Distance Learning Support

At Start Learning we pride ourselves on our friendly and supportive tutors. Your tutor support will start as soon as you receive your course and will be valid for 18 months. All our tutors are highly qualified with extensive experience in supporting distance learning students. You contact your tutor via email and they are responsible for marking assignments answering your questions and guiding you through the course.

Home Study Entry Requirements

Basic English reading and writing skills are required. We recommend you have general skills and knowledge associated with a GCSE course or equivalent.

At Start Learning we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and study further, so we try to keep our entry requirements to a minimum.

Recommended Hours of Study

It is recommended that 200 hours of your time should be allocated towards study for the AS and A2 examinations.

Distance Learning Course Contents

A Level Economics consists of AS Level and A2 Level

AS Level
Unit 1 – ECON1 – Markets and Market Failure
• The Economic Problem
• The Allocation of Resources in Competitive Markets
• Production and Efficiency
• Market Failure
• Government Intervention in the Market

Unit 2 – ECON2 – The National Economy
• Introduction to Macroeconomics
• How the Macro-economy works: AD/AS analysis, the circular flow of income and related concepts
• Economic performance
• Macroeconomic policy

A2 Level
Unit 3: ECON3 – Business Economics and the Distribution of Income
• The Firm: Objectives, Costs and Revenues
• Competitive Markets
• Marketing Strategies
• Concentrated Markets
• The Labour Market
• Government Intervention in the Market

Unit 4: ECON4 – The National and International Economy
• Macroeconomic Indicators
• Managing the national economy
• The international economy

AS Level + A2 Level = A Level in Economics

Recommended Reading

AQA AS Economics Student Book, 2nd edition
by Chris Vidler and Charles Smith
ISBN-10: 0435692224
ISBN-13: 978-0435692223

AQA A2 Economics Student's Book
by Jim Lawrence, Steve Stoddard
ISBN-10: 0748799656
ISBN-13: 978-0748799657

Revision Guide to AS & A2 Level Economics – James Keefe
Publisher – Informe
ISBN – 0 907529 70 4

Learning Objectives

Unit 1: ECON1 – Markets and Market Failure

The Economic Problem
•  Nature and Purpose of Economic Activity
• Economic Resources
• The Economic Objectives of Individuals, Firms and Government
• Scarcity, choice and the allocation of resources
• Production Possibility Diagrams
• Value Judgements, Positive and Normative statements

The Allocation of Resources in Competitive Markets
• The Determinants of the Demand for Goods and Services
• Price, Income and Cross Elasticity’s of Demand
• The Determinants of the Supply of Goods and Services
• Price Elasticity of Supply
• The Determination of Equilibrium Market Prices
• Demand and Supply Analysis to Particular Markets
• The Interrelationship Between Markets
• How Markets and Prices Allocate Resources

Production and Efficiency
• Specialisation, Division of Labour and Exchange
• Production
• Economies and Diseconomies of Scale

Market Failure
• The Meaning of Market Failure
• Public Goods
• Externalities in Consumption and Production
• Merit and Demerit Goods
• Monopoly and the Allocation of Resources
• Immobility of Factors of Production
• Inequalities in the Distribution of Income and Wealth

 Government Intervention in the Market
• Rationale for Government Intervention
• Methods of Government Intervention to Correct Distortions
• The Impact of Government Intervention on Market Outcomes
• Government Failure

Unit 2: ECON2 – The National Economy
Introduction to Macroeconomics
• The Measurement of macroeconomic performance
• Macroeconomic Indicators
• The Economic Cycle

How the Macro-economy works: AD/AS analysis, the circular flow of income and related concepts
• Circular flow of income
• Aggregate Demand (AD) and Aggregate Supply (AS) Analysis
• The Determinants of Aggregate Demand
• Aggregate Demand and the Level of Economic Activity
• Determinants of Short-Run Aggregate Supply
• Determinants of Long-Run Aggregate Supply

Economic Performance
• The Objectives of Government Economic Policy
• Economic Growth
• Inflation and Deflation
• Employment and Unemployment
• The Balance of Payments on Current Account

Macroeconomic Policy
• Fiscal Policy
• Monetary Policy
• Supply-Side Policies

Unit 3: ECON3 – Business Economics and the Distribution of Income

The Firm: Objectives, Costs and Revenues
• The objectives if firms
• The Divorce of ownership from control
• The Law of diminishing returns and returns to scale
• Fixed and Variable Costs,Marginal, Average and Total Costs
• Economies and Diseconomies of Scale
• Technological Change
• Total, Average and Marginal Revenue

Competitive Markets
• The Model of Perfect Competition
• Competition and the Efficient Allocation of Resources
• The Dynamics of Competition and Competitive Market Processes

Concentrated Markets
• Monopoly and Oligopoly
• Price Makers and Price Takers
• The Growth of Firms
• Sources of Monopoly Power
• The Model of Monopoly
• Collusive and Non-Collusive Oligopoly
• Interdependence in Oligopolistic Markets
• Price Discrimination
• Consumer and Producer Surplus
• Contestable and Non-contestable Markets
• Market Structure, Static Efficiency and Dynamic Efficiency

