A-level Psychology: topics, exams, grades and careers
The second most popular A-level. What you study, how it is examined, how hard it is to get an A, and whether universities count it as a science.
A-level Psychology is the second most popular A-level, with more than 79,000 entries in 2026. Most students have not studied it before, which is part of the appeal. It covers how people think, feel and behave, and how psychologists research it, with a sizeable amount of research methods and statistics.
What you study
- Social influence (conformity and obedience), memory and attachment.
- Psychopathology: definitions of abnormality, phobias, depression and OCD.
- Approaches in psychology and biopsychology.
- Research methods, including statistics and inferential tests.
- Issues and debates, and options such as relationships, gender, cognition and development, schizophrenia, eating behaviour, stress, aggression, forensic psychology and addiction (AQA).
The exact topics depend on the exam board your school or college uses, so check its specification.
How it is examined
Like all reformed A-levels, it is a linear two-year course: you sit all the exams at the end of Year 13, and an AS taken along the way does not count towards the A-level.
| Exam board | Code | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| AQA | 7182 | Three 2-hour papers, each a third of the A-level. |
| OCR | H567 | Three 2-hour papers. |
| Pearson Edexcel | 9PS0 | Three papers. |
| Eduqas | – | Three components. |
Coursework: None. Calculator: A calculator is allowed.
Grades and how hard it is
In summer 2026, 79,201 students took A-level Psychology in the UK. 6.0% were awarded an A* and 20.1% an A* or A, compared with about 28% across all A-levels in England. See how subjects compare in the hardest and easiest A-levels.
Entry requirements: Usually grade 6 in English and Maths; a 6 in Biology or combined science helps.
Where it can lead
A-level Psychology is useful for psychology, criminology, nursing, teaching, social work, human resources, marketing and law.
Goes well with: Biology, Sociology, English, Maths, Criminology courses.
Work out what your predicted grades are worth with our UCAS points calculator.
Tips for doing well
- Learn named studies with their findings and evaluation points.
- Practise extended 16-mark essays; they are worth a large share of the marks.
- Do not underestimate research methods and maths: around 10% of marks test maths skills.
Questions people ask
Is A-level Psychology easy?
It has a reputation as an easier option, but the grades say otherwise: only 20.1% of entries got an A* or A in 2026, fewer than in Biology or Chemistry.
Do you need A-level Psychology to study psychology at university?
Usually not. Many courses prefer a science or Maths, but they rarely require Psychology itself.
Is Psychology a science A-level?
Many universities treat it as one, but some courses that ask for “a science” mean Biology, Chemistry or Physics, so check.
