October/November 2023 Exam Series Verdict
The October/November 2023 9990 psychology examinations presented a significant challenge to candidates, demanding highly detailed procedural knowledge at AS level and strict methodological rigor at A Level. Paper 1 (Approaches, Issues and Debates) stood out for its exacting demands, where minor procedural points—such as the exact percentage of participants who pressed the 300-volt switch in Milgram's study or the precise sequence of events following injections in Schachter and Singer—proved to be significant stumbling blocks, resulting in an exceptionally high frequency of blank responses across the cohort.
Key Mark Allocations and Examiner Pitfalls
A substantial portion of marks was lost in AS Paper 13 due to a failure to distinguish between factual results and broader conclusions. For example, in the Schachter and Singer or Baron-Cohen questions, candidates frequently cited raw numerical data when asked for conclusions, yielding zero marks. Furthermore, in Paper 23 (Research Methods), candidates struggled to define fundamental terms like 'range' (often describing its calculation rather than its definition) or to fully unpack the test-retest reliability check process.
At A Level (Paper 33 and 43), the examiner reports highlighted a persistent issue: candidates writing pre-prepared essays that failed to address the specific 'named issue' (e.g., nature vs. nurture in impulse control disorders, or generalisations in consumer decision-making). Evaluative answers that were structured around studies rather than core issues tended to become superficial and repetitive, capping scores in the lower bands.
High-Performance Strategies for Future Cohorts
To secure top-band marks, candidates must pivot towards an issue-based approach for evaluation questions. Rather than summarizing studies sequentially, essays should begin by explicitly discussing the named issue (e.g., individual vs. situational explanations) and use specific studies as contextualized evidence to back up points. In Paper 2, original designs (Question 10) must be fully operationalized—for instance, specifying exactly how concentration or play behavior will be measured and under what specific controls—rather than just listing terms like 'independent measures' or 'random sample' without explanation.
Syllabus Outlook & Predictions
With clinical and organizational topics seeing heavy coverage through specific theories like systematic desensitisation and McCarthy's 4 Ps, future series are highly likely to rotate back to underrepresented areas. Candidates should pay close attention to cognitive and biological approaches, particularly focusing on neuroimaging studies and developmental criteria, which are ripe for detailed procedural questioning in upcoming papers.