The A-Level Economics Study System That Actually Works: Notes, Drills, and Spaced Practice

Introduction: Why Your Current Study Method Probably Isn't Working

Here's a common JC student story: You attend lectures, highlight your notes, rewrite them neatly, maybe even use different colored pens. You spend hours at your desk feeling productive. Then the exam comes, and you can't translate that knowledge into decent essay answers or CSQ responses.

ETG Economics, Singapore's leading A-Level Economics tuition centre founded by Eugene Toh in 2007, has taught over 5,000 students across 18 years. One pattern emerges consistently: students who struggle aren't lazy—they're using study methods that don't match what Economics exams actually test.

His secret? A systematic study approach that prioritizes active practice over passive review, targets high-yield activities, and uses spaced repetition to build long-term retention.

This isn't about working harder. It's about working strategically. This guide breaks down the exact weekly revision cadence, note-taking systems, and practice routines that ETG's students use to achieve a 70.3% A rate (2024)—far above the national average.

The Fatal Flaw in Traditional Note-Taking

Why Reading and Highlighting Lecture Notes Is Inefficient

Most students follow this pattern:

  1. Attend lecture

  2. Highlight important points in lecture notes

  3. Maybe rewrite notes in their own handwriting

  4. Read through notes multiple times before exams

  5. Struggle when exam questions don't match their notes format

The problem: Lecture notes are structured for learning content the first time, not for applying content to exam questions. Economics exams don't test whether you can recall information—they test whether you can analyze, evaluate, and apply concepts to novel scenarios.

What Top Students Do Instead

Students who consistently score As at ETG Economics follow this principle: Learn content through the lens of exam questions, not academic chapters.

Instead of reading Chapter 7 on Monetary Policy and hoping to remember it, they:

  1. Look at past year questions on monetary policy

  2. Read the model answer

  3. Ask: "What specific content knowledge produced this answer?"

  4. Study only that content

  5. Attempt the question themselves

  6. Repeat with the next question

This is reverse engineering—starting with the end goal (exam answers) and working backward to identify required knowledge.

The result? Every minute spent studying has direct exam relevance. No wasted effort on interesting-but-untested details.

The Weekly Revision Cadence: Building Economics Mastery Systematically

ETG's minimum benchmark for essay writing practice: one complete essay per week from the moment you start studying Economics.

By mid-JC2 (after 40 weeks of Economics education), you should have written at least 40 complete essays. Most students who consult with ETG have written fewer than 10.

Here's the reality: 84% of your H2 Economics grade (syllabus 9570) comes from essay-based questions. If you're not writing essays weekly, you're not practicing the skill you're being tested on.

The ETG Weekly Study Rhythm (JC1)

During term time (when you have lessons):

Monday-Wednesday: Active Content Acquisition

  • After each lesson, identify 1-2 concepts you didn't fully understand

  • Don't rewrite notes—instead, find exam questions testing those concepts

  • Read model answers to see how the concept is applied

  • Write a one-paragraph explanation in your own words (Definitions + Concepts Book)

  • Time investment: 30-40 minutes per subject per day

Thursday: Essay Planning Practice

  • Select one essay question from homework, school materials, or TYS

  • Spend 10 minutes creating a detailed outline (don't write the full essay yet)

  • Compare your outline with the model answer

  • If your outline is correct → write the full essay

  • If your outline is wrong → copy the full model answer into your Essay Book

  • Time investment: 45-60 minutes

Friday-Saturday: Case Study Question Drills

  • Complete 1 full case study in point-form (not full sentences during revision)

  • Focus on applying the DATE framework: Data → Application → Theory → Evaluation

  • Compare with answer key

  • Identify pattern: Am I consistently weak at data extraction? Theory application? Evaluation?

