Cambridge AS & A Level · Subject Code: 9990
AS & A Level Psychology
From the science of memory and social influence to clinical psychology and neuroscience — understand the human mind at its deepest level
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About AS & A Level Psychology (9990)
Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology (9990) is a scientifically rigorous subject that explores human thought, behaviour, and experience across biological, cognitive, social, developmental, and clinical domains. It develops critical thinking, research skills, and the ability to evaluate evidence — skills that are highly transferable and valued for university study in Psychology, Medicine, Neuroscience, Social Sciences, and beyond.
Our programme builds genuine psychological literacy — not just memorised studies, but the ability to critically evaluate evidence, apply theories to novel scenarios, and construct the high-quality evaluative essays that Cambridge examiners reward at A and A*.
Full AS & A Level syllabus coverage
Cambridge-specialist Psychology tutors
Research methods & statistics mastery
Essay evaluation & synoptic skills
AS LEVEL — YEAR 12
Code: 9990
AS Level Psychology Topics
The AS Level covers core psychological approaches — biological, cognitive, social, learning, and developmental — alongside rigorous research methods training that underpins all further study.
- Research Methods — experimental, observational, self-report, correlation; validity, reliability, ethics
- Cognitive Psychology — models of memory (multi-store, working memory), eyewitness testimony, forgetting
- Learning Psychology — classical conditioning (Pavlov), operant conditioning (Skinner), social learning (Bandura)
- Data Analysis — quantitative and qualitative methods, statistical testing, normal distribution
- Approaches in Psychology — biological, behaviourist, cognitive, psychodynamic, humanistic
- Planning Studies — hypothesis writing, variables, sampling methods, experimental designs
- Biological Psychology — the nervous system, neurotransmitters, brain structure and localisation of function
- Social Psychology — social influence, conformity (Asch), obedience (Milgram), minority influence
- Developmental Psychology — Piaget's stages of cognitive development, attachment theory (Bowlby, Ainsworth)
- Ethics in Psychological Research — BPS guidelines, informed consent, deception, debriefing, protection of participants
- Issues and Debates — nature vs nurture, free will vs determinism, reductionism, cultural bias, gender bias
A LEVEL — YEAR 13
Code: 9990
A Level Psychology Topics
The full A Level deepens into applied fields — abnormal, health, forensic, and sports psychology — plus advanced neuroscience, psychodynamic theory, and full synoptic integration.
- Advanced Research Methods — inferential statistics, chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Spearman's rho, Wilcoxon
- Cognitive Neuroscience — brain scanning (fMRI, PET), neuroplasticity, split-brain research, HM case study
- Abnormal Psychology — classification (DSM/ICD), depression, schizophrenia, phobias, OCD, treatments
- Forensic Psychology — offender profiling, criminal thinking, eyewitness memory, jury decision-making
- Psychodynamic Approach — Freud's structure of the mind, defence mechanisms, psychosexual stages, therapy
- Synoptic Links — integrating issues, debates and approaches across all A Level topics
- Biological Approach — genetic explanations, evolutionary psychology, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology
- Social and Cultural Psychology — prejudice (SIT, Tajfel), crowd behaviour, intergroup conflict, cultural dimensions
- Health Psychology — stress models (Selye, Lazarus), physiological and psychological effects, coping strategies
- Sports Psychology — motivation, arousal theories (inverted-U), attribution, confidence and self-efficacy
- Schizophrenia in Depth — biological, cognitive, and socio-cultural explanations; antipsychotics vs CBT
AS Level Exam Papers
Comprehensive preparation for every exam component
Paper 1 — Multiple Choice
30 multiple choice questions testing knowledge of AS Level Psychology topics including approaches, core studies, and research methods.
- Duration
- 1 hr
- Marks
- 30 Marks
Paper 2 — Structured Questions
Structured response questions on core AS Level content — biological, cognitive, social, learning and developmental psychology. Requires application and analysis.
- Duration
- 1 hr 30 min
- Marks
- 70 Marks
A Level Exam Papers
Comprehensive preparation for every exam component
Paper 3 — Multiple Choice
30 multiple choice questions covering both AS and A Level Economics content — microeconomics, macroeconomics, and international economics.
- Duration
- 1 hr
- Marks
- 30 Marks
Paper 4 — Essay Questions
Extended essay responses on A Level topics — abnormal, health, forensic, and sports psychology. Tests evaluation, analysis, and synoptic application of psychological knowledge.
- Duration
- 2 hr
- Marks
- 70 Marks
Student Success Stories
"A Level Psychology at EDU-RADIATION was genuinely fascinating. Schizophrenia, cognitive neuroscience, and Milgram's obedience studies were taught with such depth and critical thinking. The essay evaluation frameworks for Paper 4 were perfect — examiner-level guidance for every 16-mark question. Achieved A*!"
"Research methods is the backbone of Psychology and EDU-RADIATION nailed it — every inferential test, every experimental design, every ethical issue was explained clearly. The structured approach to 8-mark application questions transformed my performance. Scored a strong A!"
"The range of A Level topics — from forensic profiling to health psychology and Freudian theory — could feel overwhelming, but EDU-RADIATION broke every unit into manageable, interconnected pieces. The synoptic links training for issues and debates was invaluable. Essay scores improved dramatically!"
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