A Level Economics

Economics is the study of how economies work and why they sometimes fail to work effectively. If you are interested in world events, you will find A Level Economics an interesting and useful subject; topics covered in class will provide you with a greater insight into current affairs and economic issues.

Course Overview

Economics is taught over two years with the AS Level being taught in the first year and the A Level in the second year.

AS Level – First Year Themes:

Introduction to markets and market failure: how markets operate and how governments deal with market failures such as unemployment and pollution

The UK economy – performance and policies: how well balanced the British economy is. Do we rely too much on banking and services? Why do we import more manufactured goods than we export?

A Level Second Year Themes:

Business behaviour and the labour market: how do businesses operate? How is income distributed in the British economy and is it fair? Why do women earn less money than men, and is an unequal distribution of income a natural and healthy consequence of a capitalist economy?

A global perspective and the financial sector: you will examine public finance, macroeconomic policies and the role of the financial sector in a global context.

Entry Requirements

All students studying A Levels must have at least five GCSEs at grade A* – C (grade 9 – 5) in academic subjects, including English Language at grade C (grade 5). Two of these must be B grades (grade 6).

Specifically for Economics, you will need GCSE Maths at grade B (grade 6) and GCSE English Language at grade B (grade 6) or above.

There are no additional qualifications required to study Economics and you do not need to have any prior knowledge of the subject.

Indeed, many students who did not choose Economics as their first subject at college subsequently went on to study it at university. To progress from AS to A Level you will need a D grade at AS.

Assessment Information

Assessments take place in a variety of ways, including essays, multi-choice questions and case studies. However, to be successful in this subject it is just as important to follow world events related to Economics as it is to attend class and write assignments.