A Level Psychology refresh - FAQs

We answer some of the most frequently asked questions about our plans to redevelop our A Level Psychology.

Why are you refreshing your specification?

To ensure our qualification continues to meet students' needs, we recently conducted a detailed review of our existing A Level. This involved gathering and analysing feedback from stakeholders, including teachers, examiners and representatives from the Association for the Teaching of Psychology and British Psychological Society. 

Our findings showed that, while our qualification is well regarded, there was a need to refresh aspects so it remains relevant and to alleviate some of the pressure students and teachers face. 

When can I start teaching the new specification?

We have shared our draft specification and sample assessment materials with Ofqual, the regulator, for their review and are working with them to get the qualification (and our AS qualification) accredited. 

It is our aim to have this ready for first teach in September 2025 (subject to Ofqual approval). We will keep you informed throughout the process – sign up for our email updates to stay in the loop. 

What are the planned changes?

Teacher and stakeholder feedback has informed and shaped every planned change. You can read more about this process and our proposals in our blog by Subject Advisor Nicola.  

You can also visit our webpages and download our mapping guide, which outlines the how the new qualification is different to our existing one. 

However, in summary, subject to Ofqual accreditation, we aim to: 

  • Improve the contemporary nature of the qualification. This includes introducing new studies on racial bias and artificial intelligence, evaluating studies in a more contemporary way and using recent examples of research, articles and topics in our exam papers 
  • reduce the number of core and key studies to help manageability  
  • reduce the statistical calculations to just one test 
  • update and extend our mental health topic and include criminal psychology as a compulsory option, reflecting their significance.  

Additionally, we're planning to revise our assessment approach to ensure it’s more accessible. This includes:  

  • using fewer mark tariffs   
  • making our command terms and mark schemes more consistent  
  • reducing the mark allocation, while retaining the two-hour time limit of exams to support students’ time management.
What could the assessment model look like?

We are looking to improve the consistency and accessibility of our assessments while maintaining their familiar feel.

Subject to accreditation, our current proposals include: 

  • keeping three, two-hour long examined components but reducing the number of marks to 80 
  • reducing the number of command terms used and using them consistently across all components 
  • ensuring consistency of how similar question types are marked across components
  • applying updated accessibility principles to ensure questions are easily understood by students and it is clear how to respond to them. 
Are you updating your AS qualification too?
Yes, we are updating our AS Level in Psychology, as well as our A Level. You can view a draft specification and sample assessment materials for this qualification on our webpage.
Will there be a textbook?

We are planning to update our existing Illuminate (Hodder) textbook to reflect the changes we are making. 

What support can I expect?

Whether you're new to OCR or have been teaching with us for a while, we will offer a range of free support and resources to help you deliver our A Level with confidence. 

These include a wide range of freely available planning, teaching and learning resources accessed via Teach Cambridge*. These include: 

  • sample assessment materials  
  • curriculum planners  
  • schemes of work 
  • assessment guides  
  • candidate exemplars  
  • practice papers  

You will also have access to: 

  • a textbook and new teaching and learning resources from third parties  
  • Access to Scripts – our free, on-demand service that allows you to download copies of students’ completed question papers 
  • ExamBuilder: our free question-building platform that helps you to build your own tests as our bank of past live-series questions grows.  

*If you already have a Teach Cambridge account, you will be able to log straight in. If you do not currently have access to the platform, please visit our website for guidance on how to gain it. You can also sign up for a free, two-week trial. 

I don’t teach OCR Psychology now, but I am interested in moving to the new specification. How do I switch?

If your school or college is an approved OCR centre and teaching other qualifications with us, you can simply download our specification once it is accredited and start teaching from September 2025*.  

To ensure we can support you, let us know if you're planning to teach the qualification by filling in this form. 

Please feel free to contact us on 01223 553998 or by email if you have any questions. 

If your school or college doesn’t offer any OCR qualifications currently, you may need to register with us. Please get in touch with our Customer Development Team, who can guide you through the process.

 

*subject to accreditation

I’m teaching OCR’s existing Psychology A Level. What do I need to do?

For now, all you need to do is explore our draft specifications and resources on our webpage. This includes a mapping guide to help illustrate the changes we are planning.

Also, make sure you are signed up for our email updates to receive the latest news about our A Level Psychology, including our accreditation.

Once we have been accredited, we will let you know by email. You can then download and start teaching our new specification from September 2025*.  

To help us support you, let us know if you're planning to teach with us by filling in this form. 

You can contact us on 01223 553998 or by email if you have any questions.  

 

*subject to accreditation