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    OCR A-Level Psychology

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    Course H567Official specification (opens in a new tab)Study guides

    Explore your topics

    18 topics

    Research methods6 topics
    Psychological themes through core studies3 topics
    Applied psychology5 topics
    Mathematical Requirements4 topics
    About this course

    About OCR A-Level Psychology

    OCR A-Level Psychology offers a fascinating journey into the scientific study of mind and behaviour. The course is built around 20 landmark core studies – from classic experiments like Milgram’s obedience research to contemporary investigations into brain plasticity – giving you a rich, evidence-based foundation. You’ll learn not just what psychologists have discovered, but how they plan, conduct and evaluate research, developing critical thinking skills that are prized by universities and employers alike.

    The specification is split into three clear components. In Component 1: Research Methods, you’ll master the tools of the trade: experimental design, data analysis, and inferential statistics. Component 2: Psychological Themes through Core Studies deepens your understanding of areas such as social, cognitive, and biological psychology by examining the key studies in detail and exploring debates like nature versus nurture. Finally, Component 3: Applied Psychology lets you specialise in an area that sparks your curiosity – choose from child psychology, criminal psychology, environmental psychology, sport and exercise psychology, or mental health.

    Throughout the course, you’ll engage with real-world applications, consider ethical implications, and compare different psychological perspectives. This isn’t just about memorising facts; it’s about learning to think like a psychologist. Whether you’re aiming for a career in psychology, medicine, law, or business, the skills you build here will serve you well.

    Assessment Structure

    OCR A-Level Psychology is assessed entirely through written examinations, with no coursework component. You’ll sit three papers at the end of the two-year course. Paper 1: Research Methods (90 marks, 2 hours) counts for 30% of the A-Level and tests your understanding of methodology, data handling, and analysis. Paper 2: Psychological Themes through Core Studies (105 marks, 2 hours) contributes 35% and focuses on the 20 core studies and key debates. Paper 3: Applied Psychology (105 marks, 2 hours) also makes up 35%, assessing your chosen specialist option alongside broader issues in mental health. The total marks available across all papers is 300.

    Why Choose OCR?

    • OCR’s focus on 20 core studies provides a unique, narrative-driven structure that many students find engaging and memorable, contrasting with the more topic-based approach of other boards. This makes it easier to see the ‘big picture’ of psychology.
    • The course has a strong practical emphasis on research methods and data analysis, giving you tangible skills in designing experiments and interpreting statistics – a real advantage if you plan to study psychology or social sciences at university.
    • The range of applied options (e.g., criminal, sport, child psychology) is broader than many other boards, allowing you to tailor the course to your interests from the start of Year 2, which can boost motivation and performance.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are the 20 core studies in OCR A-Level Psychology?
    The 20 core studies are a carefully selected mix of classic and contemporary research that form the backbone of Component 2. They include famous experiments like Milgram’s obedience study, Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment, and Sperry’s split-brain research, alongside modern work such as Maguire et al.’s taxi driver brain scan study and Grant et al.’s context-dependent memory investigation. These studies span five psychological areas: cognitive, social, developmental, biological, and individual differences. You’ll need to know the aims, procedures, findings, and conclusions of each, as well as be able to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and consider how they relate to key debates in psychology.
    How is OCR A-Level Psychology different from AQA?
    The most noticeable difference is OCR’s use of 20 specific core studies, which gives the course a more narrative, story-like structure. AQA takes a broader topic-based approach without prescribed studies. OCR also places a heavier early emphasis on research methods, with a dedicated 30% paper, and offers a wider range of applied options (five compared to AQA’s three typical options). Additionally, OCR’s exam questions often require you to apply your knowledge of the core studies to novel scenarios, whereas AQA may ask for more generic psychological knowledge. These differences can make OCR feel more concrete and skills-focused for some learners.
    Is there any coursework in OCR A-Level Psychology?
    No, there is no coursework component in the OCR A-Level Psychology qualification. Your final grade is determined entirely by your performance in the three written examinations taken at the end of the course. However, your teacher will likely conduct plenty of practical demonstrations and mini-experiments in class to help you understand research methodology and ethics, but these are not formally assessed. You will also be expected to apply your knowledge of research methods to design your own studies in the exam, so hands-on practice is still essential.
    What applied options can I choose from in OCR A-Level Psychology?
    In Component 3: Applied Psychology, you must study one specialist option from a choice of five: Child Psychology (covering attachment, cognitive development, and autism), Criminal Psychology (looking at what makes a criminal, crime prevention, and courtroom behaviour), Environmental Psychology (exploring how our surroundings affect behaviour, including stress, crowding, and nature), Sport and Exercise Psychology (examining motivation, personality, and performance under pressure), or the Psychology of Mental Health and Illness (focusing on diagnosis, explanations, and treatments of disorders like schizophrenia and depression). Your school will decide which option(s) to offer, typically based on teacher expertise and student interest.
    How much maths is involved in OCR A-Level Psychology?
    Maths is a significant part of the Research Methods component. You’ll need to be comfortable with basic arithmetic, percentages, ratios, and fractions, as well as statistical tests such as chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman’s rho. The paper includes calculations and interpretation of data, and at least 10% of the marks across all three papers require mathematical skills. However, the maths is applied and contextualised – you don’t need A-Level Maths, just a good grasp of GCSE-level skills. Many students find the statistics manageable with practice, and the focus is on understanding what the numbers mean rather than complex calculations.
    Assessment and exam guidance

