OCR Economics F585 June 2012

Can't be on a topic not in the case study. Possibly protectionism (extract 4) or something comparing UK and Chinese economy, or inflation. Those are the things I am really going to focus essays questions but will do others too.

"It is the ability to reason through a judgement, rather than simply paraphrase what has gone before, which makes the best conclusions stand out" -- I'm finding this quote from the Tutor2u booklet itself standing out. Nothing has helped my essays more.

I've made notes on each of the extracts -- essentially retyping the tutor2u booklet. What now? People keep telling me 'this isn't an exam you can just revise for' but considering the amount of theor yin the specification and the textbook, I'm really tempted to do some theory. Exactly what though I have no idea.

Also, if it's legal, I can upload some of my notes here.

Omg that would be so helpful!

I've taken the opposite road to you and chosen instead to learn almost all the content (some in more detail than others) and have not really done anything on the extracts. I feel that has worked for me because since I know the content quite well, I can still answer questions on the extract by apply the content to it. I did however research the context behind some of the things in the pre-release.

There are no defined topics in the case study though. There could easily be a twenty mark question incorporating all corners of the syllabus.

That's mental! Our teacher says the exam board knows that teachers couldn't teach everything on the spec and said as soon as they get the pre-release that they should concentrate on that.
Our class basically spent 2 lessons on the pre-release to work out what parts can come up from the spec related to the extracts. Our teacher also worked very hard over the Easter holidays to type out and answer any possible questions which could come up in the exam so i just basically have to learn all the information she's given the class.

That's mental! Our teacher says the exam board knows that teachers couldn't teach everything on the spec and said as soon as they get the pre-release that they should concentrate on that.
Our class basically spent 2 lessons on the pre-release to work out what parts can come up from the spec related to the extracts. Our teacher also worked very hard over the Easter holidays to type out and answer any possible questions which could come up in the exam so i just basically have to learn all the information she's given the class.

It's unlikely though my teacher says the 20 marker is pretty much always on the last extract

Wow sounds like you have a nice teacher, our teacher is crap.

when i say export-led inflation, i didnt mean a rise in the price of exports, but high growth due to high exports, resulting in high AD increase, increasing inflationary pressure (demand-pull inlfation), could this be a cause of inflation?

also, it goes on about the importance of re-balancing the chinese economy away from exports towards domestic consumption, but why is this important to China?!? Why can't it continue down this path, and keep on having current account surpluses?

I've basically finished the spec now, so one month+ for the pre-release seems more than enough time, and you clearly have a dedicated teacher because it looks like i'm going to have to tackle the pre-release on my own and come up with questions myself...my teachers are ****.

so how are we meant to revise for this unit then? I am now genuinely confused. lol.

Yes, but that's not to say that the exam could twist the question in many different ways.

To what extent would a quota on China's exports affect world trade?
To what extent would a quota on China's exports affect their long-term growth prospects?
To what extent would a quota on China's exports benefit their development?
To what extent would a quota on China's exports affect globalisation?

Here's why China isn't experiencing export-led growth:

True but why the obsession with quotas haha

What? Surely China does have export led growth because their main sources of growth is from exports and investment?!? That's why China has a big current account surplus and why there economy is imbalanced... Most of the demand and growth isn't coming from their own economy because the Chinese are big savers and they don't import much.

I'm just proving the point that the question could cover the specification quite easily on one topic.

I meant export-led inflation, sorry for the confusion!

I'm just proving the point that the question could cover the specification quite easily on one topic.

Quotas aren't a massive topic in themselves. You've essentially got 4 questions there from extracts 3 and 4 and even if the question went along the lines of


To what extent would a tariff on China's exports affect world trade?

The answer would be pretty much the same because tariffs are still protectionist measures.