PMT
SPECIMEN MATERIAL
AS
PSYCHOLOGY
7181/1
Paper 1
Mark scheme
Specimen Material
Final Version
Specimen 1 MS Paper 1 AQA Psychology AS level
, PMT
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the
relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments
made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was
used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers
the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same
correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts:
alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after
the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they
are required to refer these to the Lead Assessment Writer.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed
and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future
mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles
of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular
examination paper.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Specimen 1 MS Paper 1 AQA Psychology AS level
, PMT
MARK SCHEME – AS PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 1 – 7181/1 –
SERIES
Copyright © 2014 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this
booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any
material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre.
Level of response marking instructions
Level of response mark schemes are broken down into two, three or four levels, each of which
has a descriptor. The descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There
are two, three or four marks in each level.
Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate
it (as instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark
scheme.
Step 1 Determine a level
Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer
meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that
might be seen in the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next
one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level
descriptor and the answer. With practice and familiarity you will find that for better answers you
will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark scheme.
When assigning a level you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick
holes in small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well
as the rest. If the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you
should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to
help decide the mark within the level, ie if the response is predominantly level 3 with a small
amount of level 4 material it would be placed in level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the
level because of the level 4 content.
Step 2 Determine a mark
Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to
allocate marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help.
There will be an answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of
the mark scheme. This answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can
compare the student’s answer with the example to determine if it is the same standard, better or
worse than the example. You can then use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the
Lead Examiner’s mark on the example.
You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify
points and assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate.
3 of 16
SPECIMEN MATERIAL
AS
PSYCHOLOGY
7181/1
Paper 1
Mark scheme
Specimen Material
Final Version
Specimen 1 MS Paper 1 AQA Psychology AS level
, PMT
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the
relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments
made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was
used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers
the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same
correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts:
alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after
the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they
are required to refer these to the Lead Assessment Writer.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed
and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future
mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles
of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular
examination paper.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Specimen 1 MS Paper 1 AQA Psychology AS level
, PMT
MARK SCHEME – AS PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 1 – 7181/1 –
SERIES
Copyright © 2014 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this
booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any
material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre.
Level of response marking instructions
Level of response mark schemes are broken down into two, three or four levels, each of which
has a descriptor. The descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There
are two, three or four marks in each level.
Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate
it (as instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark
scheme.
Step 1 Determine a level
Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer
meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that
might be seen in the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next
one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level
descriptor and the answer. With practice and familiarity you will find that for better answers you
will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark scheme.
When assigning a level you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick
holes in small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well
as the rest. If the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you
should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to
help decide the mark within the level, ie if the response is predominantly level 3 with a small
amount of level 4 material it would be placed in level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the
level because of the level 4 content.
Step 2 Determine a mark
Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to
allocate marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help.
There will be an answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of
the mark scheme. This answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can
compare the student’s answer with the example to determine if it is the same standard, better or
worse than the example. You can then use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the
Lead Examiner’s mark on the example.
You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify
points and assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate.
3 of 16
