Tips

## Should I take this course?

GCSE Psychology is a popular subjected. It is content heavy, but the content is not hard to understand. (Eg. It is less content heavy than Science but more content heavy than English) Many people find this course interesting and do quite well, although that may not always be the case, especially with students who struggle with memory. In relation to other GCSE subjects in I&S (Individuals and Societies) this course is not very difficult. This course is recommended and is good preparation for IB or A levels, and for any future career in psychology.

This course is good for you if:

You are interested in psychology and may want to do psychology in the future. You do not struggle with exams. You have the time and patience to make good notes and study hard.

This course is very straightforward and you do not need to have any specific skills to take GCSE psychology. However sometimes the content can get very heavy.

## How to revise for the exam

GCSE Psychology lasts for around 1 year and a half. That is Year 10 and half of Year 11. In Year 10 usually you will learn Topics A and B first. **Use your breaks to revise Topic A and B so that you can come into Year 11 knowing all of the content.** If you are in Year 11 and you haven't done this during your break, don't worry, Topics A and B are less challenging, so you can catch up very quickly.

Topics C, D and E are more challenging, where you are required to use the nature-nurture debate to write longer answer questions. The content also gets heavier. Make sure you pay attention in class, and make sure that your teacher covers all the content needed for the exam. **Check the content list to make sure that you know everything that will appear in the exam.**

Before the exam you must have done past papers do practice your knowledge. **Doing past papers can help you better understand how the mark scheme allocates marks.** Start doing this early on in the course, like in Year 10. Learn exam technique.

**Right before the exam spend a few hours revising all the content in the syllabus, making sure you remember all the main points about the topic.** You can use this website to make sure that you have covered all of the content yourself. You may use flashcards and quizzes to help you remember key information.

Good luck!

## How can I get a good grade?

In order to get an A or an A\* in GCSE Psychology you must learn your content, take good notes, and do enough past papers. Hopefully this website will make a lot of key topics and the structure of the exam easier to understand. Most of the syllabus requires you to learn about case studies and theories. You must describe their aim, procedure, findings/results, conclusion and give a short evaluation (for the best grades). You must learn how to compare and contrast different explanations, and how to answer the question about the nature nurture debate. Make sure you can remember your content well. Good luck!

## Exam Tips

Do not rush through the paper. Read every questions carefully.

Multiple choice questions are great. Do not get these wrong by accident.

Make sure to use key terminology in your answers. The mark scheme only allows you the mark if you have used the correct term in your answer.

Pay attention to how many marks is allocated to each question. The more marks awarded the more detail you will need to go into.

## Revision

- All the content has been broken down for you on this website. Make sure you have not missed anything important.

- Revise often, aim for once every two weeks in year 10 and once a week in year 11. However, often A\* students would revise more than that.

- Pay attention during class so you wouldn't have to do the work at home.