how to write a 16 mark psychology essay a level

• Account details

How to Write 16 Mark Essays For AQA A level Psychology

How to write 16 mark essays for aqa a level psychology.

You will hear of numerous different ways to structure AQA A Level psychology 16 marker questions but the most effective tried and tested way will be keeping it nicely split between your theory points (AO1) and evaluation points(AO3) rather than mixing the two together across your paragraphs.

This structure of writing essays for A level AQA psychology has consistently scored students highly, even full marks in their exams.

The reason for this is the examiner is a human being and will be marking your essay as well as hundreds of other student answers and they will appreciate it so much more if you have made your essays explicitly easy to read and differentiate where the marks go as each is capped up to a certain amount.

For 16 marker questions, theory marks are capped at up to 6 marks and evaluation marks are capped at up to 10 marks .

Therefore, the harder you make the examiners work by trying to identify where the AO1 (theory) marks are or where the AO3 (evaluation) is, the less likely it is that you will be scored correctly across both elements up to the correct limit.

So make it nice and easy and the way you do this is write your theory first, and write it to a depth that clearly shows it is up to 6 marks worth of content that is well developed, and also up to 10 marks worth of evaluation points that also have sufficient depth.

Let's look at the theory element first and what information you should be looking to cover.

How do you structure 16 markers for AQA A level psychology?

Firstly, you do NOT need to write any introductions when starting your psychology essays ( or even conclusions in your evaluation at the end) and this is a common way to waste time in this subject. Simply go straight into outlining what the relevant theory states or into the evaluation itself without any filler.

Let's use the example from the A-level Psychology exam in 2023 (Paper 1) which asked two 16 mark questions in a single exam paper (yes you can be asked more than one 16 marker question in a single exam as this paper demonstrates).

The first 16 mark essay question asked this: Discuss research into minority influence (16 marks).

We've covered research into minority influence including consistency, commitment and flexibility here. The AQA specification actually tells you exactly what you need to know for this topic here too and it clearly outlines that the 3 subtopics you are required to know are:

• Consistency
• Flexibility

Therefore your theory element should be focused on outlining these three elements with enough detail to explain what each is with relevant information. Your evaluation would then be about the theory itself and it's strengths and weaknesses. You do not have to offer any conclusion but it is important to outline implications that relate to the theory itself. We'll examine what I mean for this further down when discussing the evaluation side of things but lets focus on theory for now.

The mark scheme for this question itself offers the following tips for examiners when assessing how much to score the theory section:

• Knowledge of factors affecting minority influence including consistency/persistence, commitment (the augmentation principle), flexibility
• Knowledge of other factors, eg confidence
• Synchronic (consistency between members of minority) and/or diachronic consistency (consistency over time)
• Process of conversion/internalisation
• Accept minority influence processes involved in social change, such as the ‘snowball effect’, social cryptoamnesia
• Description of studies of minority influence, eg Moscovici et al (1969), Wood et al (1994), Nemeth and Brilmayar (1987)

The above bullet points as mentioned are from the mark scheme itself and we can interpret the following from this:

• You need to write all 3 elements which are consistency, persistence and commitment.
• You need to show consideration of other factors too related to these 3 elements such as the confidence of the individual too.
• You need to show a good level of depth that explains the process of conversion/internalisation occurs.
• You need to link the theory to how it affects social change through the 'snowball effect' and also how social cryptoamnesia is also a factor.
• You can also bring in relevant studies and describe them too if needed and what they found which will likely be related to the 3 factors consistency, persistence and commitment.

This shows you that to score the full 6 marks for theory (AO1), you will likely need to write a concise paragraph with the above information. I would therefore prepare for my exams by going through all the possible questions that can be asked and creating 16 mark model essay answers for every topic. We talk about all the possible essay questions you can be asked here for paper 1.

A good approach is to download all the past exam papers and their mark schemes to see all the questions that have come up to date and use the mark scheme just as I have shown you above to know what to cover when creating your model example answers.

The way you shape your model answers is therefore by using the guidance from the mark scheme so you know what to include across theory and evaluation.

Use Acronyms To Memorise Your Psychology Essays

Memorising complete 16 mark essays is difficult and will require you to utilise a memory technique known as chunking combined with using acronyms. The way this basically works is you structure the essays in such a way that you are able to form acronyms using the first letter of each paragraph. By remembering the acronym, this should in turn help you remember the rest of that particular paragraph using simply the first letter. It's always important to try and form an acronym that spells either a familiar word or phrase.

Here's an example:

Your remembered acronym might be SUMO-TUBO for a single essay (a strange word right? But easy to remember!)

'SUMO' would be for all the theory element of the essay while 'TUBO' would be for the evaluation .

