AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) Past Papers 2026
Download free AQA GCSE Psychology 8182 past papers, mark schemes, Foundation & Higher tiers. 6 exam sessions from 2019–2026.
June 2024
Latest Session
6
Sessions
2019–2026
12
Question Papers
12
Mark Schemes
100% coverage
0
Inserts
4
Specimen Papers
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute shows how fast you have to work — the higher the number, the tighter the time pressure in that paper.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 8182/1 — Cognition and behaviour | 100 | 1h 45m | 0.95 | High |
| Paper 2 | 8182/2 — Social context and behaviour | 100 | 1h 45m | 0.95 | High |
Component structure extracted from 4 official AQA documents (2022–2023). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
Topical Past Papers
AQA Psychology questions organised by specification topic — perfect for targeted revision.
How is AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) examined?
AQA GCSE Psychology is examined through 2 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1
100 marks8182/1 — Cognition and behaviour
Duration: 1h 45m
Paper 2
100 marks8182/2 — Social context and behaviour
Duration: 1h 45m
What AQA examiners say about Psychology
Verbatim quotes from 4 official AQA examiner reports (2022–2023). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things AQA markers flag year after year.
Failing to contextualise answers to the stem (named…
A significant number of responses were not contextualised and therefore failed to gain full credit.
Confusing research method with experimental design
there was a problem with several students confusing 'research method' with 'experimental design'.
Imbalanced 'describe and evaluate' answers (heavy AO1
students need to be reminded how AO1 and AO3 marks are split on 'Describe and evaluate' questions.
Most Common Mistakes — Psychology (8182)
Based on analysis of 4 official AQA examiner reports (2022, 2023). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Failing to contextualise answers to the stem (named characters, scenarios)
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Both papers, both years
Confusing research method with experimental design
Paper 1 · Synoptic and research methods items, both years
Imbalanced 'describe and evaluate' answers (heavy AO1, almost no AO3)
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Most extended-response questions, both years
Answering only part of multi-part 'describe / evaluate / apply' questions
Paper 1, Paper 2 · 9-mark and synoptic items, both years
Pre-prepared descriptions written before reading the actual question
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Both papers, both years
Topics Students Struggle With Most
Designing experiments to test specific concepts (e.g. context-dependent memory)
Many students failed to investigate the specific concept named in the question, defaulting to War of the Ghosts or distractor tasks instead of true interference or context tasks.
Paper 1
Significant figures and rounding
Across both 2022 and 2023, this was flagged as 'an area of particular weakness' with many candidates not understanding what 'two significant figures' requires.
Paper 1
Synoptic evaluation of research methods (vs experimental design)
On Q11 in 2022 and Q18 in 2023, students consistently evaluated experimental design (independent groups) when asked to evaluate the research method, losing all the AO3 marks.
Paper 1
Authoritarian personality (Adorno) vs Milgram's agency theory
On the Adorno question, common errors were 'answers about agency theory rather than authoritarian personality' and 'just describing and evaluating the F-scale', suggesting weak topic differentiation.
Paper 2
Verbal vs non-verbal communication classification
Students incorrectly stated the difference is 'speech' rather than 'words' and frequently misclassified sign language as non-verbal when it is a verbal form.
Paper 2
Central Nervous System functions
A third of answers received zero on Q14 in 2023; common errors included addressing only the brain/spinal cord separately or describing the peripheral nervous system instead of the CNS as a whole.
Paper 2
James-Lange theory of emotion
Most students wrote about the fight-or-flight response without putting it into the context of the James-Lange theory; description was the weak side, evaluation often stronger.
Paper 2
Nature vs nurture in brain development
On Q15 in 2022, large numbers confused nature and nurture, did not refer to the named doctors in the stem, and assumed nurture only begins after birth.
Paper 1
AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) — Full Archive 2019–2026
This page contains all 32 AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) past papers available for free download — 6 exam sessions from 2019 to 2026. Each session includes question papers (QP), mark schemes (MS), and where available, insert materials (INS). No registration or payment required.
AQA GCSE Psychology is graded 9–1, where 9 is the highest grade. Grade 4 is a standard pass and grade 5 is a strong pass. AQA is the UK's largest exam board by entries, so Psychology papers are widely used in schools across England and Wales.
Some AQA GCSE subjects are tiered. Foundation tier (papers ending in F) targets grades 5–1 and covers core content. Higher tier (papers ending in H) targets grades 9–4 and includes more demanding material. Always practise with papers from the tier you are entered for — the question styles, mark allocation, and time limits differ between tiers.
AQA mark schemes use a clear notation: M marks are for method (your working), A marks are for accuracy (correct answer), and B marks are awarded independently. Understanding this system helps you maximise marks even when you don't reach the final answer — showing clear working can earn method marks. After attempting each Psychology past paper under timed conditions, mark it against the official scheme and categorise every dropped mark as a knowledge gap, method error, or misread question. Target your remaining revision at the category where you lose the most marks.
Psychology 8182 at other levels
Questions, answered.
PapersDaddy provides 32 free AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) past papers from 2019–2026. Download question papers and mark schemes as PDF — no registration needed.
We have 32 papers across 6 exam sessions for AQA GCSE Psychology (8182). This includes question papers and mark schemes for both Foundation and Higher tiers, plus 4 specimen papers.
Practise with the tier you are entered for. Foundation tier (8182 papers ending in F) targets grades 5-1. Higher tier (papers ending in H) targets grades 9-4. If you're unsure, ask your teacher which tier you are entered for. Practising with the wrong tier will not prepare you for the correct question style and difficulty.
AQA filenames follow the pattern AQA-[CODE]-[TYPE]-[SESSION]. For example, AQA-81821H-QP-JUN19 means: specification 8182, Paper 1, Higher tier, Question Paper, June 2019. QP = Question Paper, W-MS = Mark Scheme, INS = Insert, SQP = Specimen Question Paper.