But I feel such an approach is counterproductive and detrimental Backfire

Discouraging and unpromising

Econs Caf
The 8-Step Approach Step 1: Read the question carefully. Step 2: For a two-part question, look at the mark that each part carries as it indicates the length of the answer expected. Further, consider part (b) before attempting part (a) to prevent any overlap between the answers. Step 3: Pay particular attention to key words as they indicate the content areas on which you are required to focus. Step 4: Pay particular attention to command words as they indicate what you are asked to do. A list of command words commonly used in the GCE A Level Economics paper together with their explanations is provided below. Step 5: Make a note of the relevant economic theories and concepts that come to your mind without paying attention to their degree of relevance. Step 6: Prioritise the relevant economic theories and concepts in accordance with their degree of relevance. Step 7: If the list of relevant economic theories and concepts is too long, consider ways to merge some of them. Otherwise, what you did in Step 6 should help you decide which of them to apply and which of them to ignore. Step 8: Organise the relevant economic theories and concepts that you have decided to apply in such a way that there is a structure to the answer. The answer should comprise an introduction, body and conclusion. It should be about four pages in length, excluding diagrams. Refer to the sample answer below.

Econs quest

Essay Writing Skills

Answer the Question
Students fail their essay for one simple reason they are not answering the question. Do you know what it takes to answer the question? A good litmus test is when someone who has no knowledge of the question is able to derive the question by just reading your answer. Imagine that you are an art student who needs to draw a portrait of Queen Elizabeth as your topic. If your painting (i.e. your answer) is clear, people can see that your topic (i.e. the question) is on Queen Elizabeth. If you need to tell them that it is Queen Elizabeth whom you are drawing, then it only means that you have not drawn well. Similarly, if the answer is evident only by looking at the question beforehand, then you have not answered well. A good answer is one which constantly reminds the reader of the question.

Well Explained Diagrams

Why bother drawing diagrams when you dont explain them well? Are all the points on your diagram accounted for? If so, by reading your explanation, one is able to draw out your diagram without looking at it. For starters, explain first, and then draw the diagram based on your explanation . Your diagram and your explanation will then be synchronized.

Use Economic Jargon

You need economic concepts to make your essay less GPish. The problem with economics is that you learn using common sense, but you cannot write in the same manner.

GPish Explanation
During the Great Singapore Sales, consumers buy more Hitachi TVs, and therefore, the firm earns higher revenue.

Economic Explanation

The demand for Hitachi TVs is price elastic due to the availability of close substitutes, such as Sony and Panasonic (such examples are needed). Hence, the decrease in price due to the Great Singapore Sales, will lead to a more than proportionate increase in quantity demanded, such that total revenue increases. Whenever you discuss PED, you must at least have a factor affecting PED (such as the closeness of substitutes, the degree of necessity, the proportion of income spent on the good or tastes and preferences which change only in the long run) to justify as to whether the good is price elastic or inelastic. Use terms such as quantity demanded rather than demand to show that it is a movement along the demand curve. Lastly, include terms such as more or less than proportionate to reflect different PED values. Do you know which PED factors to use for the following? Third degree price discrimination based on market segmentation (micro). PED values for Singapore X and M (macro). J curve effect (macro).

Real life Examples

You need to give real life examples such that your essay is interesting, as opposed to a dull theoretical answer. Some teachers may recommend magazines such as Times or The Economist as reading materials. All these are useful for knowledges sake, but ask yourself if you have the time to read, to decipher what is relevant, and then the ability to recall relevant information under exam conditions. In an exam, there is no distinction between ignorance and inability to recall. You dont have to remember many real life examples, but what you learn you have to utilize fully (all these examples will be given unto you). The idea is to seem knowledgeable to the examiner, even if you are not.

Essay Length
How important is the length of the essay? A good essay must always have quality. Quantity is preferred but it is not a prerequisite. Students often forget that they are graded upon three essays, not one or two. Some students are simply unable to write three or four sides per essay. Forcing them to write the required length will ignite the curse of opportunity cost and they will end up not completing at least part of an essay. If you write something relevant, you will attain marks, but if you write nothing, you are depriving the examiner of the chance to show leniency to you. Always complete all essays. Do not fit the content to the essay, but let your essay fit the content. You must be flexible enough to adjust the content to suit the mark weightage. Questions on the causes of inflation can be worth 10 or even 25 marks (A H2 Economics, Nov 2010). Do you think that fitting the same content for both questions will get you proportionately similar marks? Similarly, if there are five factors affecting demand, and you know that fitting them all into your essay will exceed the time limit, write fewer factors such that your essay will be completed in time. It is better to compromise quantity for quality. Just think, if the exam is length oriented, will there be a 45 minutes time limit per essay?

Writing an A Grade Essay

Do you know how to write an A grade essay under time constraints? In school, students are rarely taught how to write essays and practices are far and few between. If the question is difficult, students naturally encounter problems such as the repetition and/or contradiction of points and insufficient elaboration. The irony is that even for easy questions such as explain PED and XED and

explain the causes of inflation in Singapore, students also attain mediocre scores by vomiting from lecture notes. At EconsConquest, you will learn how to apply essay writing skills to different types of questions. In essay writing, students virtually bypass the introduction and conclude their synthesis only when time allows. But just like during a blind date, the introduction gives the examiner the very first impression of the students work. How would you feel if the girl or boy whom you are meeting for the first time gives you a sloppy impression? The last thing the examiner reads before grading your essays is your conclusion. Sadly, some students have none. Win the examiner over by having a relatively better introduction and conclusion.

Use relevant and properly-labelled diagrams to help explain concepts and principles. Make reference to the diagrams in your discussion. Otherwise, however nicely drawn the diagrams are, they remain as white elephants. Examiners love to see diagrams where applicable because they are either correctly or incorrectly drawn and students cannot be vague about it or try to bluff their way through. Draw only diagrams which illustrate analysis. Diagrams on which nothing is moving or being compared are usually useless. Use signal words to link sentences and paragraphs. Examples of signal words are: hence, however, otherwise, in contrast, nevertheless, for instance, in conclusion, etc. If these words are used appropriately, they will help in the flow of the essay. On the other hand, if these words are used indiscriminately, the opposite is also true. For example, students are often seen using the word "hence" at the start of a new paragraph. Why is this inappropriate? Avoid enumerating points as firstly, secondly, thirdly that is poor style of writing unless you are looking at a set of related points pertaining to a certain idea. Avoid repetition. It doesnt look good because it gives the examiner the impression that you have nothing much to write and you are desperate!
Dont be too concerned about whether your answer matches the model answer of the examiner. There is no model answer! It is more important for your answer to display evidence that

the question has been understood. relevant economic concepts, principles and theories have been selected and applied to the
situations / problems posed by the questions. your presentation is coherent and organised.

you have reached meaningful, plausible conclusions by a process of logical reasoning from
acceptable assumptions. you have demonstrated your ability to think like an economist.

Example of spamming vs coherence Lead to contradictions vs meaningful delineation of cases Example of unsubstantiated assertions Example of unfocused response (temptation to show off) / selective response Example of repetition Example of inadequate preparation shows up in incoherent and unfocused answers Students should not be under undue pressure

Examples of answers that do not distinguish between crucial effects and spinoff effects My goal isnt just to spend two hours at the tuition centre, going through the run-of-the-mill questions and My goal is to take them through step by step and provide guidance along the way

Example of introduction that does not address the central demand of the question Example of ambitious introduction that does not address the central demand of the question Discouraged Grapple with Lose heart Crisis of confidence

Animal spirits Expectations Investor confidence Inspire confidence