ASSESSMENT

You will have two options open to you in your economics studies:

  1. complete the first year of the course and accept the AS economics qualification

  2. complete two years of study and accept the full A level qualification

AS ECONOMICS

The AS qualification is worth 50% of the full A level qualification and must be completed before the full A level qualification can be awarded.

The table shows the AS assessments:

AS ECONOMICS ASSESSMENT

UNIT 1
Markets and Market Failure
  • 1.5hr exam
  • 35% of AS marks
  • 17.5% of A level marks
  • 25 multiple choice questions
  • Choice of one data response question from two
UNIT 2 The National Economy
  • 1.5hr exam
  • 35% of AS marks
  • 17.5% of A Level marks
  • 25 multiple choice questions
  • Choice of one data response question from two
UNIT 3 Markets at Work
  • 1hr exam
  • 30% of AS marks
  • 15% of A level marks
  • One data response question on the housing market 

You are allowed to retake exams once at any level before the whole specification is retaken to improve a grade.

If you decide to finish your studies at the end of the AS course you will have to "cash in" your marks, ie you will have to accept the grade you have been awarded at this level.

If you decide to take the full A level qualification, you can still "cash in" your AS qualification. This means  that if you are applying to university the AS grade will have to appear on your UCAS application form. However, you do not have to "cash in" the AS grade until the end of the course when you accept the full A Level grade.

A2 ECONOMICS

The A2 exams will be taken in the second year of the course. Unit 4 and Unit 5 are synoptic in nature. This means that you will have to sit them at the end of the course because they can assess anything on the specification.

The table shows the A2 assessment:

A2 ECONOMICS ASSESSMENT

UNIT 4
Working as an Economist

or

Centre Assessed Coursework
  • 1.66hr exam
  • 20% of A level marks

or

  • Ongoing coursework
  • 20% of A level marks
  • Case study on the European Union

 

  • Coursework on a topic of interest
UNIT 5 Business Economics and the Distribution of Income
  • 1.5hr exam
  • 15% of A level marks
  • synoptic exam
  • one data response  questions
  • Choice of one essay from three
UNIT 6 Government Policy, the National and International Economy
  • 1.5hr exam
  • 15% of A level marks
  • synoptic exam
  • One data response question 
  • Choice of one essay from three 

The marks from the AS exams and the A2 exams will be added together to give the A level grade.

The exams at AS and A2 level will test different skills. Go to the page on assessment criteria for further information

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