A-Level Psychology,
from approaches
to research methods.
Cambridge 9990 and Edexcel International A-Level Psychology — full coverage of the five approaches, research methods, issues and debates, plus the 12-mark essay technique that defines the top grade bands.
The scientific study of mind and behaviour. Strong foundation for psychology, neuroscience, medicine and social science degrees.
Psychology rewards named studies over general ideas.
A-Level Psychology is one of the most popular A-Level social sciences, and one of the most misjudged. Students expect "interesting discussions about the mind" and find a heavily research-based, methodology-heavy subject that rewards specific named studies — Milgram 1963, Loftus and Palmer 1974, Bandura 1961 — over general opinion.
Where grades are actually won
The difference between A and A* is almost entirely about naming studies with date, aim, method, findings and conclusion. Generic discussion of "behaviourism" scores at grade C. "Bandura's 1961 Bobo doll study on 72 children aged 3–6" scores at grade A*.
How we teach it
Every Times Edu Psychology student learns a study-a-week protocol — each lesson introduces one major named study and drills it against the exam criteria. By the end of the programme students have 20+ studies fully internalised and ready to deploy on any essay question.
The full content we cover in 1:1 lessons.
Every Times Edu Psychology mentor maps lessons directly to the official syllabus objectives — nothing on the real paper is a surprise.
Biological Psychology
Brain, nervous system, hormones and genetics.
Cognitive Psychology
Memory, perception, attention and thinking.
Learning Approach
Classical and operant conditioning, social learning theory.
Social Psychology
Conformity, obedience, group dynamics, prejudice.
Research Methods
Experimental, observational, correlational, case study design.
Data Analysis
Descriptive statistics, graphs, correlation and significance.
Issues & Debates
Ethics, reductionism, determinism, cultural bias, validity.
Application
Applying approaches to health, educational or criminal behaviour.
The papers your child will actually sit.
Knowing what each paper tests — and how it is marked — is half the battle. Here is the full breakdown.
AS Approaches
Short-answer and structured-response questions on the four approaches.
AS Research Methods
Methodology, data analysis and research design scenarios.
A2 Specialist Options
Choice of two applied options: health, education, criminal or psychology in organisations.
A2 Issues & Debates
Extended essays on cross-approach issues and research implications.
Why even strong students lose grades here.
These are the three traps we see most often in diagnostic sessions with new A-Level Psychology students — and every one of them is fixable.
Vague studies
The mark scheme awards full marks only for studies named with date and full methodology. "A famous experiment on obedience" scores nothing; "Milgram 1963" scores in full.
Shallow evaluation
Issues and debates questions reward explicit weighing — validity, ethics, cultural bias — applied to specific studies. Generic criticism caps at grade C.
Research methods panic
Students who skim research methods in favour of "interesting" content lose the entire 60-mark Paper 2. We drill methodology from week 1.
From AS to final A2.
I loved Psychology but was stuck at B because I could never remember the studies. Times Edu drilled 20 named studies with me over ten weeks. Final grade: A*.
What families always ask about Psychology.
Have a specific question about your child's situation? Book a free 60-minute diagnostic and our specialist will answer every one.
Is A-Level Psychology a science or a humanity?
A science — and it is examined as one. The research methods paper is essentially a statistics and experimental design paper. Students who expect a discursive humanities subject often struggle.
Is it useful for medicine?
Yes. A strong Psychology grade is increasingly valued by medical schools, especially for understanding patient behaviour and communication. It pairs well with Biology and Chemistry.
How much memorisation is involved?
A lot — but structured. Around 20–25 named studies across the course. We teach a spaced retrieval system that makes this manageable.
Can I take Psychology without any background in it?
Absolutely. Most of our Psychology students start from zero. The subject is entirely self-contained.
Ready to turn A-Level Psychology into an A*?
Your child's free 60-minute Psychology diagnostic includes a full topic-by-topic gap analysis, a realistic grade prediction and a personalised roadmap through to final A2. Worth $60 — free for the first 50 families this intake.