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Cambridge (CIE) · A Level

Psychology 9990

Explore behaviour and mental processes through research methods and studies. Evaluate evidence and apply psychological explanations to the topics in your route.

84 lessons and reviews0 practice setsSyllabus 2028–2030
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At a glance

What you'll cover

  • AS core studies
  • AS research methods
  • AS methodological concepts
  • A Level research methodology
  • A Level specialist options · Clinical Psychology
  • A Level specialist options · Consumer Psychology
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Published syllabus exam years: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030. Confirm exam-series and centre availability with your school and Cambridge.

Syllabus 2028–2030

Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology 9990 syllabus map

2028–2030 syllabus · Version 1

92 of 92 sections have teaching and practice

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Study options and assessment

Seven original lessons map all 15 AS research-method and methodological-concept sections to explained Guided, Independent and Transfer practice. All 12 compulsory AS core studies have original study-specific teaching and staged practice; five additional A Level methodology lessons cover research design and validity. All 15 Clinical, all 15 Consumer (2.1.1–2.5.3) and all 15 Health (3.1.1–3.5.3) Psychology sections link to original teaching and staged practice. All 15 Organisational Psychology sections 4.1–4.5 now have original teaching and explained staged practice; the six new 4.4–4.5 lessons bring the planning map to 92 of 92 indexed sections. Consumer lessons cover physical and psychological environments; decision models, heuristics and mistakes; packaging, selling and buying; advertising, self-monitoring, product placement, brand recognition and slogans. Evaluation boundaries are explicit: studies use particular products, samples, tasks and settings; gaze, recall, self-report, EEG indices, ratings, choices and purchases are different outcomes. Health evidence is bounded: Laba et al. measured hypothetical preferences; Riekert and Drotar raise a non-response concern; Chung and Naya's cap tracked openings, not swallowing; Chaney et al. was a short caregiver-reported pilot; Yokley and Glenwick examined immunisation attendance in one public-health setting. MacLachlan et al. report one patient, not a controlled treatment effect; Brudvik et al. compared separate child, parent and physician ratings in one emergency department. Chandola et al. found a cohort association; Wang et al. measured responses during a monitored arithmetic task; Evans and Wener observed commuters; Bridge et al. found mixed self-rated outcomes in radiotherapy. Janis and Feshbach measured short-term self-reports in one school; Lewin et al. tested a rehabilitation package, not information alone. Tapper et al. and Fox et al. studied bounded school and worksite programmes; incentive effects do not establish transfer or rule out reporting effects. Weinstein measured comparative expectations, while Seligman’s framework is conceptual and Shoshani and Steinmetz used a school-level comparison. These findings do not establish universal health effects or diagnose individuals. Need-theory examples use a child measurement study, not a workplace test; SMART is a practical checklist, not a motivational theory. Landry et al. compared reward framing with student volunteers in a lab; this does not establish universal effects in workplaces. Cuadrado et al. (2008) measured undergraduate evaluations of presented leaders, not workplace performance or hiring; this does not establish a universal gender effect. The historical 1995 Munchausen criteria are not a current diagnostic checklist. Cambridge’s 2028–2030 Reference List treats Oruč et al. (1997) as an example of genetic explanation although its participants had bipolar I; gambling disorder is listed in Cambridge’s Clinical topic but classified under addictive behaviours in ICD-11. Candidates choose two options, but all four remain listed so schools can select a route. The 92-section count is a planning index, not a Cambridge score. Remaining work is deeper coverage review, separate-year syllabus reconciliation, timed-paper practice and human subject-expert review. The separate 2027 and 2024–2026 syllabuses are not reconciled into this route. Practice is not official grading, a timed-paper simulation or human subject-expert review.

Cambridge publishes distinct 2027 and 2028–2030 syllabuses. The separate 2027 syllabus is not mapped here; this route covers 2028–2030 Version 1 only. Confirm your exam year and centre entry with Cambridge and your school.

Choose your paper route

  • AS Level onlyPapers 1 + 2

    Paper 1 Approaches, Issues and Debates and Paper 2 Research Methods; each is 1 h 30 min and 60 marks, worth 50% of AS. Both are externally assessed.