  • Time investment: 60-75 minutes

Sunday: Review and Current Affairs

  • Review your Exam Aid Book (definitions, recent statistics)

  • Read 2-3 news articles on Singapore economics

  • Note any statistics worth remembering (GDP growth, unemployment rate, policy changes)

  • Update your Statistical References section

  • Time investment: 45 minutes

Total weekly commitment: 5.5-6 hours of focused Economics study

The ETG Weekly Study Rhythm (JC2 - Pre-Exam Period)

September-October intensification:

Monday-Thursday: Timed Practice

  • Monday: 1 full essay (50 minutes, timed)

  • Tuesday: 1 case study (point-form, analyzing techniques)

  • Wednesday: 1 full essay (50 minutes, timed)

  • Thursday: Review and correction of all week's work

  • Time investment: 90 minutes per day

Friday: Mock Exam Components

  • Every other week: Full Paper 2 under exam conditions (2.5 hours)

  • Alternate weeks: Full Paper 1 under exam conditions (2.5 hours)

  • Time investment: 2.5-3 hours

Saturday: Deep Analysis

  • Mark your Friday mock using official mark schemes

  • Conduct thorough self-diagnosis: Which questions cost marks? Why?

  • Update your Problem Concepts Book with identified gaps

  • Time investment: 2 hours

Sunday: Targeted Content Revision

  • Review only the topics where you lost marks on Friday

  • Read 2-3 model essays on those topics

  • Attempt 1 essay on your weak area

  • Time investment: 90 minutes

Total weekly commitment: 12-14 hours of focused Economics study

This may sound like a lot, but remember: most students spend 15+ hours per week in unfocused "study" (rereading notes, highlighting, making pretty summaries). ETG's system achieves better results in less time because every hour is high-yield.

Learn how ETG's structured programmes implement this system

The Four-Book Note-Taking System: Organization That Actually Helps

Traditional notes organized by chapter or topic don't match how you'll access information during exams. ETG's one-to-one students (currently taught at $400/hour when Eugene Toh takes cases—which is rare) follow this four-book system:

Book 1: The Essay Book (Your Most Important Resource)

What goes in:

  • All model essays from any source (school, TYS, ETG materials, online)

  • Your own essays with detailed corrections

  • Detailed outlines for questions you planned but didn't write in full

How to use it:

  • Before major exams, read through 20-30 model essays on likely topics

  • You're not memorizing—you're internalizing essay structure and evaluation patterns

  • Focus on how arguments flow, how diagrams are integrated, how evaluation is positioned

Why it works:

  • Content presented in exam-ready format

  • You're learning "answer construction" not just "content knowledge"

  • Much more efficient than reading textbook chapters

ETG insight: Students who maintain comprehensive Essay Books (50+ model essays by A-Levels) consistently score 20+ marks per essay. Students who rely on lecture notes for content typically score 15-17 marks—they know the content but can't structure answers effectively.

Book 2: The Case Study Book (Pattern Recognition Tool)

What goes in:

  • Every CSQ you've attempted (staple the original extract to your answers)

  • Full marking and corrections

  • Annotations on why marks were lost

How to use it:

  • Review 10-15 case studies before exams

  • Look for patterns: How are 10-mark questions typically structured?

  • What evaluation points appear repeatedly?

  • How do model answers integrate extract data with theory?

Why it works:

  • CSQ examiners follow consistent marking patterns

  • After reviewing 30-40 case studies, you'll recognize question types instantly

  • You'll know "A 10-mark question starting with 'Assess' always requires 3 evaluation points"

Common mistake: Students attempt new CSQs constantly but never review old ones. This is like doing math drills but never checking your mistakes—you repeat the same errors endlessly.

