9640 · Oxford AQA International A Level
9640/11
Paper 1
Economics · June 2025 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Oxford AQA
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.5 / 5
340
450 min
Public Goods, Market Failure, and Government Intervention
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
340
Duration
450 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
A significant portion of marks was concentrated in the high-weight essay and analysis questions.
In Unit 1, the 20-mark essay on public goods and state provision proved highly accessible, but many candidates struggled to distinguish between public goods and quasi-public goods in the 12-mark analysis question, particularly when analyzing how technological change affects excludability.
In Unit 2, the comparison of short-run and long-run economic growth was done well, but students who failed to draw a clear distinction between aggregate demand-led growth and supply-side capacity-led growth missed out on top marks.
In the A2 units, the 25-mark essays on state-owned monopolies and currency depreciation highlighted a lack of structured evaluation, with many candidates presenting a one-sided argument rather than a balanced economic synthesis.
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 andAO2
Weight: 4100%ApplicationAO3
Weight: 375%AnalysisAO4
Weight: 250%Evaluation
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
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Level A*
Approx. 90% of maximum mark
Level A
Approx. 80% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 70% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 60% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 50% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 40% 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.
Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.
Match the expected response style for “Define” questions.
Break into parts and explain how each contributes to the whole question focus.
Match the expected response style for “Assess” questions.
Present multiple perspectives with evidence; balance breadth and depth.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
No data available in official reports
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Private goods, public goods and quasi-public goods
32 marks this session
Globalisation
26 marks this session
Trade
25 marks this session
Market structures
25 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
The distribution of income and wealth within an economy (Poverty and inequality)
Trade (Globalisation and trade)
The balance of payments
Exchange rates (The balance of payments, exchange rates and financial markets)
Private goods, public goods and quasi-public goods
Merit and demerit goods
Monetary policy
Monopoly and monopoly power (Perfect competition, imperfectly competitive markets and monopoly)
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Unit 1: The Operation of Markets, Market Failure and the Role of Government: Unit 2: The National Economy in a Global Environment: Unit 3: The Economics of Business Behaviour and the Distribution of Income: Unit 4: Economic Development and the Global Economy:
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
Private goods, public goods and quasi-public goods
32 marks this session
Practise in RevuiGlobalisation
26 marks this session
Practise in RevuiTrade
25 marks this session
Practise in RevuiMarket structures
25 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
A significant portion of marks was concentrated in the high-weight essay and analysis questions.
- 2Message
In Unit 1, the 20-mark essay on public goods and state provision proved highly accessible, but many candidates struggled to distinguish between public goods and quasi-public goods in the 12-mark analysis question, particularly when analyzing how technological change affects excludability.
- 3Message
In Unit 2, the comparison of short-run and long-run economic growth was done well, but students who failed to draw a clear distinction between aggregate demand-led growth and supply-side capacity-led growth missed out on top marks.
- 4Message
In the A2 units, the 25-mark essays on state-owned monopolies and currency depreciation highlighted a lack of structured evaluation, with many candidates presenting a one-sided argument rather than a balanced economic synthesis.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2025 2025
Economics
A significant portion of marks was concentrated in the high-weight essay and analysis questions. In Unit 1, the 20-mark essay on public goods and state provision proved highly accessible, but many candidates struggled to distinguish between public goods and quasi-public goods in
A significant portion of marks was concentrated in the high-weight essay and analysis questions.
In Unit 1, the 20-mark essay on public goods and state provision proved highly accessible, but many candidates struggled to distinguish between public goods and quasi-public goods in the 12-mark analysis question, particularly when analyzing how technological change affects excludability.
In Unit 2, the comparison of short-run and long-run economic growth was done well, but students who failed to draw a clear distinction between aggregate demand-led growth and supply-side capacity-led growth missed out on top marks.
- Total marks
- 340
- Duration
- 450 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.5 / 5
Session analysis
A significant portion of marks was concentrated in the high-weight essay and analysis questions. In Unit 1, the 20-mark essay on public goods and state provision proved highly accessible, but many candidates struggled to distinguish between public goods and quasi-public goods in the 12-mark analysis question, particularly when analyzing how technological change affects excludability. In Unit 2, the comparison of short-run and long-run economic growth was done well, but students who failed to draw a clear distinction between aggregate demand-led growth and supply-side capacity-led growth missed out on top marks. In the A2 units, the 25-mark essays on state-owned monopolies and currency depreciation highlighted a lack of structured evaluation, with many candidates presenting a one-sided argument rather than a balanced economic synthesis.
Updated Jun 12, 2026
Paper breakdown
Unit 1: The Operation of Markets, Market Failure and the Role of Government: Unit 2: The National Economy in a Global Environment: Unit 3: The Economics of Business Behaviour and the Distribution of Income: Unit 4: Economic Development and the Global Economy:
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.
65% 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.
Essay / Evaluation
160·6·47%
Structured / Analyse
66·6·19%
Short Answer / Calculation
64·16·19%
Multiple Choice
50·50·15%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Financial Markets and Market Failure
85%85%
Fiscal Policy and Fiscal Deficits
80%80%
Monopolistic Competition versus Perfect Competition
75%75%
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.