Your guide to our Edexcel

AS and A level
Psychology
first teaching 2015
 Hello and welcome Our new Edexcel AS and A level
Psychology
We’ve listened to feedback from all parts of the Psychology subject
community, including Higher Education, and used this opportunity of
 lear and coherent structure – four engaging and up-to-date topic areas,
C
assessed through two AS and three A level examined papers.
curriculum change to redesign qualifications that reflect the demands of
a truly modern and evolving environment – qualifications that enable your  upports progress – using psychological topics, students are introduced
S
students to think like psychologists and give them the skills to succeed in
to the foundations of psychology before they develop the understanding and
consider the various applications that help put their learning into real-world
their chosen pathway.
contexts.
This guide gives you an overview of our new qualifications and sets out the
 hinking like a psychologist – students use psychological concepts and
T
ways in which you can co-teach AS and A level Psychology from 2015 as theories to give them an insight to the world of a psychologist. They focus on
we know from our conversations with you that this is important. the fundamental areas that have laid the foundations of modern psychological
understanding and then develop this further by considering how our
Take a look through this guide to find out more about: understanding of psychology is applied today.
what the new AS and A level Psychology specification  eflects developments in psychology – the new specification content
R
looks like – pages 3-5 provides students with a dynamic, engaging and contemporary course
approaches to teaching AS and A level Psychology – pages 6-7 of study, by applying real-world contexts to develop knowledge and
why you may want to continue teaching AS – pages 6-7 understanding of key contemporary questions for today’s society.
the comprehensive resources and support we are planning for you to  evelops transferable skills for progression to higher education –
D
make sure that you are in a position to provide your students with the very
students will develop a multitude of skills, including numeracy, communication,
best opportunity to succeed and get the results they deserve – page 8.
practical skills and critical thinking in order to make a smooth transition to the next
level of study.
We look forward to meeting you at our launch events and answering any
questions you might have about our new specification.

Kam Sohal Stephen Nugus

Psychology Product Science Subject
Manager Advisor

2 For the latest information, please visit: www.edexcel.com/gcsemathsprop 33

Your at-a-glance guide to AS and A level Psychology
A level AS
Topic 1: Topic 2: Topic 3: Topic 4: Topic 1: Topic 2: Topic 3: Topic 4:
Social Cognitive Biological Learning Theories Social Cognitive Biological Learning
Psychology Psychology Psychology Psychology Psychology Psychology Theories
• Conditioning
• Obedience • Memory • Aggression • Social learning • Obedience • Memory • Aggression • Conditioning
• Prejudice • Issues and • Brain functioning theory • Prejudice • Brain functioning • Social learning
• Issues and debates* • CNS & • Phobias • CNS and theory
debates* Neurotransmitter • Issues and Neurotransmitter • Phobias
functioning debates* functioning
• Issues and debates*

The content for Topics 1, 2, 3 and Topic 4 is the same for the AS and A level qualifications,
so even though they are separate qualifications you can co-teach them.

Topic 5: Topic 6: Topic 7: Topic 8: Paper 1 Paper 2

Clinical Criminological Child Psychology Health Psychology Social and Cognitive Psychology Biological Psychology and Learning
Psychology Psychology Theories
OR OR 70 marks, 1.5 hour exam
• Abnormality OR 50% of qualification 70 marks, 1.5 hour exam
• Attachment • Nicotine/Alcohol/
• Schizophrenia and • Jury decision Heroin – drug 50% of qualification
• Deprivation/
one from anorexia, making Privation behaviour
OCD or unipolar • Eye witness • Psychological
• Developmental
depression testimony strategies behind
issues of Autism
• DSM • Causes and campaigns
• Issues and
• Issues in diagnosis treatments of crime debates* • Treatments for

AS and A level: key points

• Treatment for • Issues and drugs misuse
disorders debates* • Issues and
• Issues and debates* debates*
 S and A level have been ‘decoupled’, which means that AS marks or
A
Topic 9: grades do not count towards the full A level.
Psychological Skills
 tudents can still take AS exams at the end of Year 12 – but if they
S
• Review of Methodologies • Review of Studies • Review of Issues and Debates go on to do a full A level course, they will be assessed on the full content
of that A level at the end of their study. This means that students will need
Paper 1: Paper 2: Paper 3: to sit all three A level papers.
Foundations of Applications of Psychological
Psychology Psychology Skills  level assessments will be set at a higher level of demand than
A
Social, Cognitive, Biological Clinical and either Review of Methodology, AS assessments. This means that while students will be assessed on
and Learning Criminological/Child/ Health Review of studies and Review some of the same content at A level that they were at AS, the questions
of Issues and Debates
they encounter will look different.
90 marks, 2 hour exam, 90 marks, 2 hour exam 80 marks, 2 hour exam
35% of qualification 35% of qualification 30% of qualification

Note: * issues and debates for A level specifications only.

