Why study A level economics?
A level economics will give you an excellent understanding of how economies allocate their scarce resources to meet the needs and wants of their citizens. You will develop a greater understanding of the economic problems which face individuals, firms and governments on a local, national and global level, and the alternative ways these problems can be resolved.
You will look at the microeconomic areas investigating how individual decisions impact economic outcomes, the importance of competition, how markets operate and why they fail and the distribution of wealth. At the same time you will learn about macroeconomics, looking at the ‘big picture’ of how our national economic fits into the global context, the global impact of financial markets and monetary policy and the operation of the international economy.
Level: A level
Board: AQA
Head of department:
Mr A MacLaughlin
Entry requirement: Grade 6 GCSE maths (A level maths recommended); five grade 5s at GCSE including English
How will A level economics be delivered and assessed?
| Paper | Topic | Assessment |
| Paper 1 | Markets and market failure | 2-hour written exam (33.3%) |
| Economic methodology | Multiple-choice, short answer, data response and extended writing | |
| Demand and supply | ||
| Market failure and externalities | ||
| Government intervention | ||
| Labour markets | ||
| The distribution of income and wealth | ||
| Paper 2 | The national and international economy | 2-hour written exam (33.3%) |
| Economic performance | Same structure as paper 1 | |
| Aggregate demand and supply | ||
| Economic policy | ||
| The financial system | ||
| Globalisation and trade | ||
| Exchange rates | ||
| Paper 3 | Economic principles and issues (synoptic) | 2-hour written exam (33.3%) |
| Application of knowledge from papers 1 and 2 | Multiple-choice, case study and extended response questions | |
| Focus on real-world issues, evaluation, and decision-making |
Progress
You may choose to pursue a career in a directly related field such as banking or finance. The A level course in economics will stand you in good stead by giving you an insight and understanding of the economic forces than impact on your day to day activities.
Alternatively, you may wish to decide to follow a career path which isn’t directly related to your course of study. The analytical and evaluation skills that you will have developed will be useful whatever path you choose in the future.
An A level in economics will benefit you if you are looking to go onto study economics, business or finance at university. The skills you acquire will help you no matter what degree course you choose.
