All subjects · Psychology · WPS02 Biological Psychology, Learning Theories and Development

WPS02 exam technique and evaluation

Edexcel IAL Psychology · WPS02 Biological Psychology, Learning Theories and Development

How the Unit 2 paper is structured, what the command words want, and how to evaluate using the criteria Pearson names (validity, reliability, credibility, generalisability, objectivity, subjectivity).

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The paper

WPS02: 2 hours, 96 marks, 60% of the International AS (30% of the full A level). A calculator is allowed; formulae and critical value tables are provided.

Section A (Biological psychology): 34 marks in total, made up of short-answer questions and one 8-mark extended open-response question.
Section B (Learning theories and development): 34 marks in total, same pattern.
Section C: 28 marks: one 12-mark extended question on either topic and one 16-mark question drawing on both.

At 120 minutes for 96 marks, allow about 1.25 minutes per mark.

Command words and assessment objectives

AO1: knowledge and understanding. AO2: applying knowledge to a scenario or data. AO3: analysing, evaluating and judging.
Describe: give an account. Explain: give reasons (justify). Discuss: explore the issue with application; no conclusion needed, and evaluative comments earn no credit. Evaluate / Assess / To what extent: weigh strengths and weaknesses and reach a judgement.
Questions use one command word only; extended answers are marked with levels (8, 12 or 16 marks in Unit 2).

Evaluation criteria

Make every point specific to the study or scenario.

Criterion	Question to ask
Validity	Does it measure what it claims? Is it true to real life (ecological validity)?
Reliability	Would the same results be found again? Is the procedure standardised?
Credibility	Can we trust it? Is it supported by other evidence?
Generalisability	Does the sample represent the target population?
Objectivity	Is it free from the researcher's views (e.g. scans, tallies)?
Subjectivity	Does it rely on interpretation (e.g. case studies, thematic analysis)?

What examiners say

From the June 2025 examiners' report:

AO3 is often weak: develop each point and keep answers balanced; 'evaluate' answers need a judgement.
AO2 needs the scenario's details, not just a name.
Study answers need specific detail of that study; strengths and weaknesses must link to it.
In practical scenarios, justify each strength, weakness or improvement; 'increase the sample' alone is not enough unless it makes the sample more varied.
Show calculation working; it can earn credit. Give answers to the decimal places asked.

Worked example

Turn this weak point into a strong one: 'Raine et al. lacks generalisability.'

Say why: the sample was 41 murderers who had all pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and only 2 were women.
Say the consequence: the brain differences may not apply to other violent offenders or to women.
Link back: so conclusions about brain structure and aggression in general should be cautious.

Answer: Specific evidence + consequence + link to the question.

Key idea: 96 marks in 2 hours: Sections A and B 34 each, Section C 28 (12 + 16). Discuss = no judgement; evaluate = judgement. Evaluate with validity, reliability, credibility, generalisability, objectivity and subjectivity, always tied to the study.

Check yourself

How many marks is the WPS02 paper worth?
Show answer
96 marks. 34 + 34 + 28 = 96.
The paper lasts 120 minutes for 96 marks. How many minutes per mark is that?
Show answer
1.25 minutes. 120 / 96 = 1.25 minutes per mark.
Using 1.25 minutes per mark, how long should you spend on the 16-mark question?
Show answer
20 minutes. 1.25 x 16 = 20 minutes.
What does a 'discuss' question NOT require?
- Knowledge of the topic
- Application to the context
- A final judgement or conclusion
- Accurate terminology
Show answer
A final judgement or conclusion. Discuss targets AO1 and AO2; judgements are for evaluate or assess.
An 'evaluate' question must include
- a judgement supported by weighed strengths and weaknesses
- only a description
- a diagram
- a calculation
Show answer
a judgement supported by weighed strengths and weaknesses. Evaluate needs a judgement.
Which answer best shows AO2 in a scenario about a door-holding observation?
- Saying 'covert observations are good'
- Defining an observation
- Saying that because the observers stood outside the library, the students could not see them, so behaviour was natural
- Naming Bandura
Show answer
Saying that because the observers stood outside the library, the students could not see them, so behaviour was natural. It applies the point to the scenario's details.
Explain why Freud's case studies are criticised as subjective.
Show answer
Freud interpreted what patients said in terms of his own theory, so the conclusions depend on his personal interpretation rather than objective measurement, and another researcher might interpret the same data differently.. Interpretation by the researcher.

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Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.