    Assessment Objectives

    AO1
    30%-35%

    Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures.

    AO2
    30%-35%

    Apply knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures: in a theoretical context; in a practical context; when handling qualitative data; when handling quantitative data.

    AO3
    35%-40%

    Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information, ideas and evidence, including in relation to issues, to: make judgements and reach conclusions; develop and refine practical design and procedures.

    Exam Structure

    OCR A-Level (H567)

    Research methods

    2h

    Duration

    90

    Marks

    30%

    Weighting

    Psychological themes through core studies

    2h

    Duration

    105

    Marks

    35%

    Weighting

    Applied psychology

    2h

    Duration

    105

    Marks

    35%

    Weighting

    Tips and common mistakes

    Common Exam Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exams

    • •Treating ecological validity as a property of the setting alone, so a study done in the street is called high in ecological validity even when the task is contrived.
    • •Offering evaluation that would fit any study at all, such as a bare claim that the findings cannot be generalised, with nothing about what in this task fails to transfer.
    • •Confusing reliability with validity, then offering the fact that a procedure can be repeated as evidence that its findings are true.
    • •Calling any study done outside a laboratory a field experiment even when nothing was manipulated; with no independent variable it is an observation or a correlational study.
    • •Claiming a quasi experiment demonstrates cause and effect because it has two conditions and a significant difference between them.
    • •Treating laboratory as a synonym for artificial task; the setting and the task are two separate judgements, and a laboratory study can use a lifelike task.
    • •Writing categories that call for interpretation, such as aggressive or anxious, which two observers will score differently; a usable category names what the body does.
    • •Confusing participant observation with a participant in a study; the term describes the observer's role, not the person being watched.

    Top Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for exam success

    • •Questions on the research methods paper usually open with an unseen scenario and ask you to identify the method and then explain one strength and one weakness of using it here, so read the stem twice and underline what was manipulated and what was measured.
    • •Evaluation marks are awarded per developed point rather than per point named, so two criticisms taken through to their consequence beat five listed ones.
    • •The command word suggest tells you the marks are for applying methods knowledge to an unfamiliar situation, so write about that situation rather than about methods in general.
    • •A recurring question gives an unfamiliar study and asks why it is a quasi experiment; the answer is always about who or what decided which condition each participant was in.
    • •Asked to suggest how a study could be improved, name a change to a control, a measure or the recruitment, then say what problem the change removes.
    • •If told to compare field and laboratory experiments, structure by dimension rather than by method: control first, then realism, then ethics.
    • •You are often asked to write two or three behavioural categories for an unfamiliar scenario at one mark each, and the mark is lost for anything a second observer would have to interpret.
    • •Asked to explain an advantage of covert observation in a given study, name the demand characteristic that would have appeared had the participants known.

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