WPS03 exam technique: short answers, calculations and 8-mark questions

The paper

• 1 hour 30 minutes, 64 marks; 40% of the A2 (IA2) and 20% of the full International A level. Calculators allowed; formulae and statistical tables provided.
• Section A: Developmental psychology (compulsory), 32 marks: short-answer questions plus two 8-mark extended questions: one on developmental psychology and one synoptic question on issues and debates.
• Section B: answer all the questions on one option, criminological or health psychology, 32 marks, including two 8-mark questions.
• Assessment objectives: AO1 (knowledge), AO2 (application) and AO3 (analysis, evaluation, judgement) are all assessed.

What examiners reward (January 2025 report)

• Context: in scenario questions, every point must link to the scenario. Accurate but generic answers can score zero.
• Command words: 'compare' needs both sides; 'explain' needs justification, not just naming; 'assess' and 'evaluate' need judgement, not description.
• Breadth: when asked to evaluate research on a topic, use more than the one named study (for example, not only Penrod and Cutler for jury research).
• Apply theory: link social learning theory to the media and the scenario, not just describe the theory.
• Improvements: say what you would change and what it would achieve (for example, a sample from day care centres in different towns would be more representative).
• Statistics: show every step of a calculation; candidates who forgot to subtract from 1 in Spearman's still gained most marks for workings. Know why a test fits the design and data.

Planning an 8-mark answer

1. Read the command word and the context. 'Assess' and 'evaluate' need a conclusion.

2. Plan about four developed points, each with knowledge (AO1), linked to the context (AO2 where asked), and evaluated (AO3) with evidence.

3. Balance strengths and weaknesses, using study details (numbers help credibility).

4. For synoptic issues and debates questions, draw on content, studies and methods across topics (for example, nature-nurture using Bowlby, Chomsky and cross-cultural research).

5. End with a judgement that follows from your points.

Worked example

Plan an answer to 'Assess the use of the Strange Situation to measure attachment' (8 marks).

1. Point 1: standardised, eight episodes, high inter-rater reliability (strength).
2. Point 2: low ecological validity in a laboratory; may measure attachment to one caregiver only (weakness).
3. Point 3: culture bias as an imposed etic; Japanese infants rarely separated (Takahashi) (weakness); yet van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg found secure most common everywhere (strength).
4. Point 4: ethics: mild distress, safeguards and UNCRC (balanced).
5. Judgement: reliable and useful, but conclusions across cultures need caution.

Answer: Four balanced, evidenced points and a judgement.

Check yourself

1. How many marks is the WPS03 paper worth in total?
   Show answer

   64. 64 marks.

2. How long is the WPS03 exam, in minutes?
   Show answer

   90 minutes. 1 hour 30 minutes = 90 minutes.

3. What must students answer in Section B?
   • Questions from the criminological and the health options
   • Any three questions
   • Only the 8-mark questions
   • All the questions on one option: criminological or health psychology
   Show answer

   All the questions on one option: criminological or health psychology. Choose one option and answer all of it.

4. The synoptic 8-mark question in Section A is about
   • issues and debates, drawing on any topic
   • only the classic study
   • a calculation
   • the practical investigation
   Show answer

   issues and debates, drawing on any topic. It assesses issues and debates.

5. According to the examiners, what happens to accurate but generic answers to scenario questions?
   • They always gain full marks
   • They gain half marks automatically
   • They can score zero if not linked to the scenario
   • They gain extra marks for detail
   Show answer

   They can score zero if not linked to the scenario. Context is required.

6. With 64 marks in 90 minutes, about how many minutes per mark is that? Give your answer to 2 decimal places.
   Show answer

   1.41. 90 / 64 = 1.41 minutes per mark.

7. What should the end of an 'assess' or 'evaluate' 8-mark answer contain, and why?
   Show answer

   A clear judgement or conclusion that weighs up the strengths and weaknesses discussed, because these command words require a decision, not just description.. What and why.

Practise with instant feedback Print this lesson

Sources

• Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level in Psychology specification, Issue 6 (November 2024, first assessment January 2026)
• Pearson WPS03/01 examiners' report, January 2025
• Pearson WPS03/01 question paper, January 2022 (formulae and critical values tables)

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