Edexcel A-Level Economics A guide FAQ (9EC0)
Guide overview All 21 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
Edexcel A-Level Economics A: questions and answers
Specification 9EC0. Two sets, because students and parents ask different things.
For students
Am I on Economics A or Economics B?
Edexcel runs two A-Level Economics specifications. This guide is Economics A, 9EC0, the market-led route. The other is Economics B, 9EB0, which teaches economics through the firm and is organised completely differently.
The code is on your exam timetable. If yours says 9EB0 you need the Economics B guide instead.
Which themes are on which paper?
Paper 1 is Themes 1 and 3, the microeconomics. Paper 2 is Themes 2 and 4, the macroeconomics. Paper 3 draws on all four, so micro and macro appear together. The full breakdown is here.
Do I need to draw diagrams?
Yes, and they carry marks on all three papers. The guide asks what each diagram shows, what shifts each curve and what the shift means, which is the part that has to be recalled before the drawing is worth anything.
How much maths is there?
Enough to have its own questions throughout. Elasticities, index numbers, real and nominal values, the multiplier, percentage and percentage point change, and reading data tables and graphs.
Do I need current examples?
They help in the evaluations, and examiners credit recent ones. The guide covers the theory, the models and the standard examples; keep your own file of current cases alongside it.
How long does one session take?
About twenty minutes for one subtopic, all three steps. Topics run from 22 to 254 questions.
Can I do it in my head instead of writing?
Write. The chains of reasoning are marked step by step, and step 2 is where a missing link becomes visible. The method page sets out the evidence.
Do I still need past papers?
Yes. Past papers train the data response and the twenty-five mark essays. Pearson publishes them free.
For parents
What is this, in plain terms?
A PDF of 2,508 exam-style questions covering the whole of Edexcel A-Level Economics A, with the answers printed after each topic.
How do I check it is the right course?
Find the specification code on the exam timetable. Edexcel runs Economics A (9EC0) and Economics B (9EB0). They are different courses. This one is 9EC0.
How do I know if it is being used properly?
There should be handwritten answers on paper and three passes over the same questions, and two scores per session to compare.
My child understands economics but the grades are middling.
Economics is marked on named theory, correct diagrams and evaluated chains of reasoning. Understanding it in conversation is not the same as producing the model with the book shut and a clock running.
How much is it compared with a textbook?
£8.00 for the whole specification. An endorsed Edexcel A-Level Economics textbook is usually £30 to £40 and covers two of the four themes.
How much time does the whole course take?
179 subtopics at roughly twenty minutes each is about 60 hours for a full first pass, spread across two years.
What else does my child need?
Past papers, free from Pearson, a calculator, and a habit of following economic news for current examples.
Edexcel A-Level Economics A Active Recall Guide
2,508 questions with their answers, 179 subtopics, one file.