Psychology or Sociology A-Levels?

mils2044

im thinking of choosing either sociology or psychology at a levels. i do know roughly what they are but not sure exactly what they cover. if anyone can let me know what they both involve as i am struggling on what one to choose as i dont have that much information on them both.

Reply 1

normaw

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

19

Original post by mils2044

im thinking of choosing either sociology or psychology at a levels. i do know roughly what they are but not sure exactly what they cover. if anyone can let me know what they both involve as i am struggling on what one to choose as i dont have that much information on them both.

The spec will differ by exam board - here are a couple:

Sociology
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/sociology/as-and-a-level/sociology-7191-7192/specification-at-a-glance
https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/sociology-as-a-level/#tab_keydocuments

Psychology
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/as-and-a-level/psychology-7181-7182/specification-at-a-glance
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/psychology-2015.html

Reply 2

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by mils2044

im thinking of choosing either sociology or psychology at a levels. i do know roughly what they are but not sure exactly what they cover. if anyone can let me know what they both involve as i am struggling on what one to choose as i dont have that much information on them both.

Do you know what exam boards they will be with?

See the following for the specifications for psychology, depending on the exam board:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/as-and-a-level/psychology-7181-7182/specification-at-a-glance
https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/Psychology/2015/specification-and-sample-assessments/AL-Specification-Psychology.pdf
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/171732-specification-accredited-a-level-gce-psychology-h567.pdf

The following are the specifications for sociology:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/sociology/as-and-a-level/sociology-7191-7192/specification-at-a-glance
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/170212-specification-accredited-a-level-gce-sociology.pdf

I would check for the opinions on specific exam boards for these subjects just to get a second opinion on how good they are before doing the A Level. Since neither psychology nor sociology are required subjects for degrees (psychology is a semi-required subject for some psychology degrees, but biology is a good substitute), you can do them for grade requirements and general interest.

To my understanding of both subjects, they are both very research oriented. In other words, they focus on a lot of research methodology as well as looking into the conclusions. In terms of theory, there isn't a lot of theoretical debates as you would in history, literature, or philosophy.
Psychology is the more academic of the 2 subjects, but it's easier to do sociology (from what I've heard).

Reply 3

lsitton

Hello,
I am currently in the process of finalising my A-level choices and have decided Politics as one of my subjects. However, I find myself facing a dilemma in selecting the remaining four subjects: English Literature, Psychology, Sociology, and Business.

To provide some context, I have already studied English Literature, Sociology, and Business for my GCSEs. Among these, I have discovered that Business comes naturally to me, allowing me to achieve high grades with minimal revision effort. On the other hand, Sociology is a subject I genuinely enjoy and excel in. While I do enjoy English Literature, I find that it requires more extensive revision to achieve results comparable to Sociology and Business. Although I am willing to take on four A-levels, I am struggling to determine which subject to exclude.

Any advice please?

Reply 4

normaw

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

19

Original post by lsitton

Hello,
I am currently in the process of finalising my A-level choices and have decided Politics as one of my subjects. However, I find myself facing a dilemma in selecting the remaining four subjects: English Literature, Psychology, Sociology, and Business.

To provide some context, I have already studied English Literature, Sociology, and Business for my GCSEs. Among these, I have discovered that Business comes naturally to me, allowing me to achieve high grades with minimal revision effort. On the other hand, Sociology is a subject I genuinely enjoy and excel in. While I do enjoy English Literature, I find that it requires more extensive revision to achieve results comparable to Sociology and Business. Although I am willing to take on four A-levels, I am struggling to determine which subject to exclude.

Any advice please?

Don't take four A levels. Universities only require three and AAA will always look better than AABB. A levels are a big step up from GCSEs and all subjects will have a lot of content to learn.

Pick the subjects you enjoy the most and will do well in. Also consider what you might want to do after A levels. If you have a particular degree in mind, then check if any specific subjects are required under the 'Entry requirements' section on uni websites.

Psychology or Sociology A-Levels?

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