📚 AS Cambridge Psychology: 2026 Exam Changes and Trends | AS Cambridge 心理学：2026年考试变化与趋势
The Cambridge International AS Level Psychology (9990) qualification is entering a new era with the updated syllabus for first examination in 2026. This overhaul, designed to reflect contemporary psychological practice and ethical standards, brings significant changes to assessment structure, core studies, and skill emphasis. Understanding these developments is essential for teachers and students aiming to navigate the exam confidently. This article breaks down the key modifications, emerging question trends, and effective preparation strategies tailored to the revised AS curriculum.
剑桥国际 AS 心理学（9990）课程将于2026年首次采用新大纲进行考试，这一更新旨在反映当代心理学实践与伦理标准，带来了评估结构、核心研究及技能重点的重大变化。理解这些发展动态对希望从容应考的师生至关重要。本文将详细剖析关键修订内容、新兴题型趋势以及针对新版 AS 课程的备考策略。
1. Introduction to the New Syllabus | 新大纲简介
The 2024-2026 Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology syllabus (9990) replaces the 2018 version, with the first AS examinations scheduled for June 2026. The syllabus refresh was driven by a need to strengthen research literacy, promote cultural awareness, and ensure that core studies reflect ethical and methodological advances made over the last two decades. Candidates will still explore four classic approaches—biological, cognitive, learning, and social—but the way they are assessed and the specific content covered have been rebalanced to reward application and critical thinking more than rote recall.
2024–2026 年剑桥国际 AS 与 A Level 心理学大纲（9990）取代了 2018 年版本，首次 AS 考试定于 2026 年 6 月举行。大纲更新的驱动力在于加强研究素养、培养文化意识，并确保核心研究体现近二十年来的伦理与方法论进步。考生仍会学习四大经典流派——生物、认知、学习和社会心理学——但评估方式与具体内容已重新调整，相比机械记忆，更注重应用与批判性思维。
The updated syllabus maintains the familiar four-approach framework, yet each approach has been infused with more diverse research, including cross-cultural and contemporary studies. Teachers are encouraged to embed methodological evaluation throughout their teaching, as the exam now explicitly links research methods with core content. These changes align Cambridge psychology qualifications with university-level expectations and global trends in psychological science education.
新大纲保留了学生熟悉的四大流派框架，但每个流派都被注入了更多样化的研究，包括跨文化和当代研究。官方鼓励教师将方法论评价贯穿教学，因为考试已将研究方法与核心内容明确挂钩。这些变化使剑桥心理学资格更接近大学要求，也与全球化心理学教育趋势保持一致。
2. Understanding the Updated Assessment Structure | 理解更新的评估结构
At AS Level, students will sit two compulsory papers, both lasting 2 hours and each carrying 75 marks. Paper 1 focuses on Approaches, Issues and Debates, while Paper 2 is dedicated entirely to Research Methods. The increased length and mark allocation signal that deeper engagement with the material is now expected. Gone are the shorter 1-hour-20-minute papers of the old specification; candidates must now sustain their analytical focus over a longer examination period.
在 AS 阶段，考生需参加两份必考试卷，每份考试时长 2 小时，各占 75 分。试卷一侧重方法与议题、辩论，试卷二则完全聚焦研究方法。考试时长与分值的增加表明，现在要求考生对材料有更深入的把握。旧版大纲中 1 小时 20 分钟的较短试卷已成过去，考生现在需要在更长的考试时段内保持分析专注度。
The decision to allocate 75 marks to Research Methods in Paper 2 is a clear signal that Cambridge wants students to not only understand but also design, critique, and handle data from psychological investigations. This shift reflects the growing importance of statistical literacy in psychology. Consequently, teachers should allocate an increased number of lessons to data analysis, probability, and practical research design tasks.
试卷二中 75 分都用于研究方法，这是一个明确信号：剑桥不仅希望学生理解，更希望他们能设计、评论并处理心理学研究的数据。这反映了统计学素养在心理学中日益重要的地位。因此，教师应安排更多课时用于数据分析、概率以及实践性研究设计任务。
3. Paper 1: Approaches, Issues and Debates – Key Changes | 试卷一：研究方法、议题与辩论——主要变化
Paper 1 now presents four scenario-based questions, each anchored in one of the four approaches (biological, cognitive, learning, social), but candidates are required to answer only three. This ‘four-choose-three’ model gives students some strategic flexibility while ensuring they still revise all four approaches comprehensively. Each question is worth 25 marks and comprises a mix of short-answer and extended-response parts that probe knowledge, application, and evaluation.
