Top tips for A-Level Economics students!

I have just finished my A-Levels, having completed the 2023 set of examinations, which have made headlines due to the return of 'pre-covid grading'. I was happy to achieve an A* grade in Economics and I believe this may not have been possible without certain key pieces of information to use both in preparation, and during the exams themselves. I have also been able to view my papers, which I hope has given me extra insight regarding the exam series.

Reflecting on what I have learnt from my experience of not just final exams, but the entire two year course, here are my top tips for current/future A-Level Economics students. My exam board was AQA, so this is specific to that exam board, although hopefully it can be of help to all students.

1. Relevance

I think that when answering essay questions, one of the biggest mistakes students make, and one of the most important to correct, is to make sure the answer stays relevant to the topic of the question. For example if the question asks to relate an economic concept to living standards (like one of the 2023 questions) then every analysis point (and evaluative point) should link to living standards. This should also be the main focus of the conclusion. This also means if a question asks to evaluate a specific type of firm (or specific firm), then the graphs used should be relevant to the industry. For example if the question asks about tech firms, a natural monopoly diagram may not be the best to use, and maybe a contestable market diagram would be better.

2. Evaluation

The main difference between a level 4 answer and level 5 answer on a 25 mark question is evaluation, which is shown on the mark scheme. This means that every point made should be countered with relevant evaluation. And if possible, there is no harm in evaluating an evaluative point. For example, if I evaluate higher taxes by saying it reduces the incentive to innovate, could it then be argued that too much innovation could lead to the exploitation of monopoly power? Like all answers, this will depend on the context of the question.

Another important consideration regarding making good evaluative points is that an evaluation does not always have to 'directly oppose' the main point being made. Evaluation could apply to limitations of certain policies or unintended consequences, or why a certain policy may not be relevant in the given context.

Evaluation should also be present in the conclusion. This is where more general evaluative points can be made which concern the entire topic of the question, rather than a specific point. The conclusion can also evaluate the extent to which action should be taken, for example if the question asks about the best government policies to stop market failure, an evaluative point could be brought up regarding the role of the free market.

3. Context

Similar to relevance, when writing essays, every paragraph must be done in relation the the context of the question. This is where it is vital to use the extracts given (not just quotes but the general theme of the extracts) and own knowledge if possible. For example, if the question regards policies that can be used to help the UK economy, with the case study concerning the UK in 2022, when discussing policies for growth it may be worth noting the very high levels of inflation suffered by the UK during this period, so maybe policies focusing on growth may not be the best course of action.

4. Timing

One of the hardest (and least focused on) aspect of the final exam series is the timing element. It is vital to know how long can be spent on each question, and to have timing in mind when completing practice questions. Be aware that the actual experience of the final exams may lead to slower timings than in practice questions, as students will tend to check over their work more and consider points more carefully. This means it is significant to have a plan for timing the final exams, but also not to panic or lose focus if timing does not go to plan.

5. 4 markers

These questions can be a very good way to pick up marks, but also a very easy way to lose them. This is why it is important to focus on these and not just the essay questions. The scoring I saw on 4 mark questions from the final exams was lower than expected, and I believe this may have been at least partially down to students not explaining economics theory in enough depth, but rather regurgitating points from the data already made. The analysis should be relevant, detailed and in enough depth to relate the data to the question.

6.  Data

This applies to papers 1 and 2, in which data from own knowledge and the extracts can apply each essay question, but particularly in paper 3. Here data can be used extensively, and whilst many students will only use data for the 10 marker, data can be applied to every long-answer question in paper 3.

Keep in mind that these tips are from my own A Level experience and what I have learnt from others. Whilst I hope these can help you students to get your desired grade, it is important to take teacher's advice first. There are many other important components to the course which cannot all be covered in one blog.

I am an A Level and GCSE Economics tutor who focuses on facilitating students to achieve their best possible grade.