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| A Level | |
No-one is unaffected by economics. Whether we understand its forces or not, we have to cope with its effects. What is it? Essentially, economics is the study of the allocation and consumption of scarce resources, such as land, labour and capital. It provides the answers to questions such as:
— Can pollution be effectively controlled?
— Why does the average premier league footballer earn in a fortnight what a nurse earns in a year?
— What effect does a fall in interest rates have on the UK?
What makes an A-Level economist?
"A" Level economists need a good understanding of the economic environment which surrounds them, and an ability to apply to it the ideas which they have learned in the classroom and in their reading. We are living in interesting times for economists. The attempt to build and expand a coherent European Union; the impact of the sub-prime mortgage crisis in 2007; the question of whether the UK should participate in the single European currency; these are just a few of the problems which require analysis and understanding if sensible answers are to be found.
Students need to be aware of current developments through reading newspapers and periodicals, watching current affairs programmes and researching, including making use of offical data from the Internet. A webtext covering the whole syllabus is available on the school intranet.
Entry Requirements
Pupils must have successfully passed Higher Economics at grade B or above to progress onto the A-Level course. The course involves further graphical and numerical analysis; pupils who have not gained an A or B at GCSE, or credit level at Standard Grade in Mathematics would find Economics increasingly difficult.
AS-LEVEL (2 Units) |
A-LEVEL (2 Units) |
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Unit 2: The National Economy
Can we reconcile environmental objectives with improving living standards? |
Unit 4: The National and International Economy
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AssessmentThe course will be assessed by two AS-Level examinations each lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes, and two ALevel examinations each lasting two hours. It is expected that candidates will sit the two AS-Level papers in January of 7ths, followed by the two A-Level papers in June. The papers each have equal (25%) weighting in terms of the fi nal result. |
ProgressionThe course is an ideal preparation for the study at an undergraduate level, as either a main degree subject or as an elective as part of an allied degree. An understanding of economics is key to success in a wide range of courses such as Government and Politics, Business Studies, Geography, History or Law. It develops a range of skills, such as the ability to use evidence from a range of different sources, both numerical and text, to develop an evaluative argument. It develops a critical approach to opinions and theories that has benefi ts beyond the subject itself. |
Unit 1: Markets & Market Failure
Unit 3: Business Economics and the Distribution of Income
What causes unemployment or inflation? What are their effects and how, if at all, can they be controlled? 
International trade is simply an extension of the principle of division of labour. Specialisation and exchange in theory enable all participants to enjoy higher living standards than would be possible if they attempted to produce everything for themselves. So why does it seem so difficult to get the system to work? This page is: Edinburgh Academy / curriculum / economics / alevel.htm
