HIGHER PSYCHOLOGY
Further information on Higher Specimen
Question Paper and Higher Assignment
Higher Psychology
Key messages
SQA is currently developing Course and Unit assessments. This document outlines our
progress in Course Assessment for the Higher Course in Psychology.
The revised Higher Psychology Course will maintain the standard of the current
qualification at Higher and will continue to be benchmarked against SCQF level 6 as well
as ensuring that the level of demand for candidates is consistent with other Higher
qualifications.
The Higher Psychology Course combines popular and relevant psychological approaches
and topics from the current Course as well as introducing updated content in order to
ensure the continuing relevance of the subject. The Higher Psychology Course has been
revised to build upon the skills, knowledge and understanding developed at National 5 and
will provide clear progression from National 5. The course will provide opportunities to
develop breadth and application of knowledge, understanding and skills. Personalisation
and choice will be provided through a choice of topics for study.
Course assessment will consist of two components: a question paper and an assignment.
Both will be externally assessed. The question paper is worth 60 marks and the
coursework assignment is worth 40 marks.
Both components will assess skills, knowledge and understanding, although the question
paper will have a greater emphasis on knowledge and understanding while the assignment
will have a greater emphasis on the application of skills.
The question paper will assess the skills and sample knowledge and understanding from
the Course Specification and the Course Assessment Specification. It will draw upon styles
of questions similar to the existing Higher Psychology question paper.
The assignment will require the application of research skills when undertaking a Research
Investigation. Candidates will be able to choose from briefs provided by SQA which allows
for personalisation and choice. The Research Investigation will draw upon the style
currently used in the existing Higher.
Course assessment will be out of 100 marks.
CONFIDENTIAL
November 2013
HIGHER PSYCHOLOGY
Higher specimen question paper
(publication by 28 February 2014)
Progression from National 5 to Higher Psychology:
National 5
Higher
Total marks
50
60
Time
One hour 30 minutes
One hour 30 minutes
Sections
1 section
1 section
Number of
questions
3 mandatory questions
3 mandatory questions
The question paper will give learners an opportunity to demonstrate the following skills,
knowledge and understanding:
 analysing and evaluating psychological concepts, theories, approaches and evidence
 applying knowledge and understanding of psychology to analyse and explain human
behaviour
 understanding the research process in psychology, including the ability to evaluate
methods and explain ethical and scientific standards
 using research evidence to explain human behaviour
The question paper will be set and marked by SQA, and conducted in centres under
conditions specified for external examinations by SQA.
Higher Assignment
(publication by 31 March 2014)
The purpose of the assignment is to assess the candidate’s ability to apply skills,
knowledge and understanding to respond to a given psychological research brief. A choice
of briefs will be provided by SQA.
The assignment will assess the application of psychological knowledge, understanding and
research skills. The context of the assignment will be based on a psychological topic.
It will assess the learners’ ability to:
 use research skills to select, organise, interpret, analyse and evaluate information in
psychology
 interpret and evaluate descriptive statistics in psychological research
 use communication skills to present information, including a report on psychological
research
The Assignment is worth 40 marks (40% of the total mark).
Evidence submitted to SQA will be in the form of a psychological research investigation
report. Evidence will be externally marked by SQA.
CONFIDENTIAL
November 2013
HIGHER PSYCHOLOGY
Further information on Higher
Specimen Question Paper: Psychology
(draft)
Draft Question - Individual Behaviour
Choose a topic.
a) Describe the topic
(2 marks)
b) Explain the topic using two psychological approaches and/or theories (12 marks)
c) Evaluate one of these approaches or theories with reference to the topic (6 marks)
Total: 20 marks
General Marking Principles for Higher Psychology
This information is provided to give an understanding of the general principles that will be
applied when marking candidate evidence. These principles must be read in conjunction with
the specific Marking Instructions for each item in the grid below.
(a) Marks for each candidate response must always be assigned in line with these General
Marking Principles and the specific Marking Instructions for the relevant item.
(b) Marking should always be positive, ie marks should be awarded for what is correct and
not deducted for errors or omissions.
(c) The term ‘or any other relevant answer’ is used to allow for the possible variation in
candidate responses. Credit should be given according to the accuracy and relevance of
candidate’s answers.
(d) Items that ask the candidate to ‘describe’ require the candidate to provide a statement or
structure of characteristics and/or features.
(e) Items that ask the candidate to ‘explain’ require the candidate to relate cause and effect
and/or make relationships between things clear.
(f) Items that ask the candidate to ‘evaluate’ require the candidate to make a judgement
based on criteria or determine the value of something, based on eg strengths and/or
weaknesses; advantages and/or disadvantages.
(g) Items that ask the candidate to ‘analyse’ require the candidate to identify relevant
components of something, the relationship between them, and their relationships with
the whole, and where appropriate to draw out and relate implications. These could
include: showing relationships/interaction; showing contradiction/inconsistencies;
showing different views/ interpretations; comparing and contrasting the components.
CONFIDENTIAL
November 2013
HIGHER PSYCHOLOGY
Further information on Higher
Assignment: Psychology (draft)
The Higher Psychology assignment requires candidates to respond to a brief. SQA
will provide a range of briefs. The briefs will be sufficiently flexible to allow for
personalisation and choice.
In the assignment, candidates will be required to complete a psychological Research
Investigation and write a report of 1,500 - 2,000 words. The assignment will assess
the application of psychological knowledge and understanding and research skills.
Ethical standards must be upheld when carrying out psychological research.
The report must include the following and be written in standard psychological format:
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Title
Contents
Introduction
Method
Results
Discussion
References
Appendices
The format of the report is similar to that used in the current Psychology Higher.
The assignment will be carried out over a period of time. Candidates should start at
an appropriate point in the Course. Candidates should normally have completed the
Psychology: Research Unit of the Course.
CONFIDENTIAL
November 2013