试卷一现在提供四道情境题，每道题分别对应四大流派之一（生物、认知、学习、社会），但考生只需回答其中三道。这种“四选三”模式给予了考生一定的策略灵活性，同时确保他们仍需全面复习所有四大流派。每题 25 分，包含简答与拓展回答的组合，考查知识、应用和评价。
Within each scenario, candidates must apply their knowledge of the specified approach to a novel situation, demonstrating understanding of core studies, theories, and key issues such as reductionism, determinism, and ethics. The introduction of mandatory application (AO2) marks in all parts means that simply describing a study will no longer earn high marks. Students must link theoretical models to real-world examples embedded in the question. This new design rewards flexible, transferable knowledge rather than rehearsed answers.
在每道情境题中，考生必须将对特定流派的认识应用于一个新情境，展现对核心研究、理论以及还原论、决定论和伦理等关键议题的理解。所有的题目部分都引入强制性应用（AO2）评分，这意味着仅仅描述一项研究已无法获得高分。学生必须将理论模型与题中嵌入的真实案例联系起来。这一新设计奖励的是灵活、可迁移的知识，而非事先排练好的答案。
4. Paper 2: Research Methods – A Modernised Approach | 试卷二：研究方法——现代化路径
Paper 2 has been completely restructured to assess the entire research process. It includes sections on experimental design, hypothesis writing, sampling techniques, data presentation, descriptive and inferential statistics, and ethical considerations. Candidates must interpret graphs, calculate measures of central tendency and dispersion, and select appropriate statistical tests with justification. A notable addition is the requirement to propose a full piece of research in response to a given aim, covering design, procedure, ethical controls, and evaluation.
试卷二经过彻底重构，用以评估整个研究过程。其内容包括实验设计、假设撰写、抽样技术、数据呈现、描述性与推断性统计以及伦理考量。考生需要解读图表、计算集中和离散量数，并选择合适的统计检验且说明理由。一个显著的新增要求是针对给定研究目标提出一项完整研究方案，涵盖设计、流程、伦理控制和评价。
Statistical testing is no longer limited to the sign test; candidates may now be expected to understand tests such as Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman’s rho at a conceptual and procedural level. However, the emphasis remains on interpreting output rather than performing lengthy manual calculations. Formulas provided in the exam insert must be correctly applied. For example, understanding the standard deviation formula is critical:
统计检验不再局限于符号检验；考生可能需要对卡方检验、Mann-Whitney U 检验和 Spearman 等级相关有概念和过程的掌握。然而，重点仍在于解读统计输出，而非冗长的手工计算。必须能正确应用考试附页提供的公式。例如，理解标准差公式至关重要：
SD = √[ Σ(x – x̄)² / (n – 1) ]
Being able to explain what the standard deviation tells us about data spread in context will be a frequently tested skill.
能够解释标准差在具体情境下对数据分散程度的含义，将成为一项常考技能。
5. Refreshed Core Studies: What’s In, What’s Out | 更新核心研究：增删内容
One of the most talked-about changes is the revision of the twelve core studies. While several classics remain, such as Bandura et al. (aggression) and Baron-Cohen et al. (theory of mind), others have been replaced with more ethically sound and culturally oriented research. Notably, Milgram’s obedience study has been substituted with a modern alternative that respects contemporary ethical guidelines, while new additions like Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences) and Perry et al. (empathy and personal space) broaden the range of non-human animal and social-cognitive investigations.
讨论最多的变化之一是十二项核心研究的修订。尽管部分经典研究得以保留（如 Bandura 的侵犯行为研究和 Baron-Cohen 的心理理论），但其他研究已被更具伦理性和文化导向的研究取代。值得注意的是，Milgram 的服从实验被一个符合现代伦理准则的替代研究取代，而新加入的 Hassett 等（猴子玩具偏好）和 Perry 等（共情与个人空间）则拓宽了非人类动物和社会认知研究的范围。
The updated list ensures greater cultural diversity and includes studies conducted in multiple national contexts, helping students appreciate cross-cultural validity and ethical universality. Teachers are encouraged to make explicit comparisons between the original and new studies, discussing why certain experiments were removed and how the new studies improve upon methodological and ethical limitations. This exercise itself builds higher-order evaluative skills directly assessed in the exam.
更新后的研究列表确保了更大的文化多样性，包含多个国家背景下进行的研究，有助于学生理解跨文化效度和伦理普遍性。建议教师对原研究与新研究进行明确比较，讨论为何某些实验被移除，以及新研究如何在方法论与伦理局限上改进。这一训练本身就能培养考试直接评估的高阶评价技能。
6. Greater Emphasis on Application Skills (AO2) | 更注重应用技能（AO2）
AO2 (Application) now permeates both AS papers more deliberately. In the old syllabus, application was often tested through isolated questions; now, almost every question requires candidates to use their psychological knowledge to interpret novel scenarios, explain everyday behaviours, or suggest practical interventions. For instance, a question might describe a child’s phobia and ask for an explanation rooted in the learning approach, relevant to a specific core study.
