The Economic Problem is written with the starter Y10 or Y12 in mind who has no idea about economics.
Economics
Subject update |
Thu May 02 16:00:00 UTC 2024
May 2024 Economics update
Welcome to this May 2024 update.
In this update there are details of extensive support for students during the exam period as well as a letter from Ofqual about grading arrangements this summer.
If you teach the Economics A specification, there is a clarification on how candidates might approach questions with levels-based mark schemes.
I hope that your exam preparation is going well.
In this month's update:
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 15 August | Results day for A level and IAL |
| 22 August | Results day for GCSE and International GCSE |
All profit is going to a charity called CALM and the book is £10 plus P&P.
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Economics A - questions with a levels-based mark scheme
The starting point is to check the descriptors for these questions - this is what the examiners are required to do when assessing answers. The key point is that the quality of the response is more important than a specific number of points. That quality depends on factors such as chains of reasoning, application to context, integration of diagrams into the written analysis and a coverage of the key elements of the question. Candidates should be discouraged from writing 7 or 8 brief paragraphs covering a variety of issues at a superficial level.
Second, scrutinising the mark schemes and Examiner Reports for these papers will provide much useful guidance.
Assess (10)
Questions could be answered with one key point as KAA and one key point as EV if a substantial point is made.
Example: so China is better than Japan … = KAA and then China is not better than Japan … = EV (or vice versa)
Another approach is KAA EV KAA EV but an overall judgment is not required
Discuss (12 or 15)
If the question is in the singular e.g., effect, impact, outcome (for example 2019 9EC0 01 6c and June 2022 9EC0 03 1c), candidates are usually asked for a DIAGRAM + KAA paragraph (fully analysing their diagram) + EV paragraph (including 2 developed points in the EV paragraph).
If the question is in the plural e.g., reasons, effects, costs, then 2 KAA and 2 EV should be sufficient but there is no averaging of scores so if a third point is added and is weaker there will not be any reduction - positive marking only and the highest level possible is awarded, if maintained
Evaluate
For 25-mark essays it is unlikely that an answer would be 'balanced' by covering one KAA and one EV only. However, an answer with 4 or more KAA points and 4 or more EV would be very likely to be superficial. Each point is marked according to the levels, and once a level is sustained (that is, two clear examples) then the level is awarded.
For help with:
- free support and networking
- free resources
- paid-for resources from Pearson
- paid-for resources from Hodder
- other paid-for resources
For help with:
- recorded feedback training
- building your own question papers (examWizard)
- the key command verbs
- grade boundaries and statistics
Economics network events
Thank you for supporting our after-school network events this year. If you missed any, the recordings are available in our You Tube Channel.
May/June 2024 exam series
May/June 2025 provisional timetable
For help with:
- free support and networking
- free and paid-for resources
For help with:
- the key command verbs
- grade boundaries and statistics
Anforme books
The Economics Factory now has digital versions of the Anforme A level Economics B books
May/June 2024 exam series
May/June 2025 provisional timetable
For help with:
- free support and networking
- IAL university recognition
- free resources
- paid-for resources
For help with:
- building your own question papers (examWizard)
- the key command verbs
- grade boundaries and statistics
May/June 2024 exam series
October 2024 exam series
January 2025 timetable
May/June 2025 provisional timetable
Onscreen exams rollout
IAL Economics will have the first onscreen assessment available from 2026.
Make sure you’re signed up for the latest onscreen assessment news to find out how to register your school.
For help with:
- free support and networking
- free resources
- paid-for resources
For help with:
- the key command verbs
- grade boundaries and statistics
Onscreen exams rollout
International GCSE Economics will have the first onscreen assessment available from 2024.
Make sure you’re signed up for the latest onscreen assessment news to find out how to register your school.
The Pearson onscreen sandbox (test environment) gives students all the practice they need to explore the platform’s functionality and build their confidence before they sit their exams onscreen.
It’s easy to register for an account: just click on Register for an account and enter your email address as your user ID.
The materials are digitised in the same platform as the mock and high-stakes onscreen exams and are a good opportunity for teachers and students to get to know the platform and functionality available.
Whilst the user experience mirrors what can be expected from the mocks and high-stakes assessments, please note that any solutions submitted through the sandbox environment by candidates will not be saved.
Modular International GCSE
International GCSE Economics is in the first group of subjects to make a modular route available to learners from September 2023.
This means that we will have both a modular and a linear route to achieve this qualification.
If you are happy with the linear approach, there is no need to move to the modular route; our linear International GCSEs will continue to be offered and taken widely by learners around the world.
