LC Economics

Expect a short-answer or structured section testing definitions, calculations and diagram work, followed by extended-response questions where you choose from options and often respond to data or case material. The exact structure and mark allocation are set out in the current SEC examination papers and marking schemes, so consult those rather than relying on memory of older formats.

Most students find the concepts accessible but the application demanding. Marks are lost less on definitions than on unexplained diagrams, missing labels, vague evaluation and failure to use the figures supplied. Higher level rewards precise analysis and judgement; Ordinary level rewards clear, correct explanation. Difficulty is largely a function of how much practice you do with past questions.

The official body publishes the current duration, section structure and required question numbers each year, and these have changed over time. Check the SEC website and your teacher's guidance for the year you sit. In the exam, budget time per mark, start with the section you know best, and leave time to finish rather than perfecting one long answer.

Yes, candidates commonly repeat the Leaving Certificate, and the SEC publishes the current rules, deadlines and fees for repeat and external candidates on its site. Points are calculated from your best sitting under the central applications system's rules, but specific course requirements vary, so verify with the CAO and the relevant institution.

Start with scarcity, opportunity cost and the production possibility frontier, because that vocabulary underpins everything else. Then do demand, supply and elasticity with heavy diagram practice, followed by costs and market structures. Move to national income and the circular flow, then money, inflation and fiscal policy, and finish with international trade, the balance of payments and EU policy, which draw on all the earlier material.

Unlabelled or redrawn-from-memory diagrams, confusing a shift in a curve with a movement along it, mixing up inflation and deflation causes, and writing everything they know instead of answering the question asked. Another frequent error is ignoring the data in stimulus material, or quoting outdated figures. Practise under time and mark your own answers against official schemes.

You should be able to use recent Irish and EU data accurately, but the skill being tested is interpretation, not memorisation. Learn a small set of reliable indicators from official sources such as the CSO and the European Central Bank, note the period they refer to, and be ready to explain what a change implies. Never invent a statistic; describe the trend if you are unsure of the number.

Work through past papers by topic first, then full papers under timed conditions. Build a one-page diagram sheet and a definitions glossary, and rehearse short evaluations for recurring themes such as elasticity, policy trade-offs and market failure. Get your answers marked, and rewrite the weakest ones so the improvement is concrete rather than assumed.

No. This is independent study material and is not produced, endorsed or approved by the Department of Education, the State Examinations Commission or any school. Use it alongside the official syllabus, past papers and marking schemes, which remain the authoritative source for assessment arrangements, dates and results.