Book 3: Definitions + Problem Concepts Book (Your Personal Textbook)

Section A: Key Definitions (Front of book)

Write out every syllabus definition clearly:

  • Demand, Supply, Market Equilibrium

  • PED, YED, XED (with formulas)

  • Consumer Surplus, Producer Surplus

  • Market Failure, Externalities, Merit/Demerit Goods

  • Aggregate Demand, Aggregate Supply

  • Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy

  • Unemployment, Inflation, Economic Growth

How to use: Quick review before any exam (15 minutes to read through all definitions)

Section B: Problem Concepts (Rest of book)

One page per concept you struggle with. For each difficult concept:

  1. Write the definition in your own words

  2. Draw all relevant diagrams showing the concept

  3. List exam questions that test this concept

  4. Explain what confused you initially

  5. Explain how you finally understood it

Example entry: "Consumer Surplus"

  • My explanation: Difference between what consumers are willing to pay vs. what they actually pay

  • Diagrams: [Demand curve with shaded triangle area above price line]

  • Questions testing this: 2022 Paper 1 Q3(b), 2021 Paper 2 Q5(a)

  • What confused me: Couldn't visualize why the area is a triangle

  • How I figured it out: Each point on demand curve represents one consumer's maximum willingness to pay. Marginal consumers (at equilibrium price) get zero surplus; infra-marginal consumers get positive surplus.

Why this matters: Six months after you master a concept, you might forget it. This book lets you quickly re-learn it using your past self's explanation—much faster than starting from scratch.

Book 4: The Exam Aid Book (Your Secret Weapon)

Section A: Statistical References

Current, Singapore-specific data you can deploy in essays and CSQs:

  • Singapore's GDP growth: 3.6% (2023), estimated 2.5% (2024)

  • Unemployment rate: Around 2.0% (one of world's lowest)

  • Inflation rate: Core inflation around 3-4% (2024)

  • Carbon tax: SGD 25/tonne (2024), rising to SGD 50-80 by 2030

  • Gini coefficient: 0.437 before government transfers, 0.378 after (2023)

  • CPF contribution rates: 37% total (20% employee, 17% employer) for those under 55

  • Budget 2024: SGD 3 billion Assurance Package, enhanced GST vouchers

  • ERP rates: Dynamic pricing based on real-time congestion

  • Key trading partners: China, Malaysia, USA, Hong Kong, Indonesia

How to maintain: Every time you encounter a relevant statistic in news or case studies, add it immediately. Review monthly.

Section B: Strong Evaluations ("Chengyu Collection")

This concept comes from Chinese language learning. In Chinese composition, students who struggle keep a "好词好句" (good words, good phrases) book—copying down elegant expressions they encounter and want to use.

Same principle for Economics evaluation points.

How it works: When you read a model answer with a brilliant evaluation point, copy it into this section under the relevant topic:

Topic: Market Failure - Road Pricing

Evaluation 1: "While ERP effectively reduces congestion during peak hours, its effectiveness depends on availability of substitutes. In areas with limited public transport, demand may be inelastic, meaning drivers continue despite higher charges. This explains why ERP is most successful in central areas with extensive MRT coverage but less effective in suburban areas."

Evaluation 2: "The regressive nature of road pricing (affecting low-income drivers proportionally more) can be addressed through complementary policies. Singapore mitigates this through public transport subsidies and income-based schemes like the Workfare Transport Concession, demonstrating that equity concerns don't invalidate market-based policies—they simply require careful policy design."

How to use: Before exams, read through this collection. You're not memorizing word-for-word (that's plagiarism)—you're absorbing evaluation patterns and logic structures that you can adapt to any question.

Target: By A-Levels, you should have 30-50 strong evaluation points across all major topics.

ETG insight: This is exactly how Eugene Toh wrote his 50 Model Microeconomics Essays and 50 Model Macroeconomics Essays (published by SAP and Shing Lee). He identified the evaluation patterns that consistently score marks and systematized them. ETG students essentially get this "Chengyu collection" pre-made, which significantly accelerates their learning.

Explore ETG's model essay resources

Spaced Practice: The Science of Long-Term Retention

Your brain doesn't retain information from a single exposure. It retains information from multiple touchpoints over time.

Why Cramming Doesn't Work for Economics

Unlike subjects where you can memorize facts (Biology definitions, History dates), Economics requires:

  • Conceptual understanding

  • Application to novel scenarios

  • Evaluation under time pressure

You can't cram these skills. They require repeated practice over months.

