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ECONOMICS-H460 · Cambridge OCR A Level

ECONOMICS-H460/21

Paper 2

Economics - H460 · 2022 · Variant 1

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 3.8/5

Analysis source: OCR

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.8 / 5

Total marks

240

Duration

360 min

Most tested topic

Labour Markets and Fiscal Policy

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

240

Duration

360 min

Session difficulty

3.8 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

The 2022 OCR A Level Economics (H460) papers presented a balanced yet rigorous assessment across all three components: Microeconomics (H460/01), Macroeconomics (H460/02), and Themes in Economics (H460/03).

2

The difficulty of this exam series sits at a solid 3.8 out of 5.

3

While the multiple-choice section of Paper 3 and the structured short-answer data questions in Section A of Papers 1 and 2 offered accessible marks, the 25-mark evaluation essays demanded exceptional theoretical depth and highly contextualized synthesis to achieve top-tier marks.

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

Knowledge & UAO24
ApplicationAO33
AnalysisAO42
Evaluation1

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Knowledge & UAO2Knowledge & UAO2ApplicationAO3ApplicationAO3AnalysisAO4AnalysisAO4EvaluationEvaluation
SkillWeightShare
  • Knowledge & UAO2

    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. 77% of maximum mark

Level A

Approx. 65% of maximum mark

Level B

Approx. 54% of maximum mark

Level C

Approx. 42% of maximum mark

Level D

Approx. 30% of maximum mark

Level E

Approx. 19% 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

EvaluateFrequency: 11

Weigh arguments for and against with evidence; end with a supported judgement.

ExplainFrequency: 8

Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.

CalculateFrequency: 3

Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.

IdentifyFrequency: 1

Name or point to the specific feature asked for — avoid extra explanation.

DescribeFrequency: 1

State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

15-Mark Themes Essa50m / 30 marks

Min per mark: 1.7

Short-Answer Case S120m / 80 marks

Min per mark: 1.5

25-Mark Optional Es150m / 100 marks

Min per mark: 1.5

MCQ (Themes Paper)40m / 30 marks

Min per mark: 1.3

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

The interaction of labour markets

44 marks this session

Fiscal policy

40 marks this session

