AQA A-Level Psychology past papers (7182): every paper, mark scheme and how to mark yourself
Find the official papers, understand how 16-mark essays are marked and work towards full timed practice before summer 2027.
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AQA A-Level Psychology (7182) past papers and mark schemes are free on AQA's own past paper finder. AQA holds the newest series back for a year so schools can use it for mocks, so June 2025 is the newest set you can download yourself. There are three papers. Each one lasts 2 hours, is out of 96 marks and is worth a third of your grade. This guide covers where to find the papers, how the 16-mark essays are marked, which years to do first, and how examiner reports show you where marks usually go.
Where to find AQA A-Level Psychology past papers and mark schemes
Start with AQA. The past paper finder has the question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports ("Reports on the Examination") for each series. Filter by A-level, Psychology and 7182.
You'll notice the most recent series is missing. AQA's copyright policy says the latest papers stay confidential for one year so teachers can use them as mocks. During that year, only teachers can get them, through AQA's Centre Services. If you want the newest paper, ask your teacher. They may already be planning to give it to you as a mock.
Plenty of revision sites repost the same PDFs. They're handy for browsing, but copies can be old versions or carry the wrong label. If a paper and its mark scheme don't seem to match, download both again from AQA.
AQA A-Level Psychology papers 1 to 3: marks, timings and topics
All three papers are sat at the end of Year 13, in the same summer. Each one has a mix of multiple choice, short answer and extended writing questions.
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weighting | Sections and topics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Introductory topics in psychology | 2 hours | 96 | 33.3% | A: Social influence (24). B: Memory (24). C: Attachment (24). D: Psychopathology (24) |
| Paper 2: Psychology in context | 2 hours | 96 | 33.3% | A: Approaches in psychology (24). B: Biopsychology (24). C: Research methods (48) |
| Paper 3: Issues and options in psychology | 2 hours | 96 | 33.3% | A: Issues and debates (24, compulsory). Then one option from each: B: Relationships, Gender or Cognition and development (24). C: Schizophrenia, Eating behaviour or Stress (24). D: Aggression, Forensic psychology or Addiction (24) |
Source: AQA 7182 scheme of assessment. Last checked: 12 November 2026.
A quick timing rule: 120 minutes for 96 marks is 1.25 minutes a mark. That gives you about 20 minutes for a 16-mark essay and 5 minutes for a 4-marker.
Do older 7182 past papers still work for the 2027 exams?
Yes, with one check. AQA updated the specification for teaching from September 2025, and the first A-level exams on the new content are in summer 2027. AQA cut some content, made the wording clearer and updated the Gender topic. The papers themselves keep the same structure, question types and marks.
So every past paper still trains the skills you need. Before you start one, compare it with AQA's summary of changes, which you'll find on the 7182 subject page, and skip any question on content that has been removed. AQA has also said its original specimen papers are no longer suitable as practice papers for the updated specification. It has updated one set of specimen papers to match the new content, so use that set instead.
How is a 16-mark psychology question marked?
AQA marks extended questions by levels, not by ticking points. In a typical "Discuss" 16-marker, 6 marks are AO1 (knowledge) and 10 are AO3 (evaluation). That means most of your essay should be evaluation. Here are the bands from AQA's Paper 1 mark scheme:
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 13 to 16 | Knowledge is accurate and generally well detailed. Discussion is thorough and effective. Clear, focused, with terminology used well |
| 3 | 9 to 12 | Knowledge is evident, with occasional inaccuracies. Discussion is mostly effective. Mostly clear, but sometimes loses focus |
| 2 | 5 to 8 | Some knowledge. Mainly description, with discussion of limited effectiveness |
| 1 | 1 to 4 | Limited knowledge. Discussion is limited, poorly focused or absent |
Source: AQA 7182/1 mark scheme, June 2022, descriptors summarised. Wording varies slightly between questions. Last checked: 12 November 2026.
When a 16-marker gives you a stem or a quote, AO2 (application) counts as well. The Level 4 descriptor in the November 2020 Paper 3 mark scheme adds "Application to the statement is effective". In those questions you need to keep coming back to the scenario.
