Economics was the tenth most popular A Level subject in 2024 – after subjects like maths, the sciences, history and business studies. But is Economics A Level hard?
Well, it’s definitely a challenging subject. However, with hard work, determination and the right support, there’s no reason why you can’t ace it. Here’s the lowdown.
Psst! Finding an Economics A Level tutor is a great way to make sure you can keep up with your class and reach your full potential in the exams.
What is Economics A Level?
Economics is a social science that looks at how humans allocate scarce resources for production, distribution and consumption.
A Level Economics is split into two parts:
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
Microeconomics examines the idea of an ideal free market economy and compares it with real modern market phenomena.
Meanwhile, macroeconomics focuses on economics from a national point of view, through themes like inequality, unemployment, economic growth and trade/budget deficits.
At the end of the two-year course, students are assessed through three written exams.
Is A Level Economics hard?
Yes! Economics is a difficult subject.
There’s a lot of content to learn and it requires an awareness of current affairs and human behaviour.
Plus, you’ll need both strong writing and numeracy skills in order to apply your knowledge to exam questions and essays.
That said, remember that ‘A Level’ stands for ‘Advanced Level.’
So, although A Level Economics is hard, all A Levels are supposed to be!
It’s also worth noting that you won’t normally need to have studied GCSE Economics in order to take the subject for A Level.
Rather, the course is designed to be accessed even by students who don’t have any prior knowledge in the subject.
How hard is Economics A Level?
It’s impossible to say exactly how hard you’d find Economics A Level.
After all, every student is different. So, it’ll all depend on your skills, interests and work ethic.
Having said that, there are a few key challenges that you’ll need to be able to overcome if you decide to tackle Economics A Level.
Volume of content
The content you’ll cover in A Level Economics isn’t hugely complex, but there is a lot of it to learn.
Exactly what you’ll cover will vary depending on which exam board you’re with. However, you’ll encounter lots of different topics across both micro and macroeconomics.
To give you some idea, here’s what you’ll cover if you’re with the exam board AQA:
Microeconomics
- Economic methodology and the economic problem
- Individual economic decision making
- Price determination in a competitive market
- Production, costs and revenue
- Perfect competition, imperfectly competitive markets and monopoly
- The labour market
- The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality
- The market mechanism, market failure and government intervention in markets
Macroeconomics
- The measurement of macroeconomic performance
- How the macroeconomy works: the circular flow of income, aggregate demand/aggregate supply analysis and related concepts
- Economic performance
- Financial markets and monetary policy
- Fiscal policy and supply-side policies
- The international economy
Application
It’s not enough for students to just learn the content.
Rather, you’ll need to be able to understand the concepts covered in-depth in order to apply your knowledge to exam questions and essays.
In particular, when it comes to macroeconomics, there’s often no right or wrong answer. Instead, you’ll need to pick up on nuances and use your analytical skills to thoroughly evaluate economic theories, using relevant examples to support your arguments.
Awareness of present-day issues
Economics is all around us all the time – so, you can’t just rely on your textbook to do well in this subject.
Instead, you’ll need to show a keen interest and understanding of economics in real life.
That means keeping up to date and following the news to pick up on economical, political, business and social issues.
Mathematical skills
Economics A Level also requires a certain level of confidence in maths.
Don’t get us wrong, you don’t need to take Maths A Level to be successful in this subject – the maths covered won’t be that complex. But it will help if you were relatively comfortable with GCSE Maths.
Typically, you’ll need to be able to get your head around basic algebra and graphical interpretations, to understand how they apply to economic theories and models.
Essay writing skills
Another challenge for some students can be the amount of writing involved.
Although the content itself might not be overly complex, you’ll need strong essay writing skills to be able to explore the nuances of different concepts and present your arguments clearly.
This can often be the key to applying your knowledge successfully in an exam setting – which can be a barrier for some learners.
Is it easy to pass Economics A Level?
We wouldn’t say ‘easy’ exactly, but you’ll be pleased to hear that the pass rate for Economics A Level is higher than average.
In 2024, 98.1% of Economics A Level students passed the course (according to FFT Education Datalab) – which means they got a grade E or above.
This is compared to just 97.2% across all subjects.
Meanwhile, 81.3% of Economics A Level students got a grade C or above – compared to just 76.4% across all subjects.
Here’s how A Level Economics pass grades have been distributed in recent years.
| 2019 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| E or above | 98.3% | 98% | 98.1% |
| C or above | 80.7% | 80.2% | 81.3% |
| A or above | 28.9% | 29.3% | 30.2% |
| A* | 6.7% | 7.5% | 7.6% |
Is it hard to get an A in Economics A level?
As well as high pass rates, a higher-than-average proportion of students tend to get a grade A or above in A Level Economics.
In 2024, 30.2% of students got at least a grade A – meanwhile, the average across all subjects was 27.8%.
That said, only 7.6% of students got an A*, compared to 9.3% across all subjects.
This suggests that it can be challenging for students to reach the deeper understanding of the material needed to get the very highest marks.
Is economics harder than Maths A Level?
Given that economics involves wrapping your head around mathematical concepts, you might be wondering how the subject compares to A Level Maths for difficulty.
So, is economics harder than Maths A Level?
Well, economics has a higher pass rate, but a higher proportion of students tend to access the top grades in A Level Maths.
| Economics | Maths | |
| E or above | 98.1% | 96.1% |
| C or above | 81.3% | 76.7% |
| A or above | 30.2% | 42% |
| A* | 7.6% | 16.9% |
That said, it’s worth noting that maths students are particularly high scoring.
