Thank you for purchasing this flashcard set for
Edexcel A-Level Psychology - Clinical Psychology
This document is simply just a complimentary add on to the two flashcard sets you have purchased.
In this document, I will mention several really useful tips that not many people know of.
Tips to Excel:
You do not have to give the name of a specific researcher when you use a study to back up
your AO3 point. Simply saying - ‘A researcher discovered...’ is sufficient. Do not panic if you
forget the name of a small study you spent so long trying to commit to memory!
Use Logical Chains of Reasoning in your AO3 points. A logical chain of reasoning is a
structured way of connecting ideas so that each point follows logically from the previous one.
This will boost your marks and get you to the higher L3 or L4 bands where the top marks are.
It sounds obvious, but under time pressure you have to really make sure you are reading the
questions properly. Read it 2 times, 3 times, 10 times... however many times you need to be
sure that you understand what it is asking. Taking this extra 2 minutes to read the question
multiple times can save you 15 minutes of a completely irrelevant answer and keep you on
track to securing that A*.
The people marking your exams do not know what you have learnt. This means, there is a lot
of flexibility in what you choose to learn and how you can use it. If you learn some AO3 points
at school and actually think they’re quite complicated or hard to learn, pick other points to
learn! Just to be clear, this is for less significant questions, not necessarily for your classic or
contemporary studies.
Most people give a strength or a weakness in an AO3 point and leave it there. This is the bare
minimum and will not get you the marks you want. Explain WHY it is a strength or a weakness
and what this means in regards to the study or the theory etc...
Nothing is ever ‘PROVEN’ in psychology. Using this word in A-Level psychology is a big
problem! When you are explaining the results of a study or a statistical test, your default
answer should start with ‘There is evidence to suggest that...’
A lot of AO3 points have overlap or are shared between studies. Learn key AO3 themes, not
endless points. Examples: Validity, reliability, generalisability, ethics, bias, application. For
each study/theory, think about how it fits these themes. When you write your answer, you can
often flip a strength into a weakness or vice versa.
Psychology isn’t about who can leave the exam having written the most. The flashcard
documents you have purchased show you just how much detail you can condense into small
quality rich points, so you’re not stressing over time and simultaneously getting more marks
for less work.
Last but not least, context is key. For those questions where context is at play, don’t just
namedrop. Use the context fully in answering the question.
Edexcel A-Level Psychology - Clinical Psychology
This document is simply just a complimentary add on to the two flashcard sets you have purchased.
In this document, I will mention several really useful tips that not many people know of.
Tips to Excel:
You do not have to give the name of a specific researcher when you use a study to back up
your AO3 point. Simply saying - ‘A researcher discovered...’ is sufficient. Do not panic if you
forget the name of a small study you spent so long trying to commit to memory!
Use Logical Chains of Reasoning in your AO3 points. A logical chain of reasoning is a
structured way of connecting ideas so that each point follows logically from the previous one.
This will boost your marks and get you to the higher L3 or L4 bands where the top marks are.
It sounds obvious, but under time pressure you have to really make sure you are reading the
questions properly. Read it 2 times, 3 times, 10 times... however many times you need to be
sure that you understand what it is asking. Taking this extra 2 minutes to read the question
multiple times can save you 15 minutes of a completely irrelevant answer and keep you on
track to securing that A*.
The people marking your exams do not know what you have learnt. This means, there is a lot
of flexibility in what you choose to learn and how you can use it. If you learn some AO3 points
at school and actually think they’re quite complicated or hard to learn, pick other points to
learn! Just to be clear, this is for less significant questions, not necessarily for your classic or
contemporary studies.
Most people give a strength or a weakness in an AO3 point and leave it there. This is the bare
minimum and will not get you the marks you want. Explain WHY it is a strength or a weakness
and what this means in regards to the study or the theory etc...
Nothing is ever ‘PROVEN’ in psychology. Using this word in A-Level psychology is a big
problem! When you are explaining the results of a study or a statistical test, your default
answer should start with ‘There is evidence to suggest that...’
A lot of AO3 points have overlap or are shared between studies. Learn key AO3 themes, not
endless points. Examples: Validity, reliability, generalisability, ethics, bias, application. For
each study/theory, think about how it fits these themes. When you write your answer, you can
often flip a strength into a weakness or vice versa.
Psychology isn’t about who can leave the exam having written the most. The flashcard
documents you have purchased show you just how much detail you can condense into small
quality rich points, so you’re not stressing over time and simultaneously getting more marks
for less work.
Last but not least, context is key. For those questions where context is at play, don’t just
namedrop. Use the context fully in answering the question.