To mark your own essay the way an examiner would:
- Highlight description in one colour and evaluation in another. If description takes up most of the page, you're probably in Level 2, however accurate it is.
- Use the levels as a ladder. AQA tells examiners to start at the lowest level and move up until a descriptor no longer fits.
- Choose a mark within the level. An answer that is mostly Level 3 with a little Level 4 material stays in Level 3, but near the top.
- Check the indicative content in the mark scheme. It lists points examiners expect to see, but other valid points get credit too.
- For each evaluation point, ask whether you explained why it matters. A named study with no comment on what it shows rarely earns much.
Marking yourself gets easier with practice, but a second opinion helps. To get a timed essay marked, upload it to Medly for free. The free plan includes 1 uploaded paper a day.
Which AQA Psychology past papers to do first, and when to time them
The 7182 exams started in June 2017. There was no summer series in 2020 or 2021, but AQA ran November series in 2020 and 2021, and those papers make good extra practice.
A sensible order for Year 13:
- Autumn term: do older papers (2017 to 2019) one section at a time, untimed, straight after you finish revising that topic.
- Christmas holidays: start timing single sections. A 24-mark section should take about 30 minutes.
- Spring term: do the November 2020 and 2021 papers and the updated specimen set as full 2-hour papers.
- From Easter: keep 2022 to 2025 for full timed papers in exam conditions, marked straight away with the mark scheme.
Save the newest papers for last. They're the closest match to how AQA writes questions now, so they tell you most about where you stand before the real thing. If you're in Year 12, start with the Paper 1 topics you've already covered. It's also worth reading our guide to revising your notes before you start.
Using examiner reports to find where marks are lost
Examiner reports are the part of past papers most students skip. Each one goes question by question and explains what separated strong answers from weak ones.
Some recurring points from AQA's reports:
- On 16-mark essays, the June 2022 Paper 1 report said "many students simply described the central executive rather than evaluating it", with little use of research studies.
- The same report said a significant number of students didn't attempt the statistics questions. With research methods making up at least 25% of the marks, that is costly.
- The November 2020 Paper 2 report found weaker students could explain the psychology without clearly linking it to the scenario.
- The November 2021 Paper 3 report said 4-mark stem questions were usually answered well, but some answers had "little foundation in psychology".
For full model essays with examiner notes, AQA's extended writing commentary shows marked answers at different levels. Read one next to your own essay and compare how much space each gives to evaluation.
A good habit: after every timed paper, write down the two questions where you lost the most marks. Then find what the examiner report says about those questions. The patterns show up quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Are the 2025 AQA A-Level Psychology papers out?
Yes. The June 2025 papers and mark schemes are now available, so they're the newest set you can get yourself. The June 2026 papers are still in AQA's one-year window for teachers, so ask your teacher whether they plan to use them as mocks.
What's the difference between AS 7181 and A-Level 7182?
AS Psychology (7181) is a separate qualification with two papers on first-year content, and AS results don't count towards the A-level. AS papers are still useful practice for topics like social influence, memory and attachment.
What are the grade boundaries for AQA A-Level Psychology?
In June 2026 they were A* 229, A 205, B 170, C 135, D 101 and E 67, out of 288. In June 2025 they were A* 222, A 198, B 163, C 128, D 94 and E 60. Boundaries change every year, so use the June 2025 boundaries as a guide when you total your three papers, not as a fixed target.
Can I still use the AQA specimen papers?
Yes, but only the updated set. AQA has said the original specimen papers are no longer suitable as practice papers for the specification first examined in 2027.
How many past papers should I do before the exam?
Aim to do every paper from 2022 to 2025 under timed conditions, plus older papers section by section. Marking each one carefully is worth more than doing extra papers you never check.
Can I get my psychology essays marked for free?
Yes. Medly AI's free plan includes 5 marked questions and 1 uploaded paper a day, with no card needed. In Medly's marking study of more than 30,000 answers, each marked by two qualified examiners, top AI models agreed with the examiners more closely than the examiners agreed with each other.