Practice for the essays in Cambridge International AS Economics (9708) Paper 2: you answer one essay in Section B (mainly microeconomics) and one in Section C (mainly macroeconomics), each in two parts.
- Part (a), 8 marks, is marked point by point: up to 3 for knowledge (AO1: definitions, an accurate labelled diagram), 3 for analysis (AO2: cause and effect, explained using the diagram) and 2 for evaluation (AO3: weighing up the “consider” part of the question, with one mark kept for a conclusion).
- Part (b), 12 marks, is marked in levels: Table A (knowledge and analysis, 8 marks) rewards developed, balanced analysis that considers the alternatives; Table B (evaluation, 4 marks) rewards developed evaluation and a justified conclusion that answers the question. A one-sided answer can’t earn any evaluation marks.
For each part, decode the question, draw the diagram, build the essay from sentences (some are the mistakes examiners see most), check it against the mark scheme, then read the model essay and the examiners’ advice. You can also write the essay in your own words, paragraph by paragraph, and mark it yourself against the same points and levels: the computer doesn’t mark what you type.
Evaluation isn’t a list of “it depends” statements: compare the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments, say which way each condition pushes the answer (“it depends on X, because…, so…”), and answer the question in its own words (always, best, more effective than…).
Objective: Cambridge International AS & A Level Economics 9708 (2026–2028), Paper 2, Sections B and C: essay structure, the assessment objectives (AO1 knowledge and understanding, AO2 analysis, AO3 evaluation), accurate diagrams (demand and supply, AD/AS), and evaluation leading to a justified conclusion.
Where this fits
- Cambridge: Cambridge A Level Economics (9708); Cambridge AS Level Economics (9708)