So your theory element would begin with the letter S and this would begin your paragraph and be for all of your first point. The next section would then begin with U and form the next point you are making followed by M for the third.

This is basically how this technique works but it will only be successful if you do the following:

• Create model 16 mark content first using the mark schemes and resources to cover everything in the spec.
• Structure your created essays in a way that helps form memorable acronyms at the beginning of each main point or paragraph.
• You practice your essays over and over again using this technique and memorising your acronyms for each essay. This part is key and provided you do this well, it usually takes students about 2-3 months (or longer) dependent on how often you practice them.

How long should a 16 mark psychology essay take?

The 16 mark essays are broken down with 6 marks for theory and 10 marks for evaluation.

Assuming we are aiming for an A* grade and to score full marks (which is possible and we should always be aiming for), you want to spend about 5 minutes writing your 6 marks worth of theory (AO1) and another 10 minutes at most writing your 10 marks of evaluation (AO2). I would argue you should not spend longer than this and if you could write them both in less time, e.g. 12-13 minutes total, this would be ideal.

To summarise, this should be approximately about 2 pages worth of writing with the theory element making up just over half the page and the rest being evaluation.

How many evaluation points is a 16 marker psychology?

The question of how many evaluation points you should write for 16 mark psychology essays depends on the breadth (how many different evaluation points you make) and depth (how well you explain each point and its relevance to the theory) of your essays.

Let's start with what we know - We know the evaluation section is worth up to 10 marks.

A straightforward approach that ensures you work towards the higher bands will see you write at least 4 well developed points in your evaluation with the goal of them scoring between 2 to 3 marks each.

If you write more relevant points (breadth) that are less developed and linked back to the theory, you can get away with less depth but if you write less breadth (less points, say for example you write 3, you need to consider writing more depth for each one instead).

So ultimately you have the option of writing between 3-5 points of evaluative commentary dependent how well you explain each and the level of depth you go into.

How long is each psychology A level exam?

How long each exam paper is depends on which paper you are sitting and whether it is AS or A-level. A summary of timings below:

In short, the AS papers are all 1 hour 30 minutes while all the A-level papers are 2 hours.

Get Free Resources For Your School!

Welcome Back.

Don’t have an account? Create Now

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Create a free account.

Already have an account? Login Here

Tutor Hunt Resources Psychology Resources

How To Write Aqa Psychology Essays For 16 Marker Questions

Advice on how to answer essays, including key terms in questions and how to meet the assessment criteria.

Date : 13/02/2020

Author Information

This resource was uploaded by: Rachel

How to Write a Psychology Essay

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

Before you write your essay, it’s important to analyse the task and understand exactly what the essay question is asking. Your lecturer may give you some advice – pay attention to this as it will help you plan your answer.

Next conduct preliminary reading based on your lecture notes. At this stage, it’s not crucial to have a robust understanding of key theories or studies, but you should at least have a general “gist” of the literature.

After reading, plan a response to the task. This plan could be in the form of a mind map, a summary table, or by writing a core statement (which encompasses the entire argument of your essay in just a few sentences).

After writing your plan, conduct supplementary reading, refine your plan, and make it more detailed.

It is tempting to skip these preliminary steps and write the first draft while reading at the same time. However, reading and planning will make the essay writing process easier, quicker, and ensure a higher quality essay is produced.

Components of a Good Essay

Now, let us look at what constitutes a good essay in psychology. There are a number of important features.

• Global Structure – structure the material to allow for a logical sequence of ideas. Each paragraph / statement should follow sensibly from its predecessor. The essay should “flow”. The introduction, main body and conclusion should all be linked.
• Each paragraph should comprise a main theme, which is illustrated and developed through a number of points (supported by evidence).
• Knowledge and Understanding – recognize, recall, and show understanding of a range of scientific material that accurately reflects the main theoretical perspectives.
• Critical Evaluation – arguments should be supported by appropriate evidence and/or theory from the literature. Evidence of independent thinking, insight, and evaluation of the evidence.
• Quality of Written Communication – writing clearly and succinctly with appropriate use of paragraphs, spelling, and grammar. All sources are referenced accurately and in line with APA guidelines.

In the main body of the essay, every paragraph should demonstrate both knowledge and critical evaluation.

There should also be an appropriate balance between these two essay components. Try to aim for about a 60/40 split if possible.

Most students make the mistake of writing too much knowledge and not enough evaluation (which is the difficult bit).

It is best to structure your essay according to key themes. Themes are illustrated and developed through a number of points (supported by evidence).

Choose relevant points only, ones that most reveal the theme or help to make a convincing and interesting argument.

Knowledge and Understanding

Remember that an essay is simply a discussion / argument on paper. Don’t make the mistake of writing all the information you know regarding a particular topic.