After all, a whopping 42% of maths students got a grade A or above in 2024 – way over the average of 27.8% across all subjects!
So, does this make maths easier than economics?
Well, no. At least, we don’t think so.
Rather, it’s likely down to the type of student who chooses to take A Level Maths. Students who choose to continue the subject to A Level are more likely to already have a strong aptitude and interest in the subject.
On the other hand, A Level Economics is likely to attract a slightly wider range of learners with different aptitudes and ambitions.
How to pass Economics A Level
As you can see, Economics A Level isn’t a walk in the park. But with the right preparation, hard work and support, there’s no reason why you can’t ace it.
Here are our top tips for how to pass Economics A Level with the best grade possible.
1. Know what to expect
First things first, it’s important to know exactly what to expect in your A Level Economics exams.
This way, you can make sure to cover every element in your preparation.
Plus, you can lower your exam stress knowing that there won’t be any unexpected surprises on the day.
Each exam board will work a bit differently. However, regardless of which exam board you’re with, you won’t usually have any coursework to do for your Economics A Level.
Rather, you’ll have three papers to sit at the end of the year, covering questions from both microeconomics and macroeconomics.
2. Nail the basics
Without mastering the basics, you’ll struggle to build the in-depth knowledge and understanding needed to reach the highest grades.
The core economic concepts should be the foundation of your learning.
So, spend time solidifying your knowledge of the basics and make sure to seek help if there are any gaps in your understanding.
Which brings us onto…
3. Get the help of a tutor
Although your college or sixth form will prepare you for the A Level Economics exams, nothing beats one-to-one attention.
An A Level Economics tutor is an experienced professional who’ll know how to help you fulfil your potential. In fact, many are trained teachers and examiners too!
Your tutor will create tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths, weaknesses and learning style.
In this way, they’ll help to prepare you fully for the exams and will be able to guide you to the best marks possible. In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade!
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
4. Start revision early
It can be tempting to leave your A Level Economics preparation until just a few months – or even weeks – before the exams.
But you’ll get the best results if you start early and revise consistently throughout the year.
After all, there’s a lot to learn. And this way, you can spread out your learning across the year instead of panicking when your exams are around the corner.
Taking 10 minutes to review what you’ve learned after each lesson can also help to keep everything at the front of your mind and save you a lot of formal revision time!
5. Make the most of A Level Economics past papers
Past papers are an invaluable tool to help you prepare for your A Level Economics exams.
Not only will they familiarise you with the types of questions you might come across in the real thing.
But when you answer them under timed conditions, they’re also an opportunity to practise managing your time and dealing with exam pressure – which can boost your confidence and reduce exam stress when the big day rolls around.
Just bear in mind that marking your own answers to essay questions can be a challenge.
That’s why we’d always recommend getting a teacher or tutor to mark your past papers for you. This will give you a real understanding of the areas you need to work on most before the real thing.
6. Plan your time
Exam success often comes down to time management just as much as subject knowledge.
So, make sure to keep your eye on the clock in the exam room, and allocate your time carefully.
As a general rule, you’ll want to spend the most time on the questions that are worth the most, and vice versa.
This will give you the best chance of unlocking all available marks and getting the highest grade possible.
7. Don’t panic!
Last but not least, don’t panic.
Work through the exam paper calmly and methodically, and read each question twice to be absolutely certain you’ve understood it properly. The last thing you need is to make any silly mistakes.
With hard work and the right support, we believe you can achieve anything!
Find a tutor to bring Economics A Level to life
A Level Economics can be a hard subject, but it’s often worth it.
Not only can it open up doors to lots of different higher education and career opportunities, but it can also be incredibly enriching and rewarding.
To give yourself the best chance of passing with flying colours, why not find an A Level tutor to support you every step of the way?
An A Level Economics tutor will give you one-on-one attention you won’t get at college, to help you hone your skills and practise applying your knowledge in an exam situation.
From week-by-week plans to practice exams, they’ll tailor their teaching to suit your strengths, weaknesses and learning style, and help you reach your full potential.
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
FAQs
Is economics a hard A Level?
Yes, economics is a hard A Level with a lot of content to learn. Often, students find the hardest aspect of the subject is applying what they’ve learned in exam questions and essays.
Is Economics A Level harder than chemistry?
That depends on your strengths, weaknesses and preferences. Chemistry has a higher pass rate than economics – in 2024, 95.6% of chemistry students got a grade E or above, compared to 98.1% of economics students. However, a higher proportion of chemistry students tend to access the top grades.
Head over to our guide on whether Chemistry A Level is hard to learn more.
Is economics a respected A Level?
Yes, economics is a respected A Level that demonstrates a student’s ability to think critically and analytically. That said, it isn’t typically regarded as a facilitating subject. Facilitating subjects are those most commonly asked for in university entry requirements.
In this way, it’s on a par with subjects like A Level Psychology, which isn’t a traditional ‘facilitating’ subject but is still academically rigorous.
What are the easiest A Levels?
No two learners are the same, so it’s impossible to say for sure which are the easiest A Levels.
However, subjects like business, film studies and media studies are generally considered to be less academically rigorous.
Keen to compare a range of subjects for difficulty? Read our guides on how hard a range of A Level subjects are, including:
- Maths
- Further maths
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Psychology
- English language
- English literature
- Politics
- History
What A Level goes well with economics?
Economics is a versatile subject that pairs well with lots of different A Level choices. A few A Levels that combine particularly well with economics include maths, politics, history and business studies.