  • Staged A LevelAS papers, then Papers 3 + 4

    Candidates take Papers 1 and 2 at AS, then complete the A Level with Papers 3 and 4, subject to Cambridge carry-forward rules and time limits. Choose two specialist options.

  • A Level in one seriesPapers 1 + 2 + 3 + 4

    All four externally assessed papers are taken in one exam series. Candidates study two of Clinical, Consumer, Health or Organisational Psychology.

The AS content is required foundation for both A Level specialist papers. All 12 core studies, 15 AS methods sections and five additional A Level methodology sections have teaching. All 15 sections in each specialist option link to teaching; deeper coverage review, timed-paper practice and human subject-expert review remain pending.

View syllabus coverage

AS Psychology uses Papers 1 and 2. A Level includes the AS content, two of four specialist options and Papers 3 and 4. All 15 AS methods sections, 12 compulsory core studies and five additional A Level methodology sections link to original teaching. All 15 sections in each of Clinical, Consumer, Health and Organisational Psychology link to teaching; all 92 indexed sections are now linked. The 92-section count is a planning index, not a Cambridge score. Health evidence is bounded: clothing impressions are not competence; satisfaction is not diagnostic accuracy; adherence measures do not prove ingestion; pain measures capture different perspectives; and stress measures are not diagnoses. Janis and Feshbach measured short-term self-reports in one school; Lewin et al. tested a rehabilitation package, not information alone. Tapper et al. and Fox et al. studied specific school and worksite programmes; Weinstein measured comparative expectations; Seligman’s framework is conceptual; Shoshani and Steinmetz used a school-level comparison. The evidence does not show universal effects or provide clinical guidance. The historical Munchausen criteria are not a current diagnostic checklist. Consumer results are bounded by products, samples, settings and measures; gaze, recall, intentions, choices and purchases are distinct. Neither MOCI nor Y-BOCS scores are diagnoses; OCD theories are not proven universal causes. The Lehmkuhl study is a single child case and Lovell a trial in adults. The Little Albert study is historical and unethical to repeat; Chapman and DeLapp is a single adult case. Gambling disorder appears in Cambridge’s Clinical topic but ICD-11 classifies it under addictive behaviours. Motivation lessons distinguish need theories, SMART planning and VIE; Landry et al. is a lab study with student volunteers, not a universal workplace finding. Cuadrado et al. (2008) measured undergraduate evaluations, not workplace performance. The separate 2027 syllabus, timed Paper 4 planning and human subject-expert review are not covered. Practice is not official grading or Cambridge material.

AS core studies

AS research methods

AS methodological concepts

A Level research methodology

A Level specialist options · Clinical Psychology

A Level specialist options · Consumer Psychology

A Level specialist options · Health Psychology

A Level specialist options · Organisational Psychology

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  1. 01

    Plan experiments, hypotheses and controls

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  2. 02

    Choose self-reports, case studies and observations

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  3. 03

    Interpret correlations and longitudinal studies

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  4. 04

    Select samples and types of data

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  5. 05

    Apply ethics to human and animal research

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  6. 06

    Evaluate validity, reliability and replicability

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  7. 07

    Present and interpret psychological data

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  8. 08

    Dement and Kleitman · sleep and dreams

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  9. 09

    Hassett et al. · monkey toy preferences

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  10. 10

    Hölzel et al. · mindfulness and brain scans

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  11. 11

    Andrade · doodling

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  12. 12

    Baron-Cohen et al. · eyes test

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  13. 13

    Pozzulo et al. · line-ups

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  14. 14

    Bandura et al. · aggression

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  15. 15

    Fagen et al. · elephant learning

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  16. 16

    Saavedra and Silverman · button phobia

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  17. 17

    Milgram · obedience

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  18. 18

    Perry et al. · personal space

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  19. 19

    Piliavin et al. · subway Samaritans

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  20. 20

    Evaluate randomised control trials

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  21. 21

    Use postal questionnaires and rating scales

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  22. 22

    Evaluate psychometric tests

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  23. 23

    Write and apply research hypotheses

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  24. 24

    Evaluate validity and temporal validity

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  25. 25

    Recognise schizophrenia symptoms and evaluate virtual-reality evidence

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  26. 26

    Compare genetic, dopamine and cognitive explanations of schizophrenia

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  27. 27

    Compare schizophrenia treatments and evaluate Sensky et al. (2000)