You need to be concise, and clearly articulate your argument. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.

Each paragraph should have a purpose / theme, and make a number of points – which need to be support by high quality evidence. Be clear why each point is is relevant to the argument. It would be useful at the beginning of each paragraph if you explicitly outlined the theme being discussed (.e.g. cognitive development, social development etc.).

Try not to overuse quotations in your essays. It is more appropriate to use original content to demonstrate your understanding.

Psychology is a science so you must support your ideas with evidence (not your own personal opinion). If you are discussing a theory or research study make sure you cite the source of the information.

Note this is not the author of a textbook you have read – but the original source / author(s) of the theory or research study.

For example:

Bowlby (1951) claimed that mothering is almost useless if delayed until after two and a half to three years and, for most children, if delayed till after 12 months, i.e. there is a critical period.

Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fullfil the next one, and so on.

As a general rule, make sure there is at least one citation (i.e. name of psychologist and date of publication) in each paragraph.

Remember to answer the essay question. Underline the keywords in the essay title. Don’t make the mistake of simply writing everything you know of a particular topic, be selective. Each paragraph in your essay should contribute to answering the essay question.

Critical Evaluation

In simple terms, this means outlining the strengths and limitations of a theory or research study.

There are many ways you can critically evaluate:

Methodological evaluation of research

Is the study valid / reliable ? Is the sample biased, or can we generalize the findings to other populations? What are the strengths and limitations of the method used and data obtained?

Be careful to ensure that any methodological criticisms are justified and not trite.

Rather than hunting for weaknesses in every study; only highlight limitations that make you doubt the conclusions that the authors have drawn – e.g., where an alternative explanation might be equally likely because something hasn’t been adequately controlled.

Compare or contrast different theories

Outline how the theories are similar and how they differ. This could be two (or more) theories of personality / memory / child development etc. Also try to communicate the value of the theory / study.

Debates or perspectives

Refer to debates such as nature or nurture, reductionism vs. holism, or the perspectives in psychology . For example, would they agree or disagree with a theory or the findings of the study?

What are the ethical issues of the research?

Does a study involve ethical issues such as deception, privacy, psychological or physical harm?

Gender bias

If research is biased towards men or women it does not provide a clear view of the behavior that has been studied. A dominantly male perspective is known as an androcentric bias.

Cultural bias

Is the theory / study ethnocentric? Psychology is predominantly a white, Euro-American enterprise. In some texts, over 90% of studies have US participants, who are predominantly white and middle class.

Does the theory or study being discussed judge other cultures by Western standards?

Animal Research

This raises the issue of whether it’s morally and/or scientifically right to use animals. The main criterion is that benefits must outweigh costs. But benefits are almost always to humans and costs to animals.

Animal research also raises the issue of extrapolation. Can we generalize from studies on animals to humans as their anatomy & physiology is different from humans?

The PEC System

It is very important to elaborate on your evaluation. Don’t just write a shopping list of brief (one or two sentence) evaluation points.

Instead, make sure you expand on your points, remember, quality of evaluation is most important than quantity.

When you are writing an evaluation paragraph, use the PEC system.

• Make your P oint.
• E xplain how and why the point is relevant.
• Discuss the C onsequences / implications of the theory or study. Are they positive or negative?

For Example

• Point: It is argued that psychoanalytic therapy is only of benefit to an articulate, intelligent, affluent minority.
• Explain: Because psychoanalytic therapy involves talking and gaining insight, and is costly and time-consuming, it is argued that it is only of benefit to an articulate, intelligent, affluent minority. Evidence suggests psychoanalytic therapy works best if the client is motivated and has a positive attitude.
• Consequences: A depressed client’s apathy, flat emotional state, and lack of motivation limit the appropriateness of psychoanalytic therapy for depression.

Furthermore, the levels of dependency of depressed clients mean that transference is more likely to develop.

Using Research Studies in your Essays

Research studies can either be knowledge or evaluation.

• If you refer to the procedures and findings of a study, this shows knowledge and understanding.
• If you comment on what the studies shows, and what it supports and challenges about the theory in question, this shows evaluation.

Writing an Introduction

It is often best to write your introduction when you have finished the main body of the essay, so that you have a good understanding of the topic area.

If there is a word count for your essay try to devote 10% of this to your introduction.

Ideally, the introduction should;

Identify the subject of the essay and define the key terms. Highlight the major issues which “lie behind” the question. Let the reader know how you will focus your essay by identifying the main themes to be discussed. “Signpost” the essay’s key argument, (and, if possible, how this argument is structured).

