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Join The Student Room TodayBe part of the UK's largest and fastest growing student community. It's free to join and a lot of fun - Get inspired, express your ideas, interact and share A-Level EconomicsFrom The Student RoomTSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > A Levels > A-Level Subject Guides II > A-Level Economics
A-Level EconomicsBackground information about studying EconomicsAt AS-Level, the course gives a general introduction to the world of microeconomics and macroeconomics. One can expect to study topics including demand and supply, elasticity and market failure in AS-Level microeconomics. The macroeconomics unit gives an introduction into macroeconomic objectives (economic growth, inflation, unemployment and balance of payments), exchange rates, monetary policy and fiscal policy. Microeconomics at A2-Level covers mainly business economics and the distribution of income. Areas of study is usually around market structures (monopoly, oligopoly and perfect competition), economic efficiency and the labour market. A2-Level macroeconomics builds on ideas taught at AS-Level. The topics are covered in greater detail, e.g. Phillips Curve, monetarism. What can I expect from studying Economics?DifficultyAs in a case of any subject, the level of difficulty perceived by an individual varies. It requires a substantial amount of effort in order to understand the key concepts. This can be a huge put off at first, however if you do manage to overcome this stage, then it will become more straightforward. WorkloadStudents would be expected to participate in class, be active as that’s the best way to learn (actually, this method can be applied to many others subjects, not only Economics). The introductory period might be slightly challenging, you may possibly be confused at some stages. Economics at A-level is all about understanding, therefore make sure you know relatively well what has been already been covered before heading to next chapter. Topics tend to relate one to another, so it will be harder to understand one without prior comprehension of the previous ones. Required Individual StudyApart from doing homework on a regular basis, I would strongly advise to read economics news in your free time. It’s not that hard. You can, for example, assign 15 minutes every morning to read some economics-related articles. BBC has a perfect section for Economics news. The language used isn’t sophisticated, not much of a jargon. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t understand everything at once. It takes time. Gradually you will realise that some issues keep arising every now and then. So, to cut long story short – read economics news! On another note, this is entirely down to preference, however many students find it helpful to read up on upcoming topics as a means of putting into perspective what they will be learning. For example if you are going to learn a topic next week, you may find it useful to read the chapter in your textbook relating to that subject. This isn't necessarily to give you a "head start" and make you a model student, it is just a way of learning certain vocabulary so your lesson will be more engaging. How is it assessed?Note that this information is correct for the Edexcel syllabus (starting from September 2008) ExamsAS:
Supported multiple-choice questions where students write a short justification of why they chose that answer and/or why the other answers are incorrect. Worth 32 marks. One data response question out of a choice of two questions. Worth 48 marks. Total for paper: 80 marks (100 UMS)
One data response question out of a choice of two questions. Worth 50 marks. Last question of data response will be open ended. Worth 30 marks. Total for paper: 80 marks (100 UMS)
Supported multiple-choice questions where students write a short justification of why they chose that answer and/or why the other answers are incorrect. Worth 32 marks. One data response question out of a choice of two questions. Worth 40 marks. Total: 72 marks (80 UMS)
One essay question with two parts from a choice of three topic areas. Worth 50 marks. One data response question out of a choice of two questions. Worth 50 marks. Total: 100 marks (120 UMS)
CourseworkThere is no coursework. PracticalsThere are no practicals. Field trips and excursionsWhere can I go with an Economics A-LevelUser OpinionsUsername: Javindo What I like about studying this subject: It's not just about money! Many people get this idea that Economics is entirely down to analysing how money works. Economics is merely a word given to a science in which everything is encompassed and affected in every day life. I find it very challenging, engaging and interesting. I couldn't have picked a better third subject A level however that is only because I am planning on doing Law at university; many people have this as their first-choice A level as it is key in business and many other fields. What I dislike about studying this subject: There isn't a lot I dislike about Economics except for the fact we have regular tests at my school! However I guess this is a means of encouraging us to learn on a more real-time basis rather than leaving it all to 2 weeks before the exam!
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