How to Revise A-Level Economics
Build your A-Level Economics understanding with practice on microeconomics, macroeconomics, and applied economic analysis.
Revision Strategy
Revising Economics means understanding concepts and theories well enough to apply them to real-world examples and scenarios. Start by making sure you can define and explain the key terms and theories for each topic, then practise applying them to case studies and exam-style questions. The ability to connect theory to evidence is what earns the highest marks.
Essay structure is critical in Economics. Most extended answers require you to present arguments and counter-arguments before reaching a supported conclusion. Practise writing structured responses that clearly state a point, support it with evidence or theory, and then evaluate it before moving on. This disciplined approach prevents waffling and keeps your answers focused.
Research methods and evaluation skills are tested across many Economics papers. Make sure you understand the strengths and weaknesses of different research approaches, can identify bias, and can evaluate the reliability and validity of evidence. These analytical skills are transferable across topics and often provide straightforward marks in the exam.
Study Tips for A-Level Economics
- ✓ Practise drawing and labelling economic diagrams from memory until they are automatic. Supply and demand diagrams, cost curves, and AD/AS models must be accurate, clearly labelled, and drawn quickly — they are essential for almost every exam question.
- ✓ Build a bank of real-world examples for every major topic. Being able to reference specific countries, policies, or economic events (e.g. UK inflation trends, the impact of Brexit on trade) makes your evaluation much more convincing.
- ✓ Learn the key chains of reasoning for each policy tool. For example, if the Bank of England raises interest rates: saving increases, borrowing decreases, consumer spending falls, aggregate demand shifts left, inflationary pressure reduces. Practise writing these transmission mechanisms fluently.
- ✓ Always evaluate by considering multiple perspectives — consumers, producers, the government, and the wider economy. Strong evaluation also requires you to consider short-run versus long-run effects, and the assumptions underlying the economic models you use.
Exam Tips for A-Level Economics
- ✓ In essay and extended response questions, include at least one clearly labelled diagram with a written explanation that refers to the diagram directly. Answers without diagrams rarely achieve full marks, even when the question does not explicitly ask for one.
- ✓ For evaluation marks, go beyond it depends — specify what it depends on. For example, the effectiveness of fiscal policy depends on the size of the output gap, the multiplier effect, the extent of crowding out, and the time lag before effects are felt.
- ✓ Structure your 25-mark essays with a brief introduction defining key terms, three or four developed analytical paragraphs, and a conclusion that weighs up the arguments and reaches a supported judgement.
Topics to Cover
8 topics in A-Level Economics
Frequently Asked Questions
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