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9990_m26_qp_22 2026 March Psychology 9990 Question Paper 2 Variant 2 · Cambridge CAIE AS & A Level

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9990_m26_qp_222026 March Psychology 9990 Question Paper 2 Variant 2

This is the official Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology (9990) Question Paper 2 (Variant 2) from the 2026 March examination session. This question paper was sat by Cambridge students worldwide in 2026 and is published by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). Use it for timed practice under exam conditions to build familiarity with the question format, mark allocation, and time pressure.

Also referenced as: 9990_m26_qp_22 · 9990/22/f/m/26 qp · 9990/22 Feb/March 2026 qp

Paper 2: Research Methods (AS) This is Paper 2: Research Methods (AS), worth 60 marks with a duration of 1h 30m. Research design, methodology, ethics. Q10 is a study design question — do NOT include ethics/sampling unless asked.

To self-assess your performance, use this question paper alongside the corresponding mark scheme (9990_m26_ms_22). Attempt the entire paper under timed conditions before opening the mark scheme — this trains both your subject knowledge and exam technique. Mark each question and record whether marks were lost due to knowledge gaps, method errors, or careless mistakes.

The most effective way to use this Psychology question paper is to simulate real exam conditions: set a timer for the full duration, work without notes, and write your answers on separate paper. After finishing, mark yourself using the official mark scheme — do not check answers during the paper. This builds exam stamina and reveals your genuine readiness. Repeat this process across 3–5 sessions to identify recurring weak topics in Psychology (9990).

Same paper, other years

Psychology (9990) Question Paper 2 (Variant 2) from other exam sessions — practise the same paper across the years, then check each one against its mark scheme.

Examiner Insights — Paper 2: Research Methods (AS)

Based on analysis of 3 official Cambridge documents (2023, 2025)

3

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.Paper 1, March 2025

How to fix: Animal studies use DIFFERENT ethical guidelines: replacement, reduction, refinement (the 3 Rs), species-appropriate housing, minimising suffering. Human guidelines (informed consent, right to withdraw, deception, debriefing) do NOT apply to animals.

4

Tautological definitions — defining a term using the same word

There were some responses that were tautological (e.g., empathy is about being empathic) which could not be given any credit.Paper 1, March 2025

How to fix: Never repeat the word from the question in your definition. 'Confidentiality is keeping information in confidence' = 0 marks. Instead: 'Confidentiality means ensuring participants' personal data and responses are not shared with anyone outside the research team.'

5

Confusing reliability with replicability

Many candidates appeared to confuse reliability with replication — referring to repeating a study and getting the same results rather than the consistency of any test or task or measure.Paper 2, May/June 2023

How to fix: Reliability = consistency of a measure (does it give the same result each time?). Replicability = can the study be repeated by someone else? Inter-rater reliability = agreement LEVEL between two observers (must be >0.80), NOT just having two observers.

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All Psychology (9990) Papers — 2026 March

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Psychology Exam Guide: How to Score Higher

Top mistakes, scoring patterns & answer frameworks from 3 official Cambridge documents