Lesson 3.1.3.2.2

3.1.3.2.2 The four stages: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, formal operational Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 3.1.3.2.2, The four stages: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, formal operational: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Psychology (8182), Unit 3: Development, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. Which stage lasts from birth to about 2 years?

    • Pre-operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Formal operational

  2. In which stage do children begin to use symbols such as words and images but still reason egocentrically?

    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Sensorimotor

  3. In which stage can children use logical operations on concrete objects but struggle with abstract hypothetical problems?

    • Sensorimotor
    • Concrete operational
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational

  4. Which stage involves abstract thinking and systematic hypothetical reasoning?

    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational

  5. Which stage is characterised by learning through senses and movement, including the growing understanding that objects still exist when hidden?

    • Concrete operational
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Sensorimotor

  6. A 4-year-old thinks a tall, thin glass holds more juice than a short, wide one, even after watching the juice poured. Which stage fits this reasoning?

    • Pre-operational
    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor

  7. An 8-year-old correctly says the amount of clay stays the same after it is rolled into a sausage. Which stage fits best?

    • Sensorimotor
    • Concrete operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Formal operational

  8. A 14-year-old works out all possible outcomes of an experiment before testing them. Which stage is this?

    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Pre-operational

  9. What type of thinking allows individuals to reason about abstract and hypothetical ideas?

    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Concrete operational

  10. Which stage is marked by the start of symbolic play, such as using a block as a telephone?

    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Sensorimotor

  11. A baby learns that dropping a toy makes a sound and repeats the action. Which stage does this belong to?

    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational

  12. Which stage immediately follows the pre-operational stage in Piaget's theory?

    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor stage
    • Formal operational
    • Egocentric stage

  13. Which Piagetian term best explains a pre-operational child focusing on the height of a glass and ignoring its width?

    • Centration
    • Accommodation
    • Reversibility
    • Object permanence

  14. Which ability marks the transition from pre-operational to concrete operational thought?

    • Abstract logic
    • Egocentrism
    • Object permanence
    • Conservation

  15. Which stage is typically associated with adolescents who can think about moral and social ideals as abstract principles?

    • Sensorimotor
    • Concrete operational
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational

  16. A child is shown that a pencil is a pencil even when it is held differently. Which stage's understanding is being tested?

    • Sensorimotor
    • Pre-operational
    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational

  17. A child who fails a conservation task due to centration is in which stage?

    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Concrete operational

  18. How do infants primarily explore and learn during the sensorimotor stage?

    • Senses and actions
    • Abstract logic
    • Hypothetical reasoning
    • Symbolic thought

  19. According to Piaget, in what order do children progress through cognitive stages?

    • Random order
    • Fixed sequence
    • Varying order
    • Reversible sequence

  20. A 10-year-old can classify objects by size and colour but cannot yet reason about hypothetical moral dilemmas. Which stage is this?

    • Concrete operational
    • Formal operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Pre-operational

All AQA Psychology quizzes