PSYCHOLOGY-H567 · Cambridge OCR A Level
PSYCHOLOGY-H567/21
Paper 2
Psychology - H567 · 2023 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: OCR
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.5 / 5
300
360 min
Research Design, Statistical Calculations, and Core Study Methodological Evaluations
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
300
Duration
360 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The 2023 OCR A Level Psychology H567 series is rated as a Level 4 (Moderate-Hard) difficulty.
While Section A (Multiple Choice) in Paper 1 and descriptive elements of core studies in Paper 2 offered accessible marks, the papers demanded exceptionally high levels of procedural precision and context-specific application.
In particular, the requirement to complete a full Mann-Whitney U calculation from scratch, write formal statistical significance statements, and design a laboratory experiment with explicit links to personal practical activities tested students' limits under exam conditions.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Knowledge Retrieval
Weight: 5100%Contextual Application
Weight: 360%Methodological
Weight: 120%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
Match the expected response style for “Outline” questions.
State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.
Weigh arguments for and against with evidence; end with a supported judgement.
Present multiple perspectives with evidence; balance breadth and depth.
Name or point to the specific feature asked for — avoid extra explanation.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.4
Min per mark: 1.4
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Data recording, analysis and presentation
40 marks this session
Core studies
35 marks this session
Areas, perspectives and debates
35 marks this session
Issues in mental health
35 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Data recording, analysis and presentation
Core studies
Areas, perspectives and debates
Issues in mental health
Core studies (Psychological themes through core studies)
Areas, perspectives and debates (Psychological themes through core studies)
Practical applications (Psychological themes through core studies)
Issues in mental health (Applied psychology)
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1: Research methods:
Paper 2: Psychological themes through core studies:
Paper 3: Applied psychology:
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Data recording, analysis and presentation
40 marks this session
Practise in RevuiCore studies
35 marks this session
Practise in RevuiAreas, perspectives and debates
35 marks this session
Practise in RevuiIssues in mental health
35 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The 2023 OCR A Level Psychology H567 series is rated as a Level 4 (Moderate-Hard) difficulty.
- 2Message
While Section A (Multiple Choice) in Paper 1 and descriptive elements of core studies in Paper 2 offered accessible marks, the papers demanded exceptionally high levels of procedural precision and context-specific application.
- 3Message
In particular, the requirement to complete a full Mann-Whitney U calculation from scratch, write formal statistical significance statements, and design a laboratory experiment with explicit links to personal practical activities tested students' limits under exam conditions.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
2023 2023
Psychology - H567
The 2023 OCR A Level Psychology H567 series is rated as a Level 4 (Moderate-Hard) difficulty. While Section A (Multiple Choice) in Paper 1 and descriptive elements of core studies in Paper 2 offered accessible marks, the papers demanded exceptionally high levels of procedural pre
The 2023 OCR A Level Psychology H567 series is rated as a Level 4 (Moderate-Hard) difficulty.
While Section A (Multiple Choice) in Paper 1 and descriptive elements of core studies in Paper 2 offered accessible marks, the papers demanded exceptionally high levels of procedural precision and context-specific application.
In particular, the requirement to complete a full Mann-Whitney U calculation from scratch, write formal statistical significance statements, and design a laboratory experiment with explicit links to personal practical activities tested students' limits under exam conditions.
- Total marks
- 300
- Duration
- 360 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.5 / 5
Session analysis
The 2023 OCR A Level Psychology H567 series is rated as a Level 4 (Moderate-Hard) difficulty. While Section A (Multiple Choice) in Paper 1 and descriptive elements of core studies in Paper 2 offered accessible marks, the papers demanded exceptionally high levels of procedural precision and context-specific application. In particular, the requirement to complete a full Mann-Whitney U calculation from scratch, write formal statistical significance statements, and design a laboratory experiment with explicit links to personal practical activities tested students' limits under exam conditions.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1: Research methods:
Paper 2: Psychological themes through core studies:
Paper 3: Applied psychology:
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
77% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Essay Questions
170·11·57%
Short Answer
50·19·17%
Structured Application / Calculations
45·10·15%
Multiple Choice
20·20·7%
Design a Study
15·1·5%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Difficulty trend
Compare difficulty across recent years.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 1 Section A (
1.00 m/minPaper 1 Section B (
0.70 m/minPaper 1 Section C (
0.70 m/minPaper 2 Section A (
0.88 m/minPaper 2 Section B (
0.88 m/minPaper 2 Section C (
0.88 m/minPaper 3 Section A (
0.88 m/minTotal marks
230
Total time
280 min
Avg pace
0.82
Cumulative marks ladder
The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Gould (Yerkes Intelligence Testing)
85%85%
Chaney et al. (Funhaler / Operant Conditioning)
80%80%
Practical Research Methods (Observational Designs)
75%75%
General Difficulty Verdict
The 2023 OCR A Level Psychology H567 series is rated as a Level 4 (Moderate-Hard) difficulty. While Section A (Multiple Choice) in Paper 1 and descriptive elements of core studies in Paper 2 offered accessible marks, the papers demanded exceptionally high levels of procedural precision and context-specific application. In particular, the requirement to complete a full Mann-Whitney U calculation from scratch, write formal statistical significance statements, and design a laboratory experiment with explicit links to personal practical activities tested students' limits under exam conditions.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Hypothesis Operationalisation: Writing generic terms like 'amount of litter' instead of 'number of individual pieces of litter counted' or 'weight of trash in grams' led to immediate mark caps.
- Lack of Personal Practical Connections: In the 15-mark design question (Q22), many failed to make explicit, clear links to their own classroom practical activities, limiting their maximum possible score to 11.
- Confusing Reliability with Validity: In reliability questions (e.g., Q32), a significant portion of candidates incorrectly discussed generalisability or population validity instead of consistency, standardized procedures, and inter-rater agreement.
- Graphing Specifics: In the bar chart question, forgetting to include the word 'Mean' in the y-axis label or the chart title cost straightforward marks.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.