9708 · Cambridge International A Level
9708/21
Paper 2
Economics · June 2025 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Cambridge Assessment International Education
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.5 / 5
180
375 min
Macroeconomic Policy Interrelatedness and Stagflation
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
180
Duration
375 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
A comprehensive post-exam evaluation of the May/June 2025 Economics (9708) series, highlighting key mark distributions, diagrammatic caps, and critical policy comparison thresholds across AS and A Level sittings.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Knowledge & Understanding
Weight: 4100%Analysis (AO2)
Weight: 250%Evaluation (AO3)
Weight: 125%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Cambridge Principal Examiner Report — component performance and international standards
Level A*
Approx. 67% of maximum mark
Level A
Approx. 58% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 50% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 43% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 37% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 31% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
Match the expected response style for “Assess” questions.
Weigh arguments for and against with evidence; end with a supported judgement.
Match the expected response style for “Consider” questions.
Break into parts and explain how each contributes to the whole question focus.
Identify similarities and differences explicitly — paired sentences or a table helps.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 2.5
Min per mark: 2
Min per mark: 2
Min per mark: 1.5
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Links between macroeconomic problems and their interrelatedness
21 marks this session
Indifference curves and budget lines
20 marks this session
Monetary policy
14 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Different market structures
Equity and redistribution of income and wealth (A Level)
Links between macroeconomic problems and their interrelatedness
Indifference curves and budget lines
Government policies to achieve efficient resource allocation and correct market failure
Effectiveness of policy options to meet all macroeconomic objectives
Economic development
Indifference curves and budget lines (A Level)
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 11 (AS Level Multiple Choice):
Paper 21 (AS Level Data Response and Essays):
Paper 31 (A Level Multiple Choice):
Paper 41 (A Level Data Response and Essays):
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Links between macroeconomic problems and their interrelatedness
21 marks this session
Practise in RevuiIndifference curves and budget lines
20 marks this session
Practise in RevuiMonetary policy
14 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
A comprehensive post-exam evaluation of the May/June 2025 Economics (9708) series, highlighting key mark distributions, diagrammatic caps, and critical policy comparison thresholds across AS and A Level sittings.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2025 2025
Economics
A comprehensive post-exam evaluation of the May/June 2025 Economics (9708) series, highlighting key mark distributions, diagrammatic caps, and critical policy comparison thresholds across AS and A Level sittings.
A comprehensive post-exam evaluation of the May/June 2025 Economics (9708) series, highlighting key mark distributions, diagrammatic caps, and critical policy comparison thresholds across AS and A Level sittings.
- Total marks
- 180
- Duration
- 375 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.5 / 5
Session analysis
A comprehensive post-exam evaluation of the May/June 2025 Economics (9708) series, highlighting key mark distributions, diagrammatic caps, and critical policy comparison thresholds across AS and A Level sittings.
Updated Jun 12, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 11 (AS Level Multiple Choice):
Paper 21 (AS Level Data Response and Essays):
Paper 31 (A Level Multiple Choice):
Paper 41 (A Level Data Response and Essays):
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
72% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Structured Essays
80·4·44%
Multiple Choice
60·60·33%
Data Response
40·2·22%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Difficulty trend
Compare difficulty across recent years.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 11 (AS MCQ)
0.67 m/minPaper 21 Section A
0.50 m/minPaper 31 (A Level M
0.40 m/minPaper 41 Section A
0.50 m/minTotal marks
90
Total time
185 min
Avg pace
0.49
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Labour market forces and government intervention
90%90%
Globalisation
85%85%
Exchange rates
80%80%
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Descriptive Chronology: In data response questions such as Paper 21, 1(a), too many candidates listed month-by-month values for inflation and interest rates instead of performing a direct comparative synthesis.
- Terminology Confusions: A persistent weakness was the inability to sharply distinguish between disinflation (a reduction in the rate of inflation) and deflation (a sustained decrease in the general price level), severely limiting performance on high-mark comparative tasks.
- Missing Diagrammatic Anchors: In Paper 4, Question 4, candidates who failed to construct an accurate Aggregate Demand/Aggregate Supply (AD/AS) diagram to represent a negative output gap faced a strict marking cap, regardless of the quality of their written analysis.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 2h
- Total marks
- 60
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.