Overall Verdict: A Fair but Discriminative Paper

The May 2024 Psychology HL papers provided a highly balanced spread of questions across both Core and Option chapters. While the core topics in Paper 1 stayed close to standard syllabus points (such as ethical considerations in brain/behaviour research and models of decision making), specific terms like assimilation in Section A required precision. Many students struggled with these, showing that superficial memorisation of terms is not enough. Paper 2 offered robust choice but tested critical thinking severely, especially where candidates were asked to contrast models or evaluate sociocultural influences on health.

Where the Marks Were Won and Lost

In Paper 1, top-tier marks were secured by candidates who successfully linked their chosen studies directly to the prompt. For the biological approach SAQ, high-scoring responses did not just describe an ethical issue; they explained why that specific study (e.g., HM case study or Rogers and Kesner) demanded that consideration. In Section B, the ERQs on neurotransmitters and cognitive processes required a clear argument rather than just a summary of findings. Candidates who integrated strong critical thinking (such as methodological triagulation and reductionism) comfortably reached the 7-9 mark bands for Criterion D.

Common Examiner Pitfalls

  • The Concept Confusion: A significant number of candidates confused assimilation as an acculturation strategy with Piaget's developmental model of assimilation. This resulted in zero marks for syllabus relevance.
  • Double Study Pitfall in SAQs: Several responses described multiple studies for Section A questions. The markscheme strictly limits credit to the first study described, meaning valuable writing time was lost for no gain.
  • Evaluation vs Description in Paper 2: Many essays on the biopsychosocial model or health promotion described models extensively but failed to evaluate them, leading to mediocre scores in critical thinking criteria.

Strategic Advice for Future Cohorts

To excel, candidates must treat terminology with absolute precision. Create explicit flashcards separating developmental concepts from sociocultural acculturation terms. When writing essays, practice the PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link) paragraph structure to ensure research studies actively support your thesis statement rather than standing as isolated summaries. Finally, keep critical thinking considerations (such as generalisability of animal research or ethnocentric bias) woven throughout the body of your essay rather than tacked onto the end as an afterthought.

Looking Ahead: Upcoming Predictions

Given the heavy emphasis on neurotransmitters and decision-making models in this series, future Paper 1 exams are highly likely to pivot toward neuroplasticity or hormones and pheromones in the biological core. For the cognitive approach, expect a focus on reconstructive memory or biases in thinking. In the Option papers, there is a strong cyclical likelihood that questions focusing on etiology of disorders and the role of bystanderism will take centre stage.