The Multi-Sensory Learning Principle

Eugene Toh's insight: "Your brain prioritizes information encountered through multiple senses."

Single touchpoint (weak retention):

  • You read about monetary policy in lecture notes once

  • Retention after 2 weeks: ~20%

Multiple touchpoints (strong retention):

  • You read about monetary policy (visual)

  • You write an essay about it (kinesthetic)

  • You explain it to a friend (auditory, verbal)

  • You watch a video on Singapore's MAS policy (visual + auditory)

  • You attempt a CSQ on it (application)

  • Retention after 2 weeks: ~70%

This is why copying a full model answer when you're wrong isn't "punishment"—it's creating additional sensory touchpoints that cement the correct approach in your memory.

The ETG Spaced Repetition Schedule

First exposure (Week 1): Learn concept in class, read model answer

Second exposure (Week 2): Write essay or CSQ applying that concept

Third exposure (Week 4): Include that concept in a mock exam question

Fourth exposure (Week 8): Review your Essay Book entry on that concept

Fifth exposure (Before major exams): Quick review of definition and key evaluation points

Result: Solid long-term retention without last-minute cramming panic

When to Do Full Mocks (Timing Matters)

DON'T do full mocks too early:

  • Before you've covered 60-70% of syllabus

  • When you're still building fundamental understanding

  • Just to "see how you do" without clear diagnostic purpose

DO full mocks starting:

  • August-September JC2 (first diagnostic mock)

  • Every 2-3 weeks from September onwards

  • Weekly in October-November (final intensive period)

How to conduct effective mocks:

  1. Before the mock:

    • Choose actual SEAB past year papers 

    • Set up exam conditions: quiet space, proper timing, no notes

    • Have mark schemes ready

  2. During the mock:

    • No breaks, no phone, no water/bathroom unless critical

    • Practice time allocation discipline (don't over-answer early questions)

    • If you don't know something, make your best attempt and move on (mark it for review)

  3. Within 24 hours after the mock:

    • Mark your own paper using official mark schemes

    • Be brutally honest—don't give yourself "benefit of doubt" marks

    • Create a diagnostic spreadsheet tracking: Which topics cost marks? Which question types? Time management issues?

  4. Within 48 hours:

    • Write corrections for every question where you lost marks

    • For major errors (entire question wrong), copy the model answer in full

    • Update your Problem Concepts Book with identified gaps

Common mistake: Students do mocks but don't analyze them properly. Doing 10 mocks without analysis is less valuable than doing 3 mocks with deep diagnosis.

ETG's Last Lap programme includes weekly mocks with detailed video review sessions where Eugene Toh walks through common mistakes, which is why students show rapid improvement in the final 8-10 weeks before A-Levels.

Find out more about ETG's Last Lap intensive programme

Self-Directed Learning: Filling Content Gaps Without Teacher Dependency

For A-Level Economics, you can learn approximately 70% of concepts online if you're strategic about it.

When You Don't Understand a Concept

Step 1: Identify the specific gap

  • Don't say "I don't understand monetary policy"

  • Say "I don't understand how exchange rate depreciation affects export competitiveness"

  • Precision matters—you can't fix vague problems

Step 2: Consult multiple resources in this order:

First: YouTube Economics channels

Second: Read model answers showing that concept

  • TYS answers

  • ETG's 50 Model Essays

  • School materials

  • Look for 2-3 different examples of the concept being applied

  • Time investment: 15-20 minutes

Third: Teach it to a friend

  • Find a classmate and explain the concept

  • If you can't explain it clearly, you don't understand it yet

  • Teaching forces you to clarify your thinking

  • Time investment: 20 minutes

Fourth: If still struggling, consult your teacher

  • Now you can ask specific, targeted questions

  • "I understand X and Y, but I'm confused about how Z connects to X"