Introductions are very important as first impressions count and they can create a h alo effect in the mind of the lecturer grading your essay. If you start off well then you are more likely to be forgiven for the odd mistake later one.

Writing a Conclusion

So many students either forget to write a conclusion or fail to give it the attention it deserves.

If there is a word count for your essay try to devote 10% of this to your conclusion.

Ideally the conclusion should summarize the key themes / arguments of your essay. State the take home message – don’t sit on the fence, instead weigh up the evidence presented in the essay and make a decision which side of the argument has more support.

Also, you might like to suggest what future research may need to be conducted and why (read the discussion section of journal articles for this).

Don”t include new information / arguments (only information discussed in the main body of the essay).

If you are unsure of what to write read the essay question and answer it in one paragraph.

Points that unite or embrace several themes can be used to great effect as part of your conclusion.

The Importance of Flow

Obviously, what you write is important, but how you communicate your ideas / arguments has a significant influence on your overall grade. Most students may have similar information / content in their essays, but the better students communicate this information concisely and articulately.

When you have finished the first draft of your essay you must check if it “flows”. This is an important feature of quality of communication (along with spelling and grammar).

This means that the paragraphs follow a logical order (like the chapters in a novel). Have a global structure with themes arranged in a way that allows for a logical sequence of ideas. You might want to rearrange (cut and paste) paragraphs to a different position in your essay if they don”t appear to fit in with the essay structure.

To improve the flow of your essay make sure the last sentence of one paragraph links to first sentence of the next paragraph. This will help the essay flow and make it easier to read.

Finally, only repeat citations when it is unclear which study / theory you are discussing. Repeating citations unnecessarily disrupts the flow of an essay.

Referencing

The reference section is the list of all the sources cited in the essay (in alphabetical order). It is not a bibliography (a list of the books you used).

In simple terms every time you cite/refer to a name (and date) of a psychologist you need to reference the original source of the information.

If you have been using textbooks this is easy as the references are usually at the back of the book and you can just copy them down. If you have been using websites, then you may have a problem as they might not provide a reference section for you to copy.

References need to be set out APA style :

Author, A. A. (year). Title of work . Location: Publisher.

Journal Articles

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Article title. Journal Title, volume number (issue number), page numbers

A simple way to write your reference section is use Google scholar . Just type the name and date of the psychologist in the search box and click on the “cite” link.

Next, copy and paste the APA reference into the reference section of your essay.

Once again, remember that references need to be in alphabetical order according to surname.

This website works best with JavaScript switched on. Please enable JavaScript

• Centre Services
• Associate Extranet
• All About Maths

Specifications that use this resource:

• AS and A-level Psychology 7181; 7182

Teaching guide: preparing for AS and A-level Psychology assessment - podcast

These podcast teaching guides cover topics from our AS and A-level Psychology specifications. You can download them below.

Podcast 4: Preparing for AS and A-level Psychology assessment

It can be daunting preparing for assessment with new specifications. Whether your students are doing the AS exam or going straight on to A-level, in this podcast we’ve got information about the assessment demands, how students can help prepare themselves for assessment – and we’ll answer your frequently asked questions.

Hello and welcome to AQA’s Psychology podcast aimed at supporting your teaching of our new AS and A-Level specifications . In this podcast we’ll look at the nature and demands of assessment at AS and A-level, the materials provided to support preparation, how students can play a more active role in preparing for assessment, and finally we’ll respond to some frequently asked questions.

Most students when asked how they prepare for exams will tell you that they check that all the topics in the specifications are covered and have a go at some sample exam questions. They then outline the various strategies they use for revising which generally consist of self-testing recall activities to quiz their memory. Few, if any, talk about fine tuning their skills. So today we’re going to focus on this aspect of preparation.

Just to note, you can find sample assessment materials, student responses with examiner commentary and more in our assessment resources at aqa.org.uk/psychology-resources .

To start, we’re going to give you a quick reminder of the exam structure. At AS, there are two exam papers and each is one and a half hours in length. Each paper is divided into three topic areas. Paper one will cover the introductory topics in psychology, social influence, memory, and attachment and paper two will cover psychology in context, so approaches in psychology, psychopathology and

research methods. There will be a series of questions on each of the topics with a total of 24 marks per topic, giving 72 marks in total for each paper.

At A-level there are three exam papers of which each is two hours in length. As in the AS there will be a series of questions on each of the topics, with a total of 24 marks for each, giving 96 marks for the paper as a whole. Paper one will assess introductory topics in psychology, paper two will assess psychology in context and it’s worth noting that the third section of this paper covers research methods and is worth 48 marks.

As illustrated in the specimen assessment materials, knowledge, understanding and application, as well as analytic and evaluative skills will be assessed by a range of different question styles. These will include extended writing in the form of essays, application questions, multiple-choice questions, and a variety of short answer questions.

