Higher Psychology

This explains the overall structure of the Course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.

• Higher Psychology Course Specification
  Apr 2014

This explains the structure of the Course assessment; including the type and method of assessment. It also includes information on Course coverage.

• Higher Psychology Course Assessment Specification
  April 2016

These provide an outline of what each Unit will cover within the Course and detail the Outcomes and Assessment Standards.

• Psychology: Individual Behaviour (Higher) Unit Specification
  Apr 2014
• Psychology: Research (Higher) Unit Specification
  Apr 2014
• Psychology: Social Behaviour (Higher) Unit Specification
  Apr 2014

These provide advice and guidance for teachers/lecturers on learning, teaching and assessment within the Course and its Units.

The following document contains the Course Support Notes and the Unit Support Notes for this Course. They can be printed together or separately.

• Higher Psychology Course and Unit Support Notes
  September 2015

These illustrate the standard, structure and requirements of the question papers learners will sit. These also include marking instructions.

• Higher Psychology Specimen Question Paper
  September 2015

Questions in the Higher Psychology question paper will now be numbered sequentially throughout, as shown in the Exemplar Question Paper. The Specimen Question Paper will be updated to reflect this in due course.

Provides information on marking instructions and/or the coursework assessment task(s). It includes information that centres need to administer coursework and must be read in conjunction with the course specification.

• General assessment information for Higher Psychology
  September 2017
• Guidance on conditions of assessment (409 KB)

Information on the production and submission of SQA-assessed coursework for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.

These documents contain details of Unit assessment task(s), show approaches to gathering evidence and how the evidence can be judged against the Outcomes and Assessment Standards. Teachers/lecturers can arrange access to these confidential documents through their SQA Co-ordinator.

There was no verification activity for this subject for Round 2 of Verification therefore there are no subject specific Key Messages available for this round of verification, however subject specific Key Messages were published following completion of Round 1.

• Psychology Verification Key Messages Round 1
  March 2018
• 2017 Higher Psychology Course Report October 2017
• 2016 Higher Psychology Course Report October 2016
• 2015 Higher Psychology Course Report Oct 2015
• Psychology Verification Key Messages Round 1
  March 2017
• Psychology Verification Key Messages October 2016
• Psychology Verification Key Messages Round 1 March 2015

• Psychology: Quality Assurance - external verification

Explains the structure of the Course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.

• Higher Psychology Course Specification
  April 2018

Provides information on the performance of candidates - which is useful to teachers, lecturers and assessors in their preparation of candidates for future assessment.

There was no verification activity for this subject for Round 2 of Verification therefore there are no subject specific Key Messages available for this round of verification, however subject specific Key Messages were published following completion of Round 1.

• 2017 Higher Psychology Course Report October 2017
• 2016 Higher Psychology Course Report October 2016
• 2015 Higher Psychology Course Report Oct 2015
• Psychology Verification Key Messages Round 1
  March 2017
• Psychology Verification Key Messages October 2016
• Psychology Verification Key Messages Round 1 March 2015

• Psychology: Quality Assurance - external verification

• Coursework assessment task for Higher Psychology
  May 2018

• Overview of Course Assessment Presentation with audio May 2018 (eight minutes) (117.38 MB)
• Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries
• Changes to published Understanding Standards materials for all subjects

Please note: Understanding Standards material is regularly reviewed to ensure it remains up to date.

Additional CPD support

Where any particular areas of concern are identified, which are not addressed by our Understanding Standards events or support materials, we will offer free continuing professional development (CPD) training, subject to request. CPD support is subject-specific and can be tailored to cover one or more qualification level. To find out more about this service visit our CPD page.