  • Teachers can help much more effectively when you've done preliminary work

Last resort: Professional tuition

  • For persistent gaps across multiple concepts

  • When you need systematic content rebuilding

  • When your school teaching doesn't match your learning style

Building a Study Group That Actually Works

Eugene Toh's JC2 story: His class was the worst-performing class in the worst neighborhood JC. He organized a study group with a systematic plan:

  1. Divided syllabus into sections

  2. Each student mastered 2-3 topics deeply

  3. Students taught their topics to the group

  4. Group reviewed together weekly

Why this worked:

  • Teaching forces mastery (you can't teach what you don't understand)

  • Distributed workload (everyone masters different topics)

  • Accountability (you can't let down your group)

  • Multiple teaching styles (different explanations help different students)

How to replicate:

  1. Keep group small (4-6 students max)

    • Larger groups have free-rider problems

    • Harder to coordinate schedules

  2. Choose committed members only

    • One uncommitted member tanks the whole group

    • Better to have 3 excellent partners than 6 mediocre ones

  3. Set clear expectations:

    • Weekly meeting time (non-negotiable)

    • Rotating "teacher" responsibilities

    • Everyone attempts practice questions beforehand

  4. Structure meetings:

    • 15 min: Quick sharing of main problems from past week

    • 30 min: Designated student teaches their mastered topic

    • 30 min: Group attempts questions on that topic together

    • 15 min: Plan next week's focus

Red flags (abandon the group if these persist):

  • Members consistently arrive unprepared

  • Meetings become social time rather than study time

  • One person does all the work

  • No one takes responsibility for organizing

The Conscious Learning Mindset: From Grade-Focused to Growth-Focused

Eugene Toh's parenting approach: When his Primary 2 son scored 23/50 on a Chinese test and was placed in Learning Support Programme, his reaction? "I'm excited."

Not disappointed. Not worried. Excited.

Why? Because failure in a low-stakes test reveals exactly what needs fixing before high-stakes exams matter.

Shifting Your Perspective on Weighted Assessments

Wrong mindset:

  • "I failed this WA—I'm stupid at Economics"

  • "I scored lower than my friends—I'm falling behind"

  • "My parents will be disappointed"

Right mindset:

  • "This WA revealed I'm weak at evaluation—now I know what to practice"

  • "I lost 8 marks on CSQ data extraction—I have a specific skill to improve"

  • "This result gives me 6 months to fix these gaps before A-Levels"

The Post-WA Protocol (Non-Negotiable)

After every weighted assessment or test:

  1. Redo the entire paper from scratch

    • Don't just review—actually rewrite all your answers

    • Do this before looking at model answers

  2. After your school reviews the paper, attempt it again

    • Prove to yourself you now understand

    • If you still can't solve a question, deeper intervention needed

  3. Diagnose the root cause:

    • Content gap: I didn't understand the economic concept

    • Application problem: I understood concept but couldn't apply to this question

    • Technique issue: I understood everything but structured answer poorly

    • Time management: I knew how to answer but didn't finish

  4. Create targeted improvement plan:

    • Content gap → Study model answers on that topic

    • Application problem → Do 5 more questions on that concept

    • Technique issue → Review essay planning methods

    • Time management → Practice under timed conditions

Why Small Outcomes Don't Matter (And Which One Does)

Here's an uncomfortable truth: No one will care about your JC1 weighted assessments when you're applying for jobs in 5 years.

No one will ask: "What did you score for your June WA in JC1?"

The only exam that fundamentally affects your trajectory is A-Levels.

This doesn't mean WAs are unimportant. They're incredibly important—but not for the grade itself. They're important as diagnostic tools that help you improve before the exam that actually matters.

Eugene Toh's principle: "Don't concern yourself with small inconsequential outcomes. Concern yourself with the major life-changing outcomes."

Stop comparing yourself to classmates. Their performance has zero bearing on your final A-Level grade. Your only competition is your past self.

Are you better at essay planning than you were last month? Have you reduced your CSQ timing issues? Can you now write strong evaluation points where you previously only stated facts?

That's the mindset that produces consistent improvement.

