes | 60 | 50% of AS Level / 25% of A Level |
| Paper 3: Specialist Options: Approaches, Issues and Debates | 1 hour 30 minutes | 60 | 25% of A Level |
| Paper 4: Specialist Options: Application and Research Methods | 1 hour 30 minutes | 60 | 25% of A Level |

2024–2026 syllabus. Series: May/June and October/November.

Official syllabus: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-international-as-and-a-level-psychology-9990/

### AQA A-level Psychology (7182), AQA

| Paper | Duration | Marks | Weighting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology | 2 hours | 96 | 33.3% of A Level |
| Paper 2: Psychology in Context | 2 hours | 96 | 33.3% of A Level |
| Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology | 2 hours | 96 | 33.3% of A Level |

Linear: all exams in May/June of one year.

Official syllabus: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/a-level/psychology-7182

### OCR A Level Psychology (H567), OCR

| Paper | Duration | Marks | Weighting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Paper 1: Research methods | 2 hours | 90 | 30% of A Level |
| Paper 2: Psychological themes through core studies | 2 hours | 105 | 35% of A Level |
| Paper 3: Applied psychology | 2 hours | 105 | 35% of A Level |

Official syllabus: https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/psychology-h167-h567-from-2015/

### Pearson Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0), Pearson Edexcel

| Paper | Duration | Marks | Weighting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Paper 1: Foundations in psychology | 2 hours 15 minutes | 90 | 35% of A Level |
| Paper 2: Applications of psychology | 2 hours 15 minutes | 90 | 35% of A Level |
| Paper 3: Psychological skills | 2 hours | 80 | 30% of A Level |

Official syllabus: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/psychology-2015.html

## What topics are in A Level Psychology?

- Biological approach and core studies: Describing a study's procedure but omitting the sample size or how participants were selected.
- Cognitive approach and core studies: Stating findings vaguely instead of quoting the specific result the question asks for.
- Learning approach and core studies: Confusing negative reinforcement with punishment.
- Social approach and core studies: Evaluating ethics in general terms without naming the specific guideline that was broken.
- Research methods and data analysis: Writing a hypothesis that does not operationalise the independent and dependent variables.
- Issues and debates: Naming the nature–nurture debate without applying it to a specific study or theory.
- Specialist option: Clinical psychology: Describing a treatment without evaluating its effectiveness using evidence.
- Specialist option: Consumer psychology: Applying a theory to the scenario only in the final sentence of the answer.
- Specialist option: Health psychology: Listing measures of pain or stress without comparing their strengths and weaknesses.
- Specialist option: Organisational psychology: Explaining a motivation theory without linking it to workplace evidence.

## How do you get top marks?

- Learn each core study under the same headings: aim, sample, procedure, results, conclusion and evaluation.
- Use evaluation points such as validity, reliability, generalisability, ethics and application, and develop each one fully.
- In planning questions, state the design, variables, sampling technique, controls and ethical safeguards explicitly.
- Practise identifying levels of measurement and choosing the correct statistical test with a justification.
- Keep essay paragraphs focused on one argument and finish with a conclusion that answers the question.

## Fees

1:1: PKR 3,500 / AED 140 / GBP 28 per 60-minute class. Small group: PKR 12,500 per month. [All currencies](https://www.gradeupinternational.com/pricing).

## Frequently asked questions

### How can I get an A* in A Level Psychology?

An A* in A Level Psychology depends on accurate study knowledge, strong research-methods skills and essays that evaluate rather than describe. Build revision cards for every required study, practise statistics and design questions regularly, and write timed essays against mark-scheme level descriptors. Reviewing feedback on each essay helps you develop the depth top bands require.

### Is A Level Psychology hard?

A Level Psychology is more demanding than many students expect, because it combines a large amount of content with research methods, statistics and essay writing. The topics are engaging, which helps motivation, but precise recall of studies and balanced evaluation take practice. Students who revise consistently and practise past questions usually manage the workload well.

### Is A Level Psychology a science?

A Level Psychology is treated as a science by the UK exam boards, with substantial assessment of research methods, data and statistics. However, universities vary in whether they count it as a science for entry requirements. Its essays and evaluations also develop humanities-style writing, so it often suits students who enjoy both scientific method and extended argument.

### What are the specialist options in Cambridge A Level Psychology?

The Cambridge 9990 specialist options are clinical psychology, consumer psychology, health psychology and organisational psychology, and A Level candidates study two of them. They are assessed in Papers 3 and 4, which together make up half of the A Level. Papers 1 and 2, covering approaches and research methods, form the AS Level.

### Which A Level subjects go well with Psychology?

Biology, Sociology, English Literature and Mathematics pair well with A Level Psychology. Biology supports the biological approach and neuroscience, Sociology overlaps in research methods and social behaviour, and Maths helps with statistics. Students aiming for psychology degrees should check whether their chosen universities prefer a science among their A Levels.