Develop the essential JC economics case study answering techniques
Aside from the JC economics essay writing skills development, the economics tuition intensive revision programme also involves the cultivation of effective case study answering techniques. Tutors will use past year exam questions and other samples to facilitate the learning of relevant answering skills. In addition, students will integrate their skills to deal with challenging questions that carry larger weightage of marks.
Conduct trend analysis
The first area for case study skills development is the cultivation of trend analysis techniques. Trend analysis is important for students as it helps them to recognize the direction, pattern, and rates of change at the Microeconomic and Macroeconomic levels. At the A Level Economics examination, students will be handed unseen economic data and information to analyse.
In this case, students are advised to use a pencil to annotate next to the data as it helps them to generate ideas on answering such questions, which are usually the first few questions of the CSQ. Occasionally, students must make simple calculations to determine the patterns of change in the economic context.
Provide diagrammatical illustrations
Some of the CSQs require students to draw economic diagrams to facilitate the answering of questions. Usually, such questions may specify this requirement by stating ‘with the aid of a diagram’. However, students are encouraged to exercise their own judgment, based on adequate experience accumulated from revision, to decide the necessity of draw economic diagrams.
The diagrammatical illustration skills development can be observed in two parts. First, students must develop a systematic order or drawing the diagrams. For example, tutors will advise students to draw and label the two axes. Then, draw the curves at the initial stage. Generally, students must be able to show the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of the economic equilibrium in the diagram. Second, students should start their diagram interpretation in a new paragraph. Using process explanation skills, students will elaborate on the changes illustrated in the diagram and the economic implications. Regular and repeated attempts of diagrammatical drawing are strongly encouraged to build familiarity in preparation for the examination.
Broaden the areas of discussion
To ensure that students can score in the Economics CSQ paper, students must not only minimize the errors for the basic questions (e.g. trend analysis and factor identification questions), but also the attainment of marks for the higher order thinking questions. The latter type of questions usually contains directional words like “discuss”. This implies that students must provide answers to support and challenge the given perspective in the question. During our economics tuition intensive revision classes, students will learn how to expand their areas of discussion by examining different factors and contributing roles. This answering method is essential as students will avoid stumbling in such questions that can be seen as a filtering method for examiners to discern the A-grade students from the rest of the cohort.