Students at ETG Economics learn this growth-focused approach from day one, which is one reason why students from neighborhood JCs often outperform students from elite JCs—they focus on improvement rather than external validation.

Discover ETG's growth-focused teaching approach

Flashcards That Actually Help (And When They Don't)

Flashcards are useful for Economics, but not how most students use them.

What NOT to Put on Flashcards

❌ Long paragraphs of content ❌ Entire essay outlines ❌ Vague questions like "What is market failure?"

Why these don't work: Economics isn't about recalling information—it's about applying concepts to scenarios and evaluating solutions. Flashcards testing pure recall miss the point.

What SHOULD Go on Flashcards

Definitions with precise wording

  • Front: "Define productive efficiency"

  • Back: "Production at lowest average cost, where AC is minimized; occurs at the bottom of the AC curve where MC = AC"

Diagram triggers

  • Front: "Draw: Effect of subsidy on market equilibrium"

  • Back: [Supply curve shifts right, new equilibrium at lower price and higher quantity, show subsidy per unit]

Evaluation pattern prompts

  • Front: "Evaluate effectiveness of minimum wage"

  • Back: "Depends on: (1) Size relative to equilibrium wage (2) Elasticity of labor demand (3) Enforcement capability (4) Presence of complementary policies (5) Time horizon"

Common mistake reminders

  • Front: "PED calculation—what's the common error?"

  • Back: "Using absolute values when formula already includes negative sign. PED = % change in QD ÷ % change in P (keep the negative!)"

Singapore-specific facts

  • Front: "Singapore's Gini coefficient 2023"

  • Back: "0.437 before government transfers, 0.378 after (showing redistribution effectiveness)"

When to Use Flashcards

Good uses:

  • Quick definition review before exams (15-minute sessions)

  • Memorizing current statistics for CSQ readiness

  • Reinforcing diagram muscle memory

  • Learning evaluation frameworks

Poor uses:

  • Trying to learn entire topics from scratch

  • Replacing essay writing practice

  • Procrastinating from actual timed practice

Recommended apps:

  • Anki (spaced repetition built-in)

  • Quizlet (easier interface, good for sharing with study groups)

  • Physical flashcards (if you're kinesthetic learner)

Frequency: 10-15 minutes daily is better than 2-hour cramming sessions weekly. Spaced repetition works.

Topical Drills vs. Full Mocks: When to Use Each

Topical Drills (Building Skills)

When to use:

  • JC1 throughout the year

  • JC2 Term 1 and 2

  • When you've identified a weak topic from WAs

How to structure topical drill sessions:

  1. Choose one specific topic (e.g., "Elasticity concepts")

  2. Do 5-6 questions on that topic in one sitting

  3. Mark all questions together at the end

  4. Identify patterns in your mistakes

  5. Review model answers for any questions you got wrong

Example drill session: Market Failure Essays

  • Time: 90 minutes

  • Questions: 3 essay outlines (10 min each)

  • Write 1 full essay (45 min)

  • Compare all with model answers (15 min)

Benefit: Deep practice on one concept builds mastery faster than scattered practice across topics.

Full Mocks (Building Exam Stamina)

When to use:

  • Starting August-September JC2

  • Every 2-3 weeks September-October

  • Weekly in final month before A-Levels

What full mocks train:

  • Time allocation across multiple questions

  • Decision-making under pressure (which essay to choose?)

  • Physical/mental stamina (sitting for 2.5-3 hours)

  • Handling moments of panic (encountering unexpected questions)

Common mistake: Doing too many full mocks too early. If you haven't covered enough content, mocks just create anxiety without diagnostic value.

The Hybrid Approach (September-October JC2)

  • Monday: Topical drill on a weak area (60 min)

  • Wednesday: Topical drill on different weak area (60 min)

  • Friday: Full mock paper (2.5-3 hours)

  • Saturday: Mark and analyze Friday's mock (2 hours)

  • Sunday: Targeted revision based on Friday's mistakes (90 min)

This balances skill-building (drills) with exam simulation (mocks).