However, if you believe the modular route will be of benefit to your learners, this will be available from September 2023 with the first exams in May/June 2024.
Course planner and schemes of work for Modular International GCSE Economics
To help your planning we now have both a course planner and a scheme of work for the modular International GCSE in Economics.
May/June 2024 exam series
November 2024 timetable
May 2025 provisional timetable
This letter from the Chief Regulator includes a section on grading arrangements for this summer.
The Ofqual Student Guide 2024 provides students with information about this year’s arrangements for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications, and explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.
Ofqual have also produced a guide for students on coping with exam pressure.
The JCQ also has a range of information and support for students – from coursework and onscreen exams to written exams, along with a checklist for exam day.
Pearson has a Getting ready for exams guide that includes some top tips and advice including:
- preparing for exams
- what happens on exam day
- where to find further support
- what happens once exams are over.
Pearson also offers exam wellbeing support to help you and your students navigate this time – from the run-up to exams, exams day and beyond.
Your students may also like to view our #examspelledout videos that explain all about the assessment process from the writing of the exam papers and modified papers to what happens to exam papers once they’ve left the school, grade boundaries and results.
We are recruiting examiners for our Economics qualifications and would invite you to join one of our examining teams.
Are you internationally based?
We are currently looking to expand our Examining workforce ahead of our assessment activities. We are seeking applicants to mark our GCE, International GCSE and International A Level qualifications in Economics.
Are you an NQT?
There is a new support page for you to bookmark – General qualifications assessment support. Here we’ll share news information and updates from Ofqual, the Department for Education (DfE), the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and Pearson, relating to the exams and assessments for our GCSE, AS and A level qualifications.
We’ll be updating it regularly so you know you’ve got all the latest announcements, news, support materials and updates to enable you to teach our qualifications, help your students with their assessments and post-results support, to enable them to progress.
How to submit an appeal from 01 January 2024
From 1 January 2024, we are pleased to confirm that there will be a new web form for centres and private candidates to use when they wish to submit an application to appeal or request a review of an administrative decision. Using this web form will help to guide centres and private candidates in the information that needs to be provided in an application to appeal. This will help us to ensure we can process all applications promptly.
The web form will be available on our main Post-results web page and on our Post-results services web page for T levels, and will be operational by 1 January 2024. From that date onwards we will no longer accept appeal applications that are made directly to our appeals email inbox. Appeals submitted to the inbox prior to 01 January 2024 will be processed. We will return any applications to appeal that are sent to our appeals inbox from 01 January 2024 to you with a request to submit them using the web form.
Centres and private candidates must use the web form to submit appeals related to:
1. the outcome of reviews of marking/moderation (within 30 calendar days of the date of the decision)
2. the decisions made in relation to student or centre malpractice (within 14 calendar days of the date of the decision)
3. the decisions made in relation to access arrangements, special consideration, reasonable adjustments (within 14 calendar days of the date of the decision)
4. the outcome of a preliminary appeal in any of the areas above. An application for an appeal hearing must only be made once a preliminary appeal has been conducted and must be made within 14 calendar days of the date of the preliminary appeal decision.
Centres and private candidates must also use the web form to request the review of an administrative decision in areas such as decisions made in relation to very late arrivals and where we have issued an aegrotat (estimated grade).
Further information on the appeals process can be found in the JCQ Appeals Booklet 2023.
Further information on appeals, including fees, can also be found on our website. Our website will be fully updated by 1 January 2024 to refer centres and private candidates to our webform.
General queries about issues that are not appeals should not be submitted on the appeals webform as we will not be able to process them. If you need help with a matter that is not an appeal, please contact our customer services team for assistance. This will ensure your query can be routed to the appropriate team without delay.
On 15 September 2023 the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) updated its ‘Instructions for the Conduct of Qualifications’ document for the 2023/24 academic year to provide more clarity to candidates, exam officers and teachers given recent changes in technology.
In particular, the use of calculators in exams has been updated in Section 10 ‘Using calculators’. The use of calculators applies to a number of different subjects so please do pass this information to all who need to read it.
Full details can be found in the in the booklet Instructions for conducting examinations 2023-2024 and a set of FAQs about using calculators on the JCQ website.
Subject advisor
Colin Leith
Economics
Email :
Phone :
+44 (0) 344 463 2535
(Teaching Services team | Mon-Fri, 9am - 5pm GMT)
Subject updates
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Assessment support for GCE Economics A
GCE Economics A: assessment support
The purpose of this page is to help you understand our assessment of GCE Economics A.