Examiner's Verdict on the 2025 Series
The June 2025 examination series for Oxford AQA International AS and A-Level Economics (9640) presented a balanced yet highly discriminating assessment. Units 1 and 2 (AS) featured a predictable mix of core principles and current economic data, while Units 3 and 4 (A2) demanded sophisticated application of micro and macro theory. The difficulty index sits at a solid 3.5 out of 5, representing a fair paper with distinct areas where high-achieving students could separate themselves from the crowd through precise diagrammatic exposition and robust evaluation.
Where the Marks Were Won and Lost
A significant portion of marks was concentrated in the high-weight essay and analysis questions. In Unit 1, the 20-mark essay on public goods and state provision proved highly accessible, but many candidates struggled to distinguish between public goods and quasi-public goods in the 12-mark analysis question, particularly when analyzing how technological change affects excludability. In Unit 2, the comparison of short-run and long-run economic growth was done well, but students who failed to draw a clear distinction between aggregate demand-led growth and supply-side capacity-led growth missed out on top marks. In the A2 units, the 25-mark essays on state-owned monopolies and currency depreciation highlighted a lack of structured evaluation, with many candidates presenting a one-sided argument rather than a balanced economic synthesis.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Examiners repeatedly flagged diagrammatic inaccuracies as a key area where easy marks were thrown away. Candidates frequently mixed up macroeconomic and microeconomic labels (for example, placing Price Level and Real National Output on a microeconomic market diagram for a private good). Additionally, quantitative questions in Section B showed that while students generally understood the mathematical procedures, they often failed to round to the requested decimal place or omitted the required unit currency (such as writing 13.36 instead of $13.36bn).
Preparation Strategy and Upcoming Predictions
To secure top grades, students must treat quantitative skills, diagram accuracy, and evaluation as integrated components of their preparation. Memorize the exact characteristics needed for definitions and practice sketching pristine tariff and market intervention diagrams under timed conditions. Looking ahead to future series, topics such as Financial Markets and Market Failure and Fiscal Policy conflicts are significantly overdue for high-tariff questions. Keep a close eye on these areas and practice structuring balanced essays that conclude with a justified, context-dependent judgment.