Saq practice questions.

Roughly how much time should a student allocate to a single SAQ given that Paper 1 SAQs are each worth a small number of marks?

• About 15-20 minutes
• About 5 seconds
• A full hour
• No time limit applies

Answer: About 15-20 minutes

Effective SAQ timing is roughly 15-20 minutes each, leaving enough time for the remaining questions in the paper.

Which of the following is the best opening for a strong SAQ response on 'Explain one effect of neurotransmitters on behaviour'?

• Define the term, then the effect and study
• Immediately evaluate three competing studies
• Begin with an unrelated anecdote
• State that the topic is too broad to answer

Answer: Define the term, then the effect and study

A concise definition of the key term followed by a clear signpost of the chosen effect and supporting study earns knowledge and understanding marks efficiently.

A short-answer question asks for one study. How much of that study's procedure should the answer contain?

• Every control, sample figure and statistical result
• Enough detail for the finding to be understood
• Only the name of the researcher and the year
• A full account matching the original research report

Answer: Enough detail for the finding to be understood

The procedure is there to make the finding credible, not to prove how much was memorised. The common error is to spend two thirds of the answer on sampling and controls and then run out of time before the finding is linked to the question.

A short-answer question asks students to explain one effect of a hormone on behaviour. The student instead describes a study on neurotransmitters. What is the most likely outcome?

• Full marks, since both are biological explanations
• Marks are lost only for clarity and organisation
• The answer is not marked at all by the examiner
• The answer stalls in a low band for missing the demand

Answer: The answer stalls in a low band for missing the demand

Markbands reward relevance first, so accurate psychology about the wrong variable is still off-demand. The typical error is reaching for the best-rehearsed study rather than the one the question names.

Short-answer questions assess knowledge and application only. Which addition to an answer therefore earns no extra marks?

• A sentence linking the finding to the question
• A brief statement of the study's main finding
• A paragraph weighing the study's generalisability
• A short outline of how participants were tested

Answer: A paragraph weighing the study's generalisability

Evaluation is rewarded in the extended response and in Paper 2's evaluation of an unseen study, not in short-answer questions. Students who add an essay-style evaluation paragraph lose the minutes they needed for the link sentence.

In the examination a student cannot remember the year of the study they want to use in a short-answer response. What is the best course of action?

• Leave the study out and describe a theory instead
• Estimate a plausible year so the citation looks complete
• Name the researcher and describe the study without a date
• Write about a different topic that can be dated precisely

Answer: Name the researcher and describe the study without a date

Credit comes from an accurate procedure and finding, not from the date; an omitted year costs nothing. Guessing a year is worse than leaving it out, because an examiner reading an invented citation doubts the rest of the description.