The Labour Market
• The Demand for Labour, Marginal Productivity Theory
• Influences upon the Supply of Labour to Different Markets
• Competitive Labour Markets
• Imperfectly Competitive Labour Markets
• The Impact of a National Minimum Wage Rate
• Discrimination in the Labour Market

Government Intervention in the Market
• Market failure and Government failure
• Competition Policy
• Notions of Equity
• The Problem of Poverty
• Cost Benefit Analysis

Unit 4: ECON4 – The National and International Economy

Macroeconomic Indicators
• The Economic Cycle and Economic Growth
• Uses of National Income Data
• Unemployment
• Inflation and Deflation

Managing the National Economy
• Macroeconomic Models and Policies
• Fiscal Policy
• Supply-Side Policies
• Monetary Policy, the
• Money Supply and Interest Rates
• Exchange Rate Policy

The International Economy
• Globalisation
• Trade
• The balance of payments
• Exchange rate systems
• The European Union

Summary of Assessments
Unit 1: ECON1 – Markets and Market Failure
• 50% of AS Level
• 25% of A Level
• 1 hour 15 minutes examination
• 75 marks
Section A: 25 compulsory objective test items, 25 marks
Section B: Two optional data response questions are set; candidates answer one, 50 marks

Unit 2: ECON2 – The National Economy
• 50% of As Level
• 30% of A Level
• 1 hour 15 minutes examination
• 75 marks
Section A: 25 compulsory objective test items, 25 marks
Section B: Two optional data response questions are set; candidates answer one, 50 marks

Unit 3: ECON3 – Business Economics and the Distribution of Income
• 25% of A Level
• 2  hour examination
• 80 marks
Section A: Two optional data response questions are set; candidates answer one, 40 marks, one question will always relate to the global context and the other to the European Union context.
Section B: Three optional essay questions are set; candidates answer one, 40 marks

Unit 4: ECON4 – The National and International Economy
• 25 % of A Level
• 2  hour examination
• 80 marks
Section A: Two optional data response questions are set; candidates answer one, 40 marks, one question will always relate to the global context and the other to the European Union context.
Section B: Three optional essay questions are set; candidates answer one, 40 marks

Qualification

AS +A2 = A level in Economics.
Both AS and A2 level courses and examinations must be successfully completed to gain a full A level.

Language of Examination

English

Examination Centre

You can find a full list of private candidate centres here: AQA Private Candidate Centres

Start Learning will provide you with a list of examination centres but it is entirely your responsibility to find a centre which will accept you as an external candidate.
In some cases you should be prepared to travel to another town or city to take your exams.

Start Learning provides expertise support and advice for students in their studies through their comprehensive course packs and tutoring system. However, we do stress that it is the student’s responsibility to find a centre to register and take their exams with. We are aware that sometimes this is difficult or even impossible to arrange.

Now we have come to an arrangement with a centrally located centre where Start Learning students will be able to take their exams. It is the English Maths Science Tuition & Educational Centre, located in Birmingham, right in the centre of England.

We realise this may still involve a good deal of travelling for some students but the long-term benefits of being able to gain A Levels far outweigh the short-term  expense and inconvenience.

For further information, please go to:
http://www.englishandmaths.com/Index.php

or: English Maths Science Tuition Centre Ltd.
40 Showell Green lane
Sparkhill
Birmingham,
B11 4JP
England
United Kingdom

Tel: 0121-771-1298

The contract for sitting exams is between you and the centre and we will provide you with comprehensive instructions on when and how to deal with the examination centre.

Summary of Examinations

Unit 1 – ECON1 – Markets and Market Failure
Percentage: 50% of AS Level, 25% of A Level
Examination Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Marks: 75 marks, Section A: 25 marks, Section B: 50 marks
Format Section A: 25 compulsory objective test items
Format Section B: Two optional data response questions are set; candidates answer one

Unit 2 – ECON2 – The National Economy
Percentage: 50% of AS Level, 30% of A Level
Examination Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Marks: 75 marks, Section A: 25 marks, Section b: 50 marks
Format Section A: 25 compulsory objective test items
Format Section B: Two optional data response questions are set; candidates answer one

Unit 3: ECON3 – Business Economics and the Distribution of Income
Percentage: 25% of A Level
Examination Time: 2 hours
Total Marks: 80 marks, Section A: 40 marks, Section B: 40 marks
Format Section A: Two optional data response questions are set; candidates answer one
Format Section B: Three optional essay questions are set; candidates answer one 

Unit 4: ECON4 – The National and International Economy
Percentage: 25 % of A Level
Examination Time: 1 hour examination
Total Marks: 80 marks, Section A: 40 marks, Section B: 40 marks
Format Section A: Two optional data response questions are set; candidates answer one
Format Section B: Three optional essay questions are set; candidates answer one