AO2（应用）现在更有意识地渗透在 AS 两份试卷中。旧大纲中，应用多在单独题目中考查；而现在几乎每道题都要求考生用心理学知识解释新情境、说明日常行为或提出实际干预方案。例如，一道题可能描述儿童的恐惧症，要求考生根据学习流派并结合特定核心研究给出解释。
This shift demands that students move beyond memorising study procedures to understanding why findings matter in real life. Effective teaching will integrate news stories, clinical vignettes, and classroom demonstrations to nurture the ability to spot psychological principles in unfamiliar contexts. Revision should focus on practising application under timed conditions, using specimen papers that mirror the new style of interweaving scenario and theory.
这一转变要求学生不能止步于记住研究流程，而要理解研究发现在现实生活中的意义。有效的教学应融入新闻报道、临床案例片段和课堂演示，培养在陌生情境中识别心理学原理的能力。复习时应着眼于限时练习应用，使用能体现情境与理论交织新风格的样卷。
7. Elevation of Evaluation and Critical Thinking (AO3) | 提升评价与批判性思维（AO3）
AO3 marks now represent a larger proportion of the overall grade. Candidates must evaluate strengths and weaknesses of research methods, theories, and studies, considering factors such as validity, reliability, ethics, generalisability, and reductionism. The new marking grids reward structured, evidence-based evaluation that goes beyond simple ‘one strength, one limitation’ statements. For example, when evaluating Bandura’s study, a top-band answer might discuss demand characteristics while also raising counterarguments based on subsequent replications.
AO3 的分数现在占总成绩的更大比例。考生必须评价研究方法、理论和研究的优缺点，并考虑效度、信度、伦理、可推广性和还原论等因素。新的评分标准会奖励结构化、基于证据的评价，而不再是简单的“一个优点、一个局限”。例如，评价 Bandura 研究时，高分段答案会讨论需求特征，同时基于后续重复实验提出反驳。
Furthermore, the syllabus introduces debates such as free will versus determinism and individual versus situational explanations more formally within Paper 1. Students are expected to use evidence from core studies to support both sides of a debate, demonstrating a nuanced understanding rather than a one-sided argument. Developing these skills takes time, so consistent formative feedback on essay plans and practice paragraphs is key throughout the AS year.
此外，新大纲在试卷一中更正式地引入了自由意志与决定论、个体解释与情境解释等辩论。学生需运用核心研究证据支持辩论的双方，展现细致入微的理解，而非片面论述。培养这些技能需要时间，因此在 AS 学年持续对论文提纲和练习段落进行形成性反馈至关重要。
8. Integration of Research Methodology Across Topics | 研究方法与课题的融合
Another notable trend is the explicit integration of research methods into the teaching of each approach. Rather than treating Paper 2 topics as an isolated unit, the syllabus encourages a spiral curriculum where methodological vocabulary (e.g., independent variable, counterbalancing, stratified sampling) is consistently revisited when discussing core studies. This helps students see methodology not as a standalone hurdle but as an organic part of psychological inquiry.
另一个值得注意的趋势是明确将研究方法融入各流派教学。新大纲鼓励采用螺旋式课程，不把试卷二专题视为独立单元，而是在讨论核心研究时反复强化方法论词汇（如自变量、平衡设计、分层抽样）。这有助于学生将方法论看作心理学探究的有机组成部分，而非孤立障碍。
For instance, when learning about Laney et al.’s false memory experiment, students can simultaneously practise identifying demand characteristics, operationalising variables, and discussing ecological validity. Such integrated lessons enable deeper retention and make the heavy research methods content more manageable. The 2026 exams will reward candidates who can fluidly use methodological reasoning in both papers, making this integrated approach essential.
例如，在学习 Laney 等错误记忆实验时，学生可同步练习识别需求特征、操作化变量和讨论生态效度。这种融合式教学能加深记忆，并使繁重的研究方法内容更易于掌握。2026 年考试将奖励能在两份试卷中流畅运用方法论证的考生，因此这种综合路径必不可少。
9. Trends in Question Styles and Command Words | 题型与指令词的趋势
Question wording has become more precise and contextualised. Command words like ‘Explain’, ‘Evaluate’, and ‘Discuss’ are now paired with a specific scenario or a quote from a hypothetical researcher. For example, a Paper 2 question might state, ‘A researcher says, “I used random allocation to control participant variables.” Discuss the effectiveness of this control in an experiment on temperature and mood.’ This style tests not just knowledge but the ability to apply that knowledge critically.
