The Cambridge International syllabus code for AS & A Level Psychology is 9990.

Cambridge International A Level Psychology provides a foundation for the study of psychology or related courses in higher education. Equally it is ideally suitable as part of a course of general education.

Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology encourages learners to think like a psychologist. The syllabus provides opportunities to explore key concepts and debates that underpin the subject of psychology and to develop the skills of interpretation, application, analysis and evaluation while studying a range of stimulating topics and real-world issues.

The aims are to enable students to develop:

• Knowledge and understanding of psychological concepts, theories and research findings
• An understanding of psychological approaches, issues and debates and research methodology
• An awareness of the scientific method and range and limitations of psychological theory and practice
• Improved skills in data analysis, evaluation and drawing conclusions
• An awareness of the relationships between psychological findings and everyday life
• An understanding of ethical issues in psychology
• An appreciation and understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity.

Content overview

At AS Level, learners study four psychological approaches:

• Biological
• Cognitive
• Learning
• Social

Each approach is exemplified though 12 core studies. The core studies illustrate a wide range of research methods used in psychology, such as experiments, self-reports, case studies, observations, correlations and longitudinal studies. By exploring the relationship between the content of the study and the research methods, candidates will gain a broad understanding of how psychologists study experiences and behaviours and why the research took place.

At A Level, learners study two specialist options:

• Clinical Psychology

  This option considers the diagnostic criteria, symptoms, explanations and treatments for a variety of mental and behavioural disorders/conditions (schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, etc.).

• Health Psychology

  This option focuses on the psychological factors that influence health, considers ways to measure and treat conditions such as pain and stress, and ways to influence behaviours around health and health choices.