Cambridge A Level Psychology 9990 Past Papers 2026
Download free Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology 9990 past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports & grade thresholds. 27 exam sessions from 2018–2026.
2026 March
Latest Session
27
Sessions
2018–2026
224
Question Papers
224
Mark Schemes
100% coverage
22
Examiner Reports
81% of sessions
24
Grade Thresholds
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 | Approaches, Issues and Debates (AS) | 60 | 1h 30m | 0.67 | Steady |
| Paper 2 | Research Methods (AS) | 60 | 1h 30m | 0.67 | Steady |
| Paper 3 | Specialist Options: Approaches, Issues and Debates (A2) | 60 | 1h 30m | 0.67 | Steady |
| Paper 4 | Specialist Options: Application and Research Methods (A2) | 60 | 1h 30m | 0.67 | Steady |
Component structure extracted from 3 official Cambridge documents (2023–2025). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
Topical Past Papers
Questions organized by syllabus topic — perfect for targeted revision. 1 topics available.
How is Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology 9990 examined?
Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology is examined through 4 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1
60 marksApproaches, Issues and Debates (AS)
Duration: 1h 30m
Paper 2
60 marksResearch Methods (AS)
Duration: 1h 30m
Paper 3
60 marksSpecialist Options: Approaches, Issues and Debates (A2)
Duration: 1h 30m
Paper 4
60 marksSpecialist Options: Application and Research Methods (A2)
Duration: 1h 30m
What Cambridge examiners say about Psychology
Verbatim quotes from 3 official Cambridge examiner reports (2023–2025). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things Cambridge markers flag year after year.
Confusing results with conclusions
A result is based on factual data collected in the study whereas a conclusion is the general 'meaning' of the data.
Using the GRAVE approach in AO3 evaluation essays
Some responses are still following a GRAVE approach (Generalisability, Reliability, Application, Validity, Ethics) when the 'A' part is not creditworthy for an AO3 question.
Applying human ethical guidelines to animal studies
Some responses used human guidelines and as a result could not be awarded any credit. Common errors were informed consent and the right to withdraw. The elephant walking away is not an example of the right to withdraw.
Most Common Mistakes — Psychology (9990)
Based on analysis of 3 official Cambridge examiner reports (2023, 2025). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Confusing results with conclusions
Paper 1, Paper 4 · Every session, Papers 1 and 4
Using the GRAVE approach in AO3 evaluation essays
Paper 1 · Every session, Paper 1
Applying human ethical guidelines to animal studies
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Every session, Papers 1 and 2
Tautological definitions — defining a term using the same word
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Every session, Papers 1 and 2
Confusing reliability with replicability
Paper 2 · Every session, Paper 2
Topics Students Struggle With Most
Laney et al. — specific questionnaire results
'The majority of candidates could not provide results based on the two questionnaires.' Believers vs Non-believers comparison frequently confused with Love Group vs Control Group.
Paper 1
Assumptions of approaches — confused between approaches
'There were multiple examples of candidates providing assumptions from a different approach, mainly biological.' Candidates mix up cognitive, social, learning, and biological approach assumptions.
Paper 1
Correlations — fundamental misunderstanding
Candidates use IV/DV language for correlations, claim correlations prove causation, and try to correlate categorical data. 'Many responses suggested candidates did not understand that it is only possible to correlate data that is on a scale.'
Paper 2
Overt vs covert observations
'Many candidates appeared not to understand the meaning of overt or to have confused this with covert.' Descriptions of overt observations often describe covert ones.
Paper 2
Inter-rater reliability
'Having two observers does not mean you have inter-rater reliability. This will only occur if the results are the same/very similar (above 0.80 correlation).' Simply having two observers is not enough.
Paper 2
Evaluative learning and targeted helping definitions
'The majority of candidates could not provide a correct outline of evaluative learning.' Targeted helping was defined tautologically as 'helping in a targeted way'.
Paper 1
Unstructured observation — unknown concept
'Most did not know what the term unstructured observation meant, despite this being an essential feature on the AS syllabus.'
Paper 4
Concordance rates in twin studies
'There was some lack of understanding of concordance with responses stating schizophrenia was more common in MZ than DZ twins — which was not creditworthy.' Must state the concordance rate, not just which group has 'more'.
Paper 3
Psychology (9990) — Cambridge AS & A Level Full Archive 2018–2026
This page contains all 494 available papers for Cambridge A Level Psychology (9990) — 27 exam sessions from 2018 to 2026. Each session includes question papers, mark schemes, and where available, examiner reports and grade threshold documents. All files are free to download as PDF — no account required.
Cambridge A Level Psychology (9990) is examined through multiple paper components. Question papers are available in two or three variants per session (v1, v2, v3) — each variant is sat in a different time zone but covers the same syllabus content and is equivalent in difficulty. The paper number in the filename indicates which component: for example, 9990_qp_12 is Paper 1, Variant 2.
Mark schemes for 9990 show the exact marking points accepted by Cambridge examiners. Many questions have multiple acceptable phrasings — look for 'accept', 'allow', and 'credit' in the mark scheme to understand the full range of valid responses. Examiner reports (where available) reveal the most common errors made by the cohort and what top-band answers looked like, making them essential reading before the actual exam.
The most effective way to use this archive is to attempt past papers under timed exam conditions, then analyse your mark scheme results by component. Track which paper components and question types you score lowest on — this tells you exactly where to focus revision. Grade threshold documents show the minimum mark needed for each grade in that specific session, which helps calibrate how your practice scores translate to actual grades.
Questions, answered.
You can download all Cambridge Psychology 9990 past papers right here on PapersDaddy. We have 27 exam sessions from 2018–2026 — including question papers, mark schemes, examiner reports, and grade thresholds for 9990. Click any session below to view and download PDFs.
Yes! Every Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology (9990) exam session includes the corresponding mark scheme alongside the question paper. Mark schemes show exactly how marks are allocated, helping you understand what examiners look for in top-scoring answers.
Start with recent 9990 papers (2025–2023) to understand current trends. Practice under timed conditions, then mark yourself using the mark scheme. Read examiner reports to learn common mistakes. For targeted revision, use Psychology 9990 topical past papers to focus on specific topics.
We have Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology (9990) papers from May/June, October/November, and March sessions (where applicable), covering 2018–2026. That's 27 exam sessions in total.