Current GCSE

GCSE Economics - OCR 1985

Brief Summary of the syllabus:

1. THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM

• Factors of production
• Scarcity, choice and opportunity cost
• Approaches to the economic problem
• Money and interest rates

2. THE COMPETITIVE MARKET

• Competitive markets
• The demand curve
• The supply curve
• Price elasticity
• Determination of price in competitive markets
• Costs
• Revenue
• Profits
• Productivity
• Rewards for labour

3. THE ECONOMIC ROLE OF GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE UK

• The rôle of government within the UK economy
• Government income and expenditure
• Recent trends in the UK economy and government economic policy with regard to:
• o Economic growth
• o Unemployment and training
• o Price stability and inflation
• o Potential conflicts between policy objectives
• Market failure and government policy

4. THE EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL SETTING

• International specialisation and trade
• European Union
• Balance of payments
• Exchange rates
• Standard of living

What skills/attributes are being developed and examined?

A course based on this specification should enable candidates to:

• make effective use of relevant terminology, concepts and methods, and recognise the strengths and weaknesses of ideas used
• apply knowledge and critical understanding to current issues and problems in a wide range of appropriate contexts
• distinguish between facts and opinions and evaluate quantitative and qualitative data in order to help build arguments and make informed judgements
• appreciate the perspectives of a range of stakeholders in relation to the environment, individuals, society, government and enterprise
• develop key skills in numeracy, literacy, information and communication technology, working with others, improving own learning and performance, and problem-solving.

Upper band grade descriptor:

To attain a Grade A, candidates must demonstrate in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of the full range of specification content. They apply this knowledge and critical understanding, using terms, concepts, theories and methods effectively to address problems and issues. They select and organise information from a wide variety of sources and interpret and use this information effectively to analyse problems and issues with a high degree of accuracy. They also evaluate evidence effectively, making reasoned judgements and presenting conclusions accurately and appropriately.

 Revison notes can be found here