题目措辞变得更精确、更情境化。“解释”、“评价”、“讨论”等指令词现在会与特定情境或假设研究者的引言相配合。例如，试卷二的一道题可能会说：“一位研究者表示：‘我使用随机分配来控制参与者变量。’讨论这一控制手段在一个温度与情绪实验中的有效性。” 这种风格不仅考查知识，更考查批判性应用知识的能力。
There is also a rise in questions requiring synthesis across multiple studies or approaches. A high-mark essay might ask, ‘Discuss the nature–nurture debate using studies from two different approaches.’ Such questions demand broad content knowledge and the ability to build a coherent, comparative argument. Therefore, students should practice comparing and contrasting studies throughout their revision, rather than learning each in isolation.
需要综合多项研究或多种流派的问题也呈上升趋势。一道高分论述题可能要求：“运用来自两种不同流派的研究，讨论先天–后天之辩。” 这种题目需要宽泛的内容知识和构建连贯比较论证的能力。因此，学生应在复习全程练习比较与对比多项研究，而非孤立学习每一项。
10. Implications for Teaching and Learning | 对教学的影响
Teachers need to redesign schemes of work to accommodate the increased depth and integration of the new syllabus. Starting the AS year with a broad overview of research methods, then infusing these throughout the four approaches, is often more effective than leaving Paper 2 preparation until the final term. Moreover, modeling how to break down a scenario question, identify the relevant approach, and select appropriate core studies for evidence should be a regular classroom activity.
教师需要重新设计教学计划，以适应新大纲增加的深度与融合度。在 AS 学年伊始先总体介绍研究方法，然后贯穿四大流派反复融入，通常比把试卷二备考拖到最后一个学期更为有效。此外，示范如何拆解情境题、识别相关流派并选择适当的核心研究作为证据，应成为常规课堂活动。
Formative assessment strategies, such as peer assessment of evaluation paragraphs using structured rubrics, can accelerate progress. Since the new examinations prioritise originality of evaluation over formulaic responses, exposing students to model answers that demonstrate balance and critical nuance is vital. Investing time in department-wide professional development to unpack the new assessment objectives will ensure consistent, high-quality instruction.
形成性评估策略（如使用结构化评分标准进行同伴评估的评价段落训练）可加速进步。由于新考试更看重评价的独创性而非公式化回答，让学生接触展现平衡与批判细致性的范答至关重要。投入时间进行系内专业发展以解读新评估目标，将保障一致的高质量教学。
11. Strategies for Effective AS Revision | 高效的AS复习策略
Given the changes, revision must be active, varied, and aligned with assessment objectives. Create summary tables comparing core studies side by side, focusing on methodology, ethical issues, and real-world applications. For each approach, write out possible debates and match them with supporting and opposing evidence from at least two studies. Time management is crucial, so complete timed past papers (adapted to the new style) under exam conditions and use mark schemes to identify precise examiner expectations.
鉴于这些变化，复习必须主动、多样并与评估目标对齐。制作并排比较核心研究的汇总表格，聚焦方法、伦理议题和现实应用。针对每种流派，列出可能辩论的要点，并匹配至少两项研究中的支持与反对证据。时间管理极为重要，务必在考试条件下完成限时历年真题（适应新版风格），并用评分方案明确考官的具体期望。
Moreover, adopt a distributed practice schedule rather than cramming. For example, spend 20 minutes each week re-quizzing on statistical decision trees: when to use a Mann-Whitney test versus a Spearman’s rho. Use flashcards to drill key terms such as ‘internal validity’ or ‘reductionism’ and connect them to specific study examples. Collaborating in study groups to verbally explain studies and evaluations can deepen understanding and expose gaps in knowledge.
此外，采用分散练习计划而非突击填鸭。例如，每周花 20 分钟复习统计决策树：何时用 Mann-Whitney 检验而非 Spearman 等级相关。利用闪卡强化“内部效度”或“还原论”等关键术语，并将其与具体研究实例挂钩。在学习小组中口头解释研究和评价，能加深理解并暴露知识漏洞。
12. Looking Ahead: The Full A Level Pathway | 展望：完整的A Level路径
Although this article centres on AS, it is worth noting that the new A Level builds directly on these foundations. The full A Level includes a third paper on Specialist Options, which further deepens application and evaluation skills. Students who master the integrated, critical approach required at AS will find the transition to A2 topics—such as abnormal psychology or organisational psychology—much smoother. The 2026 changes were designed with vertical progression in mind, so early adoption of good habits pays dividends.
尽管本文聚焦 AS，但新 A Level 是直接在这些基础上构建的。完整的 A Level 包含第三份专家选修试卷，进一步深化应用和评价技能。那些在 AS 阶段就掌握综合性和批判性方法的学生，会发现向 A2 主题（如异常心理学或组织心理学）的过渡显著更顺畅。2026 年的改革是着眼于纵向进阶设计的，因此尽早养成良好习惯将带来丰厚回报。
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