Let’s look first at the nature and demands of assessment. At AS the assessment is weighted towards knowledge and understanding (AO1) and using that knowledge and understanding in both a theoretical and practical context (AO2). There is assessment of analytical and evaluative skills (AO3) but this contributes less to the overall grade than at A-level. So, at A-level there are proportionately fewer marks for knowledge and understanding (AO1), almost the same weighting for application skills (AO2) and proportionately more marks for analysis, evaluation and associated critical thinking skills such as interpretation, making judgements and drawing conclusions (AO3).

It’s essential that students are flexible and develop their skills rather than trying to learn rote model answers. Our questions have been devised to assess thoroughly and certain exam questions are used to assess certain skills. Multiple choice questions, for example, allow us to test knowledge and understanding of concepts, theories, processes, approaches and research methods. By using alternatives that focus on understanding of more abstract concepts, or, by using alternatives that represent finer distinctions therefore requiring more thorough understanding, we can make them appropriate for AS and for A level.

Short answer questions allow assessment of a full range of skills but generally require students to be more selective in the material they present, either because the questions are allocated fewer marks and hence involve less writing time, or because the questions make specific requirements for example, “Explain one limitation of …..”

Stem or scenario questions are used to assess application skills and, given the greater weighting of application skills when compared with our legacy specifications, Psychology A and B, there will now be a greater proportion of the overall marks for these questions. At A-level, stem questions are likely to include more elements that need to be taken into consideration or require students to use their knowledge and understanding to select the most relevant material to construct their response. Whereas, at AS the stem questions may be structured to support the student more by including a more limited range of cues that focus them on the required knowledge and understanding.

Extended writing questions allow assessment of a full range of skills but also require students to plan and structure their response. Such questions may be relatively short, for example six or sight marks, or more substantial, for example 12 marks at AS or in the A-level 16 marks out of the 24 marks for a topic.

In questions that assess a combination of knowledge and understanding (AO1) and evaluation and/or application (AO2 or 3) it’s important that students know that at AS the balance is 1:1 whilst at A-level it is approximately 1:2. This is illustrated clearly in the extended writing tasks where at AS the maximum mark is 12, six marks for knowledge and understanding, and six marks for evaluation and possibly some application. At A level the maximum mark is 16, and as in the AS, six marks are for knowledge and understanding, but 10 marks are for evaluation and possibly some application.

Let’s turn our attention now to the materials that we have available to support your preparation for assessment and how students can play a more active role in preparing themselves.

Generally speaking teachers do most of the work analysing exam papers and mark schemes, digesting this information and then conveying it to students in the form of a series of rules to remember, along with other tips about using black ink, legibility of hand writing and where they should and shouldn’t write in answer books.

It could be useful if students did more of the analysis of question papers and mark schemes and associated resources themselves. It may help to build their familiarity with the structure and demands of the paper that will in turn give them greater confidence at answering the different question types.

In the teaching and assessment section of aqa.org.uk/psychology-resources you can find a list of command words, specimen question papers and mark schemes for both the AS and A-level papers, and examples of student responses with examiner commentaries. Each of these resources can be used to build activities that will help students prepare themselves for assessment. On e-AQA, our secure website , you’ll also find another set of specimen assessment materials. We’ve put them there, where they are only accessible by login so that you can use them for your mocks. If you don’t have access to e-AQA talk to your Centre Administrator (usually your Exams Officer) about getting set up. Find out more at aqa.org.uk/e-AQA .

Here’s an idea for an activity that will help students to develop a sound understanding of what each command word requires them to do in an exam. Start by providing one or two exam papers and mark schemes. Ask students to work in small groups to list all the command words used in the exam papers and to then use the mark schemes to generate a description of what they think they need to do if an exam question uses each command word in their list. Students can then check their description with that on the elaborated command word list. To further check their understanding, provide students with some exemplar responses to exam questions and ask them to say what they think the command word was. By doing this students quickly realise how important it is to select and shape material to meet the question requirements.

Students often understand the various task requirements of an exam and the standards required better by scrutinising others’ work. To help students understand what makes an effective response, select a few student exemplar responses to the same question. Get students to work in groups to put the responses in rank order of what they think received the highest mark to the lowest. Then ask them to compare the exemplar responses with the mark scheme and level descriptors to decide what mark they think each should get and why.

In the actual exam it’s vital that students do what the question requires. Too often in the exam students see a few trigger words and write an answer to the question that they hoped would come up rather than answering the question posed on the exam paper. Some write all they know about a topic without selecting or shaping their knowledge to answer the question and other students reproduce a rote learned model answer even if it doesn’t answer the question posed. So students need to adopt an analytic approach to exam questions. They need to practice identifying the command word or words, the topic area identified in the question along with any qualifiers that specify a particular aspect of the topic area or that modify the command word.

