sociology or psych alevel

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Look on your exam boards website, to see if there are any revision books or resources linked.

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You could also use past papers and mark schemes to revise and see what examiners are looking for.

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You could also check out Youtube, and see if there are any revision videos on there.

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Or maybe try sites like Quizlet, to see if there are any quizzes which you could use to test your knowledge

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I hope this helps!😊 And always check the content is up to date (and meets the current specification)!

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From my experience, I would say that there is a little bit more freedom in Sociology when it comes to writing long essays (those 35 markers) compared to Psychology. When writing essays in both Psychology and Sociology, specific content will need to be included in relation to the question, and examiners will be looking for key theories, definitions, evaluation etc, (have a look at the past papers for WJEC Sociology), however, in my experience, with Sociology there is a bit more freedom to put forward and argue different ideas.

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I haven't studied with AQA for Sociology, so I wouldn't like to comment, but I have with Psychology, and have wrote about my experience below.

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There are WJEC A-level Sociology revision books, however, I remember using other resources that teachers gave, as the textbooks gave quite basic information (in my teachers opinion). I've just found some online resources here, on the WJEC A-level page, which you can check out by clicking here, and clicking 'view resources'. Just note- whenever using resources online, always check they meet the up to date specifications first!

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Take the question and mark scheme below- This is from a Component 1 paper (2023)- see page 7. I apologise in advance for the very long pasted text from the mark scheme🤭

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As you can see from the mark scheme, there are ideas that the examiners want to see, but there are lots of different ideas you could explore for this question. I would say that there is more freedom with the 35m essays, however, I wouldn't say that there is no structure. As you can see from the mark scheme, there are arguments for and against the argument that relationships in the family are unequal, and this would form a structure within your essay. The question also asks you to evaluate the view, and come to a conclusion at the end as to whether the relationships are unequal or not. I hope this makes sense, let me know if not- but in short, I would say that there is more freedom but I wouldn't say that there is no structure, as you would structure the question around what the question was asking.

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The paper structures for Psychology are different to Sociology, with some questions being being multiple choice, to sort and longer answer questions.

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From my experience (and I would check the up to date paper structures and mark schemes) I would say that Psychology has some more specifics when it comes to answering questions. For example, I remember examiners wanting to see focused definitions with key words, key ideas, and key research studies included, and the same with longer answer questions with focused evaluations.

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I found both of these AQA A-level textbooks really helpful, especially with the content and with answering exam questions. There is one book for year one, and another for year two. They are a bit pricey new, but could be picked up cheaper online or on second hand sites🙂

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From my experience, I would say that there is a lot of content for both subjects, but it all depends on what you find interesting, or like you say, if you're more philosophical, like writing long essays, like being critical, or like to apply real life experiences to theories. I would suggest choosing a subject which you're most interested in, because then revising is less of a chore!🤭

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When it comes to choosing between the two, I would definitely suggest having a look through the specification content, mark schemes, and past papers to get an idea of what would be more comfortable for you to study, as I know you are studying by yourself and not at school.

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I would also have a good look at the different subjects within the specification, as I did not study all of the subjects, for example, with AQA Psychology there are options to choose from when it comes to studying subjects, and I believe the same applies for Sociology.

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I would also look at what subject would benefit you at university. For example, if you are looking to study Psychology, would it be better to have further knowledge at A-level in Psychology, or Sociology- most probably Psychology. It may also be worth looking if there are any preferred A-levels for the uni course you are applying too.

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I would go with your gut- if after looking at the past papers, and specifications, you feel more confident with one over the other, then I would say go for it. Having a study schedule which you can stick to, practicing past papers, looking at mark schemes etc, will all help you to do the best you can😊