Critics of psychology exam are challenged over 'soft option' claim

Mind games were being played yesterday over whether the psychology A-level was an easy option for the 34,600 who sat the subject this year.

Graham Lane, the leader of the country's local education authorities and an adviser to the Government on modern languages, said: "I just wish some of those headteachers who say it is easy would sit down and do an A-level in psychology next year. They would probably find it hard and they wouldn't be able to do it.

"The point is that the subject motivates students - and if they are highly motivated they will do well at it."

A glance at this year's psychology A-level papers shows essay-style questions similar to those that would have taxed the minds of critics of the exam when they were doing English or history papers years ago.

For instance, one of the papers in the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance's psychology exam asks questions such as: "Describe and evaluate Piaget's theory of cognitive development", or "Discuss research theories and/or studies into relationships with parents and/or peers during adolescence".

If that is not taxing enough, an alternative is "Discuss evidence for intelligence in non-human animals" - although opponents might suggest students could mug up on that one by just looking at the behaviour of pets such as dogs.

Martin Rostron, principal of Greenhead College in Huddersfield, denied that teachers were steering pupils away from traditional subjects towards psychology and media studies.

He said that out of this year's class of 778, 194 took psychology, and 94 obtained A-grade passes. Meanwhile, 196 took maths, of whom 121 got A-grades. "My maths tells me that's a higher proportion."

He rejected the idea that some A-levels were harder than others, saying it was harder to get top marks in some of the subjects labelled as "soft" than the more traditional subjects.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said it was perceived to be easier to get a top-grade pass in psychology than in maths, science or modern languages, and that action had to be taken to stimulate more interest in traditional subjects such as modern languages, maths and science.

"It is statistically proved that there is no single standard of A-level and that grades in maths, physics, chemistry and modern languages are harder to achieve than in psychology and some other subjects," Mr Dunford said.

"There should be a single standard. That's one of the issues that should be addressed by the Mike Tomlinson review [the Government's inquiry into 14-to-19 education]."

This year's results saw the number of students taking the psychology exam rise by 21.2 per cent.