How I scored A in IGCSE Economics

How I scored A in IGCSE Economics
Ms. Beh Mhin Yee

Scoring an A in Economics  



 Hello, my name is mhin yee, and i scored an A for 88 marks in my IGCSE economics exam. Now im gonna brief you all in how to attain an A.
    

    First of all the No. 1 rule, is to always pay attention in class. Listen to the teacher’s description of the economic situations and the illustrations. Examples are really important in economics. Teachers are normally with experience so listen carefully to them to know how an economy actually works eg, in time of a recession or an economic boom.
         Secondly, plot your own notes alongside the lecture. Mark down what you think is important in your own words. You can even conclude some cheeky diagrams and charts to aid your critical thinking. Self notes are more comprehensible and thus you'll have a deeper impression.

         Furthermore, economics is about logic and a bit of common sense after you familiarise with the fundamentals and basic concepts. So use your common sense more a bit while writing. Think rationally about what will you do as eg, a business owner. Also, start searching materials and solutions online. Youtube provides a lot of tutorial videos and some of them are really handy. For example, those videos provide some nice tips in exam with some sample answers and some life-saving points. I’ll attach some of my all time go-to videos link over here.
          Econsplusdal breaks a whole topic into different subtopics and provide some in-depth explanation which is really good for students. Even though the essays are for higher levels, it does apply to the 8 marks discussion questions.
         Here are one example. An introduction, 3 paragraphs of body and a conclusion. In that 3 paragraphs, we use the PEEEL rule. Point, first you list out the keywords and a statement. Then, you do the explanation. Here you can insert some diagrams or charts, but you will have to explain it. Igcse examiners love in-depth analysis and hence analyse your explanation deeper. Add graphs when necessary, and remember to label them! This is important as if you do not label, credit will not be given.
         Evidence, example. As i mentioned earlier examples are important in economics. Examiner will be impressed by your general knowledge, so read up the newspaper either online or in paper. Brush up your memory and eyesight. Apply real life situations. Then, evaluation. Evaluate the situation, for example : what would happen to the economy if there’s  a boom, what would happen to the exchange rate if the domestic economy is in a slump. Add lots of jists and rational reasoning over here. Lastly, link. Always link your evaluation back to the subject matter in the question. Application is very important as the questions asked about the subject matter. This applies for all questions in the structured answer part.
          Finally, the conclusion. Try to talk about consequences or benefits from different perspectives. Eg, from point of business owners, or the employees or the shareholders. Then you weigh and balance the pros and cons. You measure them and point out which might outweigh the other then which solution should be the best alternative. And maybe, if this is the case in the short run, it might not be the same as in long run. You have to diffentiate the effects then.
        Now, all sentences should be clear and concise. On point and not lengthy. Always start with definition then only you further explain it. If there needs to be a book to recommend, it would be susan grant. Her sentences are clear and concise, and comprehensible. This is the textbook.
             Last but not least, spam the past year question. It can be the same topic but there is a lot of different ways in asking the question. Familiarise yourself with them and speed up your writing. If you are worried about the time limit, you can time yourself, for example there is 33 minutes each for one question. Or, alternatively you can draft your answer structure at one side, which will make it easier for students to answer in time. Then, scan through your answers before submitting the paper. With all these tips, one shall be one step away from scoring an A. All the best!

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2 comments:

  1. Learned some pretty great tips, hope i can get an A for my economics too. Thank you~ ♡

    ReplyDelete