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  28. 28

    Distinguish unipolar and bipolar mood disorders and evaluate the BDI

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  29. 29

    Explain unipolar depression and evaluate Oruč et al. (1997)

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  30. 30

    Compare antidepressants, cognitive restructuring and REBT

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  31. 31

    Distinguish kleptomania, pyromania and gambling disorder using ICD-11

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  32. 32

    Compare dopamine, positive reinforcement and Miller’s feeling-state theory

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  33. 33

    Evaluate impulse-control treatments and Grant et al. (2008)

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  34. 34

    Distinguish GAD, agoraphobia and blood-injection-injury phobia

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  35. 35

    Explain fear-related disorders: genetic, learning and psychodynamic accounts

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  36. 36

    Evaluate treatment for fear-related disorders and Chapman and DeLapp

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  37. 37

    Distinguish OCD features and evaluate its assessment measures

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  38. 38

    Compare biological and psychological explanations of OCD

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  39. 39

    Evaluate OCD treatments and the Lehmkuhl and Lovell studies

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  40. 40

    Design retail stores and compare physical and virtual layouts

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  41. 41

    Explain how restaurant music and background noise affect consumers

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  42. 42

    Apply the PAD model to scent and crowding in retail environments

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  43. 43

    Find routes and classify shopper movement

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  44. 44

    Design and test restaurant menus

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  45. 45

    Explain personal space at tables and in queues

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  46. 46

    Compare consumer decision models and strategies

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  47. 47

    Use and evaluate consumer choice heuristics

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  48. 48

    Explain choice blindness and mistakes in consumer decisions

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  49. 49

    Explain packaging, gift wrapping and shelf position

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  50. 50

    Compare sales techniques and buyer–seller influence

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  51. 51

    Map store choice and post-choice dissonance

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  52. 52

    Explain advertising models, media and techniques

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  53. 53

    Explain self-monitoring and product placement

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  54. 54

    Explain brand awareness, recognition and slogans

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  55. 55

    Explain practitioner communication and patient understanding

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  56. 56

    Evaluate diagnosis disclosure and consultation style

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  57. 57

    Explain delays in seeking care and misuse of health services

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  58. 58

    Explain why patients may not follow medical advice

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  59. 59

    Compare ways to measure non-adherence

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  60. 60

    Evaluate ways to improve adherence

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  61. 61

    Explain types and theories of pain

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  62. 62

    Compare methods of measuring pain

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  63. 63

    Evaluate approaches to managing pain

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  64. 64

    Explain sources of stress and effects on health

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  65. 65

    Compare methods of measuring stress

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  66. 66

    Evaluate ways to prevent and manage stress

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  67. 67

    Improve health through communication and information

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  68. 68

    Promote health in schools and worksites

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  69. 69

    Explain health beliefs and positive psychology

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  70. 70

    Compare need theories of work motivation

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  71. 71

    Apply goal-setting and expectancy theories

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  72. 72

    Evaluate rewards and self-determination at work

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  73. 73

    Compare traditional and modern leadership theories

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  74. 74

    Apply leadership-style models and evaluate gender evidence

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  75. 75

    Develop leadership practices and effective followership

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  76. 76

    Explain group development and prevent faulty decisions

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  77. 77

    Explain social facilitation, social loafing and monitoring

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  78. 78

    Analyse conflict and bullying at work

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  79. 79

    Evaluate physical work conditions and productivity

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  80. 80

    Evaluate shift work and working-time arrangements

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  81. 81

    Prevent and monitor accidents at work

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  82. 82

    Compare theories of job satisfaction and job design

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  83. 83

    Measure job satisfaction with the JDI and QWL

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  84. 84

    Explain sabotage and absenteeism at work

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