LC Economics exam-day guide
LC Economics · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and admission details
Bring the identification document your admission letter names, and check the name matches your registration exactly. If the letter does not specify which ID is accepted or whether a digital copy is allowed, confirm with the provider before the exam day.
Admission confirmation / candidate number
Print or download the confirmation email or candidate number issued at booking. Centres often ask for it at check-in even when ID is also required; verify the exact format accepted with the provider.
Approved calculator
Economics papers involve percentage changes, index numbers, and elasticity calculations. Confirm which calculator models are permitted (many centres ban programmable or graphing models) with the provider or awarding body regulations, and test it the night before.
Spare pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener
Bring at least two black or blue pens plus a pencil for diagrams. Graph work in economics (supply and demand, externalities, tariff diagrams) is easier to correct if drawn in pencil first, then labelled clearly.
Clear pencil case or transparent pouch
Many venues require stationery to be visible in a clear container. If your centre's rules are unclear, confirm with the provider; otherwise pack stationery loose in a clear bag.
Ruler and, if permitted, a highlighter
A ruler helps keep axes and shift arrows neat in diagrams. Highlighters are sometimes restricted to question papers only; check the provider's stationery rules if unsure.
Watch (non-smart, silent)
Wall clocks may be poorly placed. A plain analogue or digital watch without connectivity is normally fine, but smartwatches are almost always banned; confirm with the provider if you rely on a watch.
Water in a clear bottle, label removed
Many centres allow this; some restrict drinks at the desk. Confirm with the provider, and check whether snacks are allowed for a long sitting.
Review diagram conventions the night before
Rehearse labelling axes (Price, Quantity), curve labels (D, S, S1), equilibrium points, and shading of welfare areas. Neat, correctly labelled diagrams earn marks that prose alone often cannot.
Plan the route and arrival time
Arrive earlier than the stated reporting time to absorb delays. Check the venue's entry requirements and whether late arrivals are admitted; if not stated, confirm with the provider.
Confirm permitted materials for the specific paper
Some economics papers are case-study based with pre-release material or a source booklet provided on the day. Confirm with the provider whether any pre-release material must be brought or is supplied.
Leave prohibited items at home
Phones, smartwatches, notes, and unapproved calculators should not enter the exam room. If you must carry a phone, confirm the centre's storage policy with the provider in advance.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to active recall. Work through past-paper questions under timed conditions, focusing on the paper's structure: multiple choice, short structured questions, data response, and essay sections. Mark your own answers against mark schemes and note the command words (explain, evaluate, discuss) you tend to misread.
Build a one-page diagram sheet: indirect taxes and subsidies, price ceilings and floors, negative and positive externalities, monopoly and perfect competition, tariff and quota diagrams, and AD/AS shifts. Redraw each from memory and check axis labels and welfare-area shading.
Rehearse evaluation phrases you can deploy under pressure: short run versus long run, magnitude depends on elasticities, assumptions of the model, and stakeholder trade-offs. Practise writing one evaluation paragraph in under six minutes.
Do one light timed section only, then stop. Review your error log rather than new material. Confirm the venue, reporting time, and transport plan, and lay out ID, admission details, calculator, and stationery in one place.
Check the calculator is working and within the permitted type, and that your watch is silent and non-smart. Sleep at your normal time; cramming definitions overnight rarely improves diagram accuracy or evaluation quality.
Eat a normal breakfast and arrive early. Skim only your diagram sheet and evaluation phrases; do not attempt a full past paper. Keep the pre-exam reading brief so working memory is fresh for the first question.
Read the instructions and check the number of sections and questions required. Allocate time by marks, not by question order. If there is a choice of essay questions, scan all options and pick the one where you can combine a clear diagram with real evaluation.
For calculation questions, show formula, substitution, and units, since method marks are often available. For diagrams, label everything and add a one-line explanation of the shift. For essay questions, state a judgement in the introduction or conclusion rather than leaving evaluation implicit.
Check you have answered the required number of questions and that no page is blank. Verify units and percentage-change signs, confirm diagrams have labelled axes, and make sure any final judgement directly answers the question asked.
Rules to check
Bring the ID specified in your admission arrangements and present it at check-in. If the accepted forms of ID are not stated, confirm with the provider before the exam day rather than assuming a driving licence or digital ID will be accepted.
Phones, smartwatches, and any connected device must be switched off and stored as the centre directs, not kept on your person. If you need to carry a device for travel, confirm the centre's storage arrangements with the provider in advance.
Only use a calculator of a type the regulations permit. Programmable and graphing models are commonly prohibited; verify the permitted list with the provider if your model's status is unclear.
Breaks are usually limited and supervised, and may not be permitted during the exam once it has started. Confirm the centre's policy on toilet breaks and on any access arrangements you may need with the provider.
Marks are awarded for method, diagram labelling, and evaluation as well as final answers. In essays and data-response questions, a supported judgement is normally required for the highest bands, so do not leave evaluation to a single closing sentence.
Follow invigilator instructions on start and finish times, and stop writing immediately when told. Continuing to write after the instruction can lead to penalties under the awarding body's malpractice rules.
If you have approved access arrangements (extra time, a separate room, or a reader), confirm them with the provider well before the exam; they are rarely arranged on the day.
Do not communicate with other candidates once in the exam room, and do not take question papers or answer materials out of the room unless the invigilator explicitly permits it.