ETG's programmes include both topical drills through the Graded Homework Programme (weekly assignments with personalized marking) and full mocks in the Last Lap intensive period, which is why students show consistent improvement in both technique and exam performance.

Learn about ETG's Graded Homework Programme

Building Your Content Bank: Reading the News Strategically

A-Level Economics exams draw heavily from current events: COVID-19 recovery, US-China trade tensions, climate policy, digital economy, inflation concerns.

The 80/20 of Economics News Reading

Don't: Read every economics article you encounter Do: Read 2-3 articles per week on Singapore economics

Best sources:

  • The Straits Times: Budget coverage, local policy changes, Singapore economic data

  • Channel NewsAsia (CNA): Business section, Singapore-focused analysis

  • The Business Times: More technical, good for deeper understanding

  • Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) website: Official GDP forecasts, economic surveys

  • Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) website: Monetary policy statements

What to Extract from News Articles

When you read an article, ask:

  1. What economic concept does this illustrate? (e.g., "This carbon tax increase relates to market failure and pigouvian taxes")

  2. What specific data can I use? (e.g., "Singapore's carbon tax rising from SGD 25 to SGD 80 per tonne by 2030")

  3. What evaluation points emerge? (e.g., "Revenue recycling through GST vouchers addresses regressive impact")

  4. Could this appear in a CSQ extract? (If yes, file it mentally—examiners love recent Singapore policies)

Time investment: 20-30 minutes per week

Update your Exam Aid Book's Statistical References section each time you encounter useful data.

Don't Overdo It

Some students obsessively follow economics news and sacrifice practice time. Remember: 84% of your grade comes from essay writing skills, not content breadth.

Priority hierarchy:

  1. Essay writing practice (highest priority)

  2. CSQ technique drills

  3. Content review through model answers

  4. Current affairs reading (lowest priority, but still valuable)

FAQ: Study Systems for A-Level Economics

Q: How much time should I spend on Economics per week?

A: JC1: 5-6 hours per week minimum (outside of lesson time). JC2 (before September): 6-8 hours per week. JC2 (September-November): 12-15 hours per week. Quality matters more than quantity—focused practice beats passive reading every time.

Q: Should I rewrite my lecture notes?

A: No, unless your original notes are genuinely illegible. Rewriting notes creates the illusion of productivity but doesn't improve exam performance. Instead, read model essays to see how content is applied in exam contexts. ETG students learn content through essay examples, not lecture notes.

Q: When should I start doing past year papers?

A: Topical past year questions: Start immediately as you finish each topic. Full papers: Start August-September JC2 after covering 60-70% of syllabus. Doing full papers too early creates anxiety without diagnostic value.

Q: How many model essays should I have in my Essay Book by A-Levels?

A: Minimum 40 essays (one per week of Economics education). Ideally 50-60+ essays covering all major topics and question types. ETG's 50 Model Microeconomics Essays and 50 Model Macroeconomics Essays provide exactly this breadth.

Q: What if I don't have time for a study group?

A: Study groups aren't mandatory—they're one option for filling content gaps. Alternatives include: (1) Online resources (YouTube channels like EconplusDal), (2) Peer tutoring arrangements, (3) Teacher consultations, (4) Professional tuition. Choose the method that fits your learning style and schedule.

Q: How do I know if my study system is working?

A: Track these indicators: (1) Are your WA scores improving over time? (2) Are you consistently finishing exams within time limits? (3) Can you write strong evaluation points without memorization? (4) Do your model answer comparisons show decreasing gaps? If you're seeing improvement in these areas, your system is working.

Ready for a systematic approach to A-Level Economics mastery? ETG Economics provides the complete framework—weekly graded homework, model essays, 24/7 WhatsApp support, and structured progression from fundamentals to exam mastery. Explore ETG's programmes at https://www.tuitiongenius.com/, or learn more about specific preparation options at https://www.tuitiongenius.com/faqs.