AQA IAS-Level · Analysis & Prediction

2024 AQA IAS-Level Psychology (9685) Past Paper Analysis

An in-depth analysis of the June 2024 Oxford AQA International AS Psychology papers (PS01 and PS02), highlighting key assessment patterns across Memory, Social Psychology, Psychopathology, Biopsychology, Cognitive Development, and Research Methods 1.

Updated: 12 Jun 2026

Analysis Sample paper

Difficulty 3.5/5

Total marks

180

Duration

180 mins

Most tested

Cognitive explanations of depression and Theory of Mind essays

Paper breakdown

Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology (PS01): 90 marks · 90 minsPaper 2: Biopsychology, Development and Research Methods 1 (PS02): 90 marks · 90 mins

Top chapters

Memory · 30 marksSocial psychology · 30 marksPsychopathology · 30 marksBiopsychology · 30 marksCognitive development · 30 marksResearch methods 1 · 30 marks

Examiner's Verdict on the June 2024 Series

The June 2024 Oxford AQA International AS Psychology papers (PS01 and PS02) presented a robust and comprehensive assessment of the core syllabus. While the lower-mark questions tested fundamental definitions and studies, the inclusion of 12-mark and 20-mark essay questions demanded strong structural planning and coherent critical analysis. The overall difficulty is rated as 3.5 out of 5, representing a balanced yet challenging set of exams where top marks were earned through precision and detailed application rather than generic descriptions.

Where the Marks Were Won and Lost

In PS01 (Introductory Topics), the 20-mark essay on cognitive explanations of depression and the 12-mark essay on locus of control carried significant weight. Students who structured their essays with balanced description and critical evaluation scored highly. Conversely, many candidates lost marks on short-answer questions like Q2 (investigating STM duration) by failing to reference specific procedural elements such as Peterson & Peterson's nonsense trigrams or counting backwards in threes.

In PS02, Section C (Research Methods 1) accounted for a substantial 30 marks. Calculating the median and drawing a scattergram are highly accessible marks, yet errors in axis scaling and title formulation frequently degraded student performances. In Biopsychology, explaining synaptic transmission (Q6) required highly specific terminology (e.g., vesicles, diffusion, receptors, excitation/inhibition); vague responses were heavily penalized.

Common Examiner Pitfalls

Failure to Apply Scenarios: In application questions, such as the conversation between Aamna and Rayan (PS01 Q3) or Monik's phobia (PS01 Q15), candidates often explained the psychological theory without explicitly linking it back to the individuals in the stem.
Oversimplifying Key Terms: Defining concepts like "schema" or "capacity of STM" too simplistically (e.g., just saying "limited") received zero credit. Precision is mandatory—capacity must be stated as \( 7 \pm 2 \).
Evaluation without Depth: In the 20-mark essay on Theory of Mind (PS02 Q11), students frequently listed evaluation points without elaborating on why they limit or support the theory, missing out on higher-level bands.

High-Yield Revision Strategy

To maximize study ROI, students should focus on mastering research methods and core essay frameworks. Practicing 12-mark and 20-mark essays under timed conditions is essential. Create highly detailed summary tables for key studies (e.g., Sperry's split-brain research, Asch's conformity variations) highlighting the exact procedures and findings, as these are frequently targeted for 6-mark description questions.

Predictions for Upcoming Series

Given the heavy focus on Cognitive Explanations of Depression and Theory of Mind in this series, future exams are highly likely to pivot toward Biological treatments for phobias (e.g., systematic desensitisation vs flooding evaluation) and Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development which was less represented here. Additionally, in Biopsychology, localized brain functions (specifically the motor, somatosensory, and visual cortexes) remain ripe for testing.

Charts

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

Multiple Choice (MCQ)3 marks · 2 questions
Short Answer99 marks · 30 questions
Extended Writing (Essay)52 marks · 3 questions
Practical/Data Analysis26 marks · 5 questions

Mark accessibility

Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.

67%within easy or medium reach

easy: 40 marksmedium: 80 markshard: 60 marks

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

Command word frequency

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

Research Methods 1

30 marks · Difficulty 2 · recurrence 5%

Memory (STM/LTM models & EWT)

30 marks · Difficulty 2.5 · recurrence 5%

Social Psychology (Conformity & Obedience)

30 marks · Difficulty 3 · recurrence 5%

Psychopathology (Phobias & Depression)

30 marks · Difficulty 3.2 · recurrence 5%

Biopsychology (CNS, Synaptic transmission)

30 marks · Difficulty 3.8 · recurrence 4%

Cognitive Development (Piaget, TOM, Mirror Neurons)

30 marks · Difficulty 4 · recurrence 4%

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

marksmins

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of cognitive development85%

Piaget's stages and Theory of Mind dominated this paper (Unit 2 Section B), leaving Vygotsky and Selman's perspective-taking highly overdue for a major question/essay.

Systematic desensitisation as a treatment for phobias80%

Flooding was examined in Section C (Q16) for 4 marks. Systematic desensitisation is highly likely to be tested either as a comparison or a standalone larger question next.

Resistance to obedience (Social Support)75%

While Locus of Control was heavily discussed in PS01 (Q14) for 12 marks, the alternative explanation for resistance (Social Support) remains untested in this series and is highly likely to feature in upcoming papers.

Topic-year heatmap

Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.

Jan 2023

Jun 2023

Jan 2024

Jun 2024

Memory

Social psychology

Psychopathology

Biopsychology

Cognitive development

Research methods 1

Examiner insights

Official report

Common pitfalls

Describing a theory without applying it to the scenario in AO2 application questions (e.g., discussing the Multi-Store Model of memory without referencing Aamna and Rayan).
Confusing the roles of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, leading to inverted explanations of bodily changes before and after the concert.
Failing to fully operationalise suggested behavioral categories in research methods, such as stating 'checking phones' instead of 'the number of times a phone is checked during a 45-minute lecture'.

Misconceptions

Assuming that the capacity of short-term memory is simply 'limited' rather than using the precise Miller value of 7 +/- 2 items.
Believing that the range is always a robust measure of dispersion, ignoring how outliers (like the score of 12 in a cluster of 0-3 scores) can severely distort it.
Thinking that the cognitive interview is purely a standard police interview with more time, rather than a structured technique based on cognitive principles (context reinstatement, reverse order, etc.).

Where marks are lost

Failing to provide exact procedures when asked how the duration of STM was investigated (e.g., omitting the use of nonsense trigrams or counting backwards in threes).
Providing only one cognitive explanation of depression (e.g., Beck's negative triad) instead of both Beck and Ellis, which capped the essay at a maximum of Level 3 (15 marks).
Inaccurate scattergram plotting, missing units in the axis labels (e.g., omitting 'in minutes' or 'out of 15'), or failing to write an explicit, accurate title.

Estimated grade cut-off

Updated: 12 Jun 2026

Source: Oxford AQA International grade boundaries (UMS)

Level	Mark	Percentage
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%

Official grade boundaries published by Oxford AQA International grade boundaries (UMS).

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