4 For the latest information, please visit: www.edexcel.com/gcsemathsprop 55

 Approaches to teaching AS and A level Psychology
Separate AS and A level classes Co-teaching AS and A level
The benefits of a separate, linear A level course include: Co-teaching AS and A level provides flexibility for you and your students.
Centres co-teaching the AS will deliver Topics 1, 2, 3 and Topic 4 in the
 ore flexibility in structuring the course – for example, teaching all the research
m
first year. The topics could be run in parallel or taught sequentially, depending
methods together (Topic 9) or following the specification sequentially and using AS
on what is most appropriate for staffing and timetabling within each centre.
papers for a mock exam at the end of year 12

 reater opportunity for students to make links between different elements of the
g September January June September January June
course as they progress – for example, across the clinical psychology content 2015 2016 2016 2016 2017 2017

more time for teaching and learning in the first year.

 unning separate classes requires students to decide at the start whether to

R Enter for AS
AS Topics 1 & 2 Topics 3 & 4
qualification
follow AS or A level, and potentially limits their options for switching later on.

September January June September January June Topic 5 &

Enter for
2015 2016 2016 2016 2017 2017 A level option 1 Topics 1 & 2 Topics 3 & 4
Mock for one topic
Topic 9 A level
Topics 1 to 4 from 6, 7,
qualification
or 8
Enter for
Separate
Topics 1 & 2 Topics 3 & 4 AS
AS class qualification
Topic 5 &
Enter for Enter for
Enter for one topic
Separate Topics 1-5 (compulsory topics) one topic from 6, 7 or 8 (optional topics) A level option 2 Topics 1 & 2 Topics 3 & 4 AS level
from 6, 7,
Topic 9 A level
A level qualification qualification
A level class and topic 9 (synoptic/revision topic) or 8
qualification

Why offer AS?

We know that many of you will want to continue to offer AS Psychology alongside
the full A level, despite the fact that it no longer contributes to the full A level
grade. You have told us that:

Breadth is important to students Some students will make the AS gives focus to Year 12 It also gives universities
– some students may wish to supplement decision later and would allow you to track visibility of a student’s
a three-A level programme of study with – some students may wish to start on student progress progress in a subject
an additional AS in Psychology due to four A level courses knowing they are – some students may decide from the
their interest in the subject, even though likely to ‘drop down’ to three full A levels beginning of the course that they want
they might not want to take it further. in their second year. They may wish to to take the full A level, but entering them
They may well know this at the outset of postpone making this decision until they for the AS could provide a useful way of
their course. have taken one or more AS qualifications tracking their progress at the end of the
and seen the results. first year of the course.

6 77
Supporting you
Plan and implement the new specification
with your package of support.
Planning

Your Getting Started guide will provide an overview of the new AS and A level
specifications to help you get to grips with the changes to content and assessment,
and to help you understand what these changes mean for you and your students.
You will also receive a course planner and scheme of work that you can adapt
to suit your department, and mapping documents to highlight key differences
between the new and 2008 specifications.

Teaching and learning

There will be lots of free teaching and learning support to help you deliver
the new specifications: component guides with suggested resource lists and
guidance on practicals and quantitative skills, a student guide and materials
for your options evenings.

Understanding the standard

Exemplar student work with examiner commentaries for the sample

T815 S13CRO02026 Original origami artwork: Mark Bolitho Origami photography: Pearson Education Ltd / Naki Kouyioumtzis Images: Veer/Fred49
assessment materials will help your students to understand the standard for the
grade they are targeting.

Tracking student progress

ResultsPlus provides the most detailed analysis available of your students’ exam
performance. It can help you identify topics and skills where students could benefit
from further learning. Mock Analysis provides feedback for your students through
our past papers and mock exams.

Support

Our subject advisor service, led by Stephen Nugus, will ensure you receive help
and guidance from us as well as sharing ideas and information with each other. You
can sign up to receive e-newsletters from Stephen Nugus to keep up-to-date with
qualification updates, and product and service news.

Learn more at:

www.edexcel.com/2015pyschology