As the 2026 A-Level exams get closer, one question always comes up for Psychology students:
“What should I actually be revising?”
If you’re studying A-Level Psychology with AQA, the good news is that exam trends, specification structure, and examiner habits make some topics far more likely to appear than others. While no one can predict the exam with certainty, you can revise smarter by prioritising areas that consistently come up and practising them in realistic exam conditions.
Below are the topics most likely to feature in A-Level Psychology AQA exams in 2026, along with advice on how to revise them effectively.
Research Methods (Almost Guaranteed)
Research Methods is the one area students often underestimate — and the one that always appears in some form. It can be examined on Paper 1, Paper 2, and Paper 3, either directly or embedded within other topics.
Key areas to prioritise include experimental design, variables, sampling methods, reliability and validity, ethical issues, and data analysis. These questions are often high-scoring but only if your answers are precise and exam-focused.
Why this matters:
Students lose marks here not because the content is hard, but because they don’t practise applying it to unfamiliar scenarios.
Our A-Level Psychology AQA 2026 predicted papers include multiple Research Methods questions written in the exact style AQA use, with guided mark schemes that show how examiners award marks step by step.
Approaches in Psychology
Approaches form the backbone of the entire course and are frequently tested through comparison, application, or evaluation questions.
You should be confident with the Behaviourist, Cognitive, Biological, and Humanistic approaches, as well as how they differ in assumptions, methods, and explanations of behaviour. AQA often rewards students who can clearly compare approaches rather than describe them in isolation.
Why this matters:
Approaches link naturally to almost every other topic, making them a favourite for synoptic questions.
Social Influence
Social Influence remains one of the most popular and frequently assessed topics on the course. It lends itself well to both short-answer questions and extended essays, especially those requiring application to real-world scenarios.
Key areas to revise include conformity, obedience, minority influence, and social change, alongside classic studies such as Asch and Milgram.
Why this matters:
Social Influence questions often look straightforward, but top marks depend on precise evaluation and contextual application.
Our predicted papers include exam-style Social Influence questions with examiner-level mark schemes, helping you move beyond basic description into top-band answers.
Memory
Memory regularly appears on Paper 1 and is a topic students generally feel comfortable with — which makes it ideal for examiners to push into higher-mark evaluation questions.
You should focus on models of memory, explanations of forgetting, and strengths and limitations of key research.
Why this matters:
Many students revise Memory early on and don’t return to it, leading to weak evaluation under pressure.
Our Psychology 2026 revision bundle includes timed Memory questions so you can practise writing concise, high-quality answers that hit AO1, AO2, and AO3.
Biopsychology
Biopsychology is one of the most technical areas of the course and a common source of lost marks. AQA frequently test knowledge of the nervous system, brain localisation, and biological explanations of behaviour.
Questions are often short-answer or application-based, meaning accuracy is crucial.
Why this matters:
Strong Biopsychology answers stand out because many students avoid revising it properly.
Psychopathology and Options Topics (Paper 2 & 3)
For Papers 2 and 3, option topics such as Psychopathology, Schizophrenia, Addiction, Stress, or Forensic Psychology are highly likely to feature.
You should be prepared to describe characteristics, explain models, and evaluate treatments, often within unfamiliar contexts.
Why this matters:
AQA often reward students who can clearly link theory to practical issues, such as effectiveness or ethical considerations.
Each of our A-Level Psychology AQA 2026 predicted papers includes at least one options-based question, ensuring you practise the content that actually appears in the exam.
Why Predicted Papers Are So Effective for Psychology
Past papers are useful, but they mainly test recall. Predicted papers train exam technique.
They help you practise:
- Applying knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios
- Writing under timed conditions
- Hitting AO1, AO2, and AO3 consistently
- Understanding what examiners reward — and what they ignore
That’s why students who practise with predicted papers often feel calmer and more confident going into the real exam.
Our A-Level Psychology AQA 2026 predicted papers are written to match the structure, wording, and difficulty of real AQA exams and include fully guided mark schemes to help you improve quickly and efficiently.
Final Thoughts
If you’re revising for A-Level Psychology AQA in 2026, the key isn’t revising everything equally. It’s prioritising high-probability topics and practising them in realistic exam conditions.
If you want to revise smarter — not longer — predicted papers are one of the most effective tools you can use.