So for example, if the question says:

“Briefly discuss how observational research might be improved by conducting observations in a controlled environment.” This question is worth four marks.

The command word is ‘discuss’ and there are two qualifiers, the first ‘briefly’ that should remind students this is a four mark question so they should take a maximum of five minutes to answer it and ‘how’ that tells them the focus is on ways; so in this case the ways in which the research would be improved. The topic is “observational research” and the qualifier is that they must focus on how a ‘controlled environment’ improves observational research.

Or if the question says:

“Explain one limitation of using nonhuman animals to research the brain mechanisms of eating behaviour.” This is a two mark question.

The command word is ‘explain’, so just identifying a limitation is not enough; the student has to also say why it’s a limitation. The topic is ‘limitation of using nonhuman animals’ and there are two qualifiers. Firstly it has to be a ‘limitation of their use to investigate brain mechanisms’ and in particular those mechanisms involved in ‘eating behaviour’.

This type of analytic approach to interpreting questions helps students to select and present material so that it’s explicitly relevant to the question and to understand why generic responses would gain relatively few marks.

A useful exercise to help students develop the skill of analysing questions and selecting material is to provide them with a series of questions and ask them to explain what material from their notes they would include in their answer to each question.

Timing is also important in exams. It’s useful to get students to work out for themselves how long they should be spending on questions. We estimate that students should spend about 1.25 minutes per mark on questions, this timing is the same for both AS and A-level which should help reassure those students who are progressing through both qualifications.

Our mark schemes are quite accessible for students as they list likely content, application points and evaluation or discussion points as appropriate to the exam questions. There is also a single set of bands or level descriptors. Having access to the mark schemes should enable students to check the knowledge and content relevant to the specific questions and to fine tune their understanding of command words.

To help students develop the ability to write a logically structured response with a clear line of argument you might provide them with the mark scheme for a question (tweaking it to match the specific material you’ve taught). The student then has to write the essay. The focus of this activity is then on structuring the response effectively, linking ideas and justifying assertions rather than selecting the content.

Ok, now let’s turn our attention to some frequently asked questions about preparing for assessment.

So, as the AS and A-level have common content does this mean that the same question can be asked on both the AS and A-level exam papers?

It’s possible that the same question could be asked for AS and A-level but we would expect a different level of response at A-level compared with AS. For example, if the question was an essay question at A-level there would be proportionally more marks for analysis, evaluation and associated critical thinking skills such as interpretation, making judgements and drawing conclusions.

In the case of application questions the same basic question may be asked but the stem or scenario at A-level is likely to be more complex and include more elements that need to be taken into consideration when responding. Whereas at AS the stem may be structured to support the student by including a more limited range of more focused cues.

In a question about evaluating a theory how many studies should students present in their evaluation?

There’s no correct response to this question. It would depend on the theory being evaluated. Students need to cover sufficient studies to be able to use research effectively and to generate a coherent discussion. To evaluate a theory, students’ would probably need more than one study. However some of the more extensive research studies where a number of variables are manipulated or in which a whole range of different samples are used it might be possible to develop an effective evaluation of a theory based on one piece of research alone. When deciding on research evidence that you intend to cover, providing evidence that both supports and challenges assumptions of the theory helps students to structure an evaluative essay. It’s also useful to have evidence generated using different research methods.

Will there always be a 12 mark essay on each topic on the AS papers and a 16 mark essay on the A-level papers?

There are no exact rules about the number of 12 or 16 mark essays. But you will be able to see from the sample assessment materials on the AS paper one, that there is no 12 mark essay on memory, instead there is a shorter eight mark extended writing question. Similarly, on the A-level paper one, there is an eight mark extended writing question for attachment and no extended writing for psychopathology. On the A-level paper three the optional topics are grouped into three sections. To ensure comparability of demands if one of the topics in the section has a 16 mark question so will each of the other topics in that section.

In short answer questions do students have to write in continuous prose?

Continuous prose is not required in all short answer responses. There are some instances where a diagram or a list of stages would provide a more coherent response than would continuous prose. The important thing to stress to students is that what they present needs to be clear and coherent.

In application questions where there is a scenario and students are asked to refer to the scenario or to the characters in scenario can students embellish the details in their answer. For example “if the character was A then it could be explained by reference to B theory.”

Generally we would expect students to focus their response on cues provided in the scenario. However where application is included as a part of extended writing, or where the phrase ‘such as’ is used in the question wording, students could gain credit for well-reasoned speculation.

Will ‘economic implications’ be assessed in every exam paper?

