AS Economics

Economics
This course follows the Edexcel syllabus. It is designed to introduce students to the major economic issues affecting Britain and the rest of the world. Students will learn the main principles and theories of Economics and care is taken to establish links with current events.

It is not necessary for students to have studied Economics at GCSE level prior to this course. The teaching programme is designed to progress from elementary ideas to more advanced concepts at a steady pace.

Students should be aware that Barton Peveril offers one other related course
AS Economics and Business Studies

The course is exam based; there are NO coursework options.

What Will I Learn on this Course?

Key areas of study are:
· How to develop an understanding of economic concepts and theories through a critical consideration of current economic issues and problems.
· How to apply economic concepts and theories in a range of contexts and to appreciate their value and limitations in explaining real-world phenomena.
· How to analyse, explain and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the market economy and the role of government within it.
· How to participate effectively in society as a citizen, producer and consumer.
· Key areas of study include the price mechanism and its role in allocating resources, macro economic problems such as employment and inflation, international trade, national income and economic policy of governments.

Courses Content and Method of Assessment

AS

Unit Assessment
Unit 1: Competitive Markets - How They Work and Why They Fail (50%)
Exam length: 1 hour 15 minutes. Supported multiple choice questions where students write a short justification of why they chose that answer and/or why the other answers are incorrect. (32 marks)
One data response question out of a choice of two questions. (48 marks)

Unit 2: Managing the Economy (50%)
Exam length: 1 hour 15 minutes. One data response question out of a choice of two questions. (50 marks)
Last question of data response will be open ended (30 marks)

A2

Unit Assessment
Unit 3- Business Economics and Economic efficiency
(40%) Exam length: 1 hour 30 minutes Supported multiple choice questions where students write a short justification of why they chose that answer and/or why the other answers are incorrect. (40 marks)
One data response question out of a choice of two questions. (38 marks)

Unit 4 - The Global Economy (60%) Exam length: 2 hours One essay question with two parts from a choice of three topic areas. (50 marks)
One data response question out of a choice of two questions. (50 marks)

After the Course

Students with AS or A level Economics have access to a wide range of possible career and higher education opportunities. A significant proportion of our students have gone on to study Economics or related subjects at university. Economics typically leads to careers in finance, management, accounting, marketing, government administration, and teaching.

Subject Combinations

Economics fits well with virtually any other A levels, but fits particularly well with social science type subjects such as Geography, Politics, History, Law and Maths. Mathematicians tend to make very good economists.

Entry Requirements

Students need to be able to express themselves clearly in written form and they must be numerate.
All students are expected to have a minimum of five GCSE grades A-C, including a grade B in English and Maths.