Mini practice paper: 8 questions
Mixed-difficulty questions from across the Psychology syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.
Q1 · Difficulty 1/3
According to Piaget, which stage of cognitive development occurs roughly between the ages of 7 and 11?
- Sensorimotor stage
- Formal operational stage
- Concrete operational stage
- Preoperational stage
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Concrete operational stage
The concrete operational stage (approximately 7–11 years) is when children develop logical thinking about concrete objects and conservation. The sensorimotor stage covers 0–2 years. The preoperational stage covers 2–7 years. The formal operational stage begins around age 12.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3
Which researcher is most associated with the concept of the 'zone of proximal development' (ZPD)?
- Lev Vygotsky
- Jean Piaget
- Sigmund Freud
- Lawrence Kohlberg
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Lev Vygotsky
Lev Vygotsky proposed the zone of proximal development — the gap between what a child can do alone and what they can achieve with support. Piaget focused on stages of cognitive development. Kohlberg studied moral development. Freud developed psychosexual theory.
Q3 · Difficulty 2/3
Good communication uses both verbal and ____ signals together.
- written only
- printed only
- silent only
- non-verbal
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — non-verbal
Effective communication combines both.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3
Behaviour that breaks the law is called:
- criminal behaviour
- perception
- memory
- obedience
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — criminal behaviour
Criminal behaviour breaks the law.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3
In Kohlberg's theory, at which level of moral development does a person follow rules to avoid punishment?
- Conventional morality
- Pre-conventional morality
- Autonomous morality
- Post-conventional morality
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Pre-conventional morality
Pre-conventional morality is the earliest level, where moral decisions are driven by avoiding punishment or gaining rewards. Conventional morality involves conforming to social rules and laws. Post-conventional morality involves abstract ethical principles. Autonomous morality is a term from Piaget's moral development theory, not Kohlberg's levels.
Q6 · Difficulty 3/3
Forgetting where one memory blocks another is called:
- rehearsal
- chunking
- encoding
- interference
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — interference
Interference causes forgetting.
Q7 · Difficulty 3/3
Having an ally who agrees with you makes conforming ____ likely.
- more
- always
- never possible
- less
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — less
An ally reduces conformity.
Q8 · Difficulty 2/3
Communication that uses words, spoken or written, is ____ communication.
- verbal
- non-verbal
- silent
- visual only
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — verbal
Verbal communication uses words.
AQA GCSE Psychology FAQ
What does the AQA GCSE Psychology exam look like?
The AQA GCSE Psychology exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 1-4 of the specification. Paper 2: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 5-8 of the specification. Paper 3: Where applicable — e.g. Combined Science, Languages. Includes synoptic and applied questions. Total exam time: ~3 hours across two or three papers.
Can I download a free AQA GCSE Psychology past paper?
Real AQA past papers are published directly by AQA on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is AQA GCSE Psychology graded?
Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.