As can be seen from the sample assessment papers available online not every exam paper has an explicit question on economic implications, however students will be credited where relevant economic implications are included in discussion and/or evaluation.

In extended writing is it necessary for a student to provide an introduction and conclusion to the essay?

Even in the 16 mark extended writing at A-level the student only has 20 minutes to plan, structure and write their essay, therefore introductions and conclusions that don’t go beyond the material presented in the body of the essay are unlikely to gain further credit. Such material may have some value in that the introduction can provide signposts for the reader and the conclusion may clarify points in the body of the essay. In the case of evaluative essays where students need to make some judgement based on the evidence or line of argument presented, writing a conclusion may be useful as long as it goes beyond the material in the body of the essay.

How important is it that students use psychological terminology in their answers to exam questions?

If you look at the levels descriptors in the mark scheme it’s clear that in extended writing questions students will need to show understanding and the ability to use psychological terminology. At A level there is an expectation that students will be more familiar with subject specific terminology so questions may more frequently include such terminology and students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to use it effectively in their own writing.

Can students use their own opinions in their answers to exam questions?

Most exam questions direct students to present and/or evaluate material from psychological research. As a science, psychology is evidenced based. If assertions or opinions presented in students’ work are to gain any credit they would have to be underpinned or supported explicitly by psychological evidence.

Thank you for listening to this instalment in AQA’s series of psychology podcasts. We hope that this has helped to effectively introduce you to preparing for assessment. If you have any questions feel free to contact us by phone on 01483 477 822 or email us at [email protected] . Thank you and goodbye.

Document URL https://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/psychology/as-and-a-level/psychology/teach/teaching-guide-preparing-for-as-and-a-level-psychology-assessment-podcast

Last updated 16 Feb 2021

Psychology Review

A guide to the AQA 16-markers

Carl Ransom Rogers

The mindfulness approach.

Cara Flanagan explains how to get top marks for the extended writing questions

• Volume 23, 2017/ 2018
• Authoritarian personality
• Exams and revision
• Social influence

T he aim of this article is to explain the most direct route to getting 16 out of 16 marks on the A-level extended writing questions. However, I want to say at the outset that exams take much of the pleasure out of learning and knowledge. Psychology is a wonderful subject, stuffed full of theories and studies that allow us to reflect on human thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Exams push this into little boxes where the criticisms become more important than the knowledge itself. Reading widely and taking an interest in the subject does pay off — but often, when it comes to exams, you need to put that to one side and play the ‘rules of the game’.

As an A-level candidate for the AQA exam board you will sit three papers. On papers 1 and 2 it is likely that there will be one 16-mark question somewhere on each of these papers — possibly two on one paper. On paper 3 (Issues and Options in Psychology) there might be four x 16-mark questions (one in each of the four sections on the paper) but there might be only three.

Your organisation does not have access to this article.

Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise

Related articles:

Improve your grade: Writing good case study answers about ecosystems

Theories of social influence

Culture and attachment types

In focus: How the mighty use metacognition

• Use the notes on this website to create Mind Maps, Cue Cards, Glossaries of key terms etc
• REMEMBER – Its not just about creating revision resources – you need to learn these resources and be able to recall them, without the aid of the resource
• Ensure that any description you write as part of an essay is both accurate and detailed.
• When writing evaluation it is important that you use a perfect paragraph rule (something like PEE (Point, Evidence/Example, Elaborate) or PEEL).
• The exam-board don’t award marks for the number of evaluation points stated. Marks are awarded for quality not quantity – using PEE/PEEL will ensure you write quality evaluation paragraphs.
• For a 16 mark essay, include no less than three evaluation paragraphs
• It is difficult to say how many A4 pages a student should write for their 16 mark essay (the size of our handwriting is different).
• It is hard to remember so many paragraphs of evaluation – learning how to use and apply the PEE/PEEL paragraphs effectively can help to cut down your revision – don’t aim to remember the paragraphs word for word, learn how to formulate the perfect paragraphs and then all you will need to remember is the additional research to support/refute the AO1 you have described.
• You can use research methods as part of your evaluation also – having a good knowledge of research methods can also help to cut down your revision. However, it is important that you don’t rely completely on using research methods to evaluate in your essays. Showing that you have a knowledge of additional research/studies is also important and will help you to get the best grade possible.

The Key Assessment Objectives:

AO1 Effectively Outlining a Study!

Key Exam Tip!!  

Remember, when outlining a study, in order to achieve the highest possible AO1 marks, it is important that your description is both accurate and detailed! In order to ensure that you include all the necessary details when you are describing a study, make sure you outline the studies A IM, P EOCEDURE, F INDINGS and C ONCLUSION (the APFC method).

AO1 Exam Tip!

Key Exam Tip!!   One of the questions you may get asked in the exam is to outline (a study, theory, definition etc…)

This type of question is looking at your ability to meet Assessment Objective 1 – AO1 for short.

In order to achieve the highest possible mark in one of these AO1 questions, it is important that you outline the study/theory/definition in an accurate and detailed manner.

AO3 Key Evaluation Exam Tip!

Key Exam Tip!! Another type of question that you may get asked in the exam is to evaluate  (a study, theory etc…)

This type of question is looking at your ability to meet Assessment Objective 3 – AO3 for short. In order to achieve the highest possible mark in one of these AO3 questions, it is important that you evaluate effectively. Many psychology teachers encourage their students to use a perfect paragraph method in order to evaluate effectively (something along the lines of the P.E.E rule – P oint, E vidence/ E xample and E laborate. ).

Click this perfect paragraph link in order to learn about the P.E.E rule. Practice implementing this rule as part of your revision.

Download Section

Glossary of key terms:.

Create one of these for every topic. List as subject specific key terms and check that you’re able to define each of the key terms when starting revision for each topic. In the exam, you may get asked to define a key term, so make sure you know your terms inside out. Ask family members/friends to test you, create a set of match up cards to help you memorise terms.

Download file here:    Glossary of terms

Star Words Revision Sheet

This is a fantastic resource for helping students to remember the key words associated with a research study and theories.

Follow the instructions of the revision handout which can be downloaded below:

Download file here: Star Words

Research Study Revision Sheet

This helps students to remember the key elements of research studies using the structure; aim, procedure, findings and conclusion.

This revision sheet also has a section for a summary of key evaluation.

Download file  here:   Bubble Summary of Research Mind Map

Theory Revision Sheet

Similar to the revision sheet for research, only it has been adapted to allow for revision of a theory.

Download file here: Bubble Theory and Evaluation Summary Sheet 2016

• Psychopathology
• Social Psychology
• Approaches To Human Behaviour
• Biopsychology
• Research Methods
• Issues & Debates
• Teacher Hub
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• [email protected]
• www.psychologyhub.co.uk

We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Start typing and press Enter to search

Cookie Policy - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy

Final dates! Join the tutor2u subject teams in London for a day of exam technique and revision at the cinema. Learn more →

Reference Library

Collections

• See what's new
• All Resources
• Student Resources
• Assessment Resources
• Teaching Resources
• CPD Courses
• Livestreams

Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more!

Psychology news, insights and enrichment

Currated collections of free resources

Browse resources by topic

• All Psychology Resources

Resource Selections

Currated lists of resources

• Topic Videos

The Role of the Father Essay: Example Answer Video (16 Marks)

Last updated 5 Jun 2017

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share by Email

In this video, we look at how to write a model answer to the following question: Outline and evaluate the role of the father in the development of attachment. [16 marks]

• The Role of the Father
• Multiple Attachments

You might also like

Caregiver-infant interactions in humans.

Quizzes & Activities

Stages of Attachment Identified by Schaffer

Study Notes

Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’

Attachment: privation & institutionalisation, cultural variations in attachment, were meltzoff and moore’s (1977) findings wrong.

9th June 2016

Video: The Role of Attachment on Mental & Physical Health

8th November 2016

Why Children Need Their Mothers

9th January 2017

Our subjects

• › Criminology
• › Economics
• › Geography
• › Health & Social Care
• › Psychology
• › Sociology
• › Teaching & learning resources
• › Student revision workshops
• › Online student courses
• › CPD for teachers
• › Livestreams
• › Teaching jobs

Boston House, 214 High Street, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, LS23 6AD Tel: 01937 848885

• › Contact us
• › Terms of use
• › Privacy & cookies

© 2002-2024 Tutor2u Limited. Company Reg no: 04489574. VAT reg no 816865400.

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

Psychology Memory 16 Marker Example Essays Bundle

Subject: Psychology

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

19 August 2021

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

This pack includes an example 16 mark essay response for each topic within the memory section of AQA psychology A-Level. These are written by myself at A/A* level (usually graded around 12-16 out of 16). In most of my answers I use the general structure of either 1 or 2 paragraphs of AO1 (description) and 4 paragraphs of AO3 (evaluation and issues and debates). Some may be structured differently due to the topic having more or less content than the others. In the cases where there are more paragraphs than required for a 16 mark question (around 6), you can choose the topics you feel comfortable discussing - I have simply provided example paragraphs for all of the options.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 57%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

FULL PSYCHOLOGY ESSAY BUNDLE

This bundle includes all of my AQA A-Level Psychology answers from a range of modules at the value of £69! (you would save over 50%)

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: