5 Awesome Tips On How To Score An A for Economics

Getting a U grade for Economics?

Facing the exams in 3 months with such a grade leads to panic and anxiety among many JC students. A-level Economics is a relatively difficult subject to score and we understand the stress you are facing.

Here are some strategies which we hope is of some help:

1. Know the topics and what is going to be tested 

Check the syllabuses in SEAB A-level page for [2020] and [2021]

To prep well, you need to have a strong grasp of the common topics in H2 Econs syllabus such as:

+ Types of markets Resource allocation
+ Opportunity cost
+ Market failure
+ Government intervention in various countries
+ Economic indicators for measurements
+ Fiscal and Monetary policies
+ Accounting practices

2. Plan Your Time

Next thing you need to learn is how much time to allocate to each question. You need to learn the marking scheme and answer according to what markers want.

In Paper 1, all the topics are covered so you have to spread your time almost universally.

If you get stuck, move on and don’t waste time.

For Paper 2, you need to choose 3 out of 6 questions, at least 1 micro and 1 macro question to be attempted. Each question requires you to be well-versed with 1 topic.

A market failure question would almost be a certainty every year so plan your studying around this to be able to craft a really solid answer.

The other 2 questions are probably easier as they are mostly macro problems and policies-related.

You should invest some time into these 2 questions as they can let you score an A.

3. Learn how to answer Case study Questions

There are a few set of skills that you need to learn to answer case study questions efficiently.

Some types of questions found are definition and trend questions which are 1-4 marks, application of theory questions which are about 4-8 marks and higher order questions worth 6-10 marks.

To answer case study questions, you will need to take these steps:

1. Identify the theory or concept that the question wants to test
2. Find the statistics or data that support or refute the theory
3. Apply limitations or supporting argument
4. Evaluate e.g. pros and cons

Continuous practice with other school exam papers and assessment books will give you a better idea on the trends of answering these questions.

Are you ready to get an economics tutor tutor for your child?

4. 6 Tips on Writing a Mind-Blowing Economics Essay

In the H2 Economics A-level exam, the essay component makes up 60% of the total score, thus each question is 20% which is pretty high!

Even in the H1 Economics paper, there are 2 case studies which are 45 marks each and they are higher order questions that are mini-essays.

Students who are poor in essay writing have a disadvantage and will find difficulties in scoring well!

Here are 6 tips writing a mind-blowing Economics Essay:

Tip 1 - Understand the question - Is it 1 part or 2 parts?

See how many marks is allocated to each part. This indicates the length of the answer needed.

Tip 2 - Key Words - Spot the important words

The key words will tell you which content areas to focus your essay on.

Tip 3 - Command words - Decide which words to use

Pay attention to the instructions on which command words to use according to the GCE A level paper.

Tip 4 -  Economic Theories - Which one to use?

The concepts and theories to use in your essay. List it in order of relevance.

Tip 5 - Link up with case studies - Or examples.

Connect the theories, concepts to case studies or examples. Merge the theories if there are too many.

Tip 6 -  Structure Your Essay - Organise it

Make sure your essay has proper intro, body and conclusion.
Nicely structure it so it has about 4 pages excluding diagrams.

Learn how to write a good Economics essay from an expert

5. Get Help from an Economics specialist tutor

Still cannot get the hang of it? Don't panic!

There are many others are like you.

Content knowledge for Economics is something that most Junior college students will struggle in as these topics are not something that is exposed to them in secondary schools.

You will need to read widely because you have to substantiate your arguments with examples and case studies.

This comes from long hours of reading vast amounts of news articles, journals and analysis. 

One way is to choose a few topics or styles that you can master...

...since its almost impossible to fully remember the great number of topics available.

These are things you need to improve on over the 2 years in Junior College or IB school.

Get an experienced Economics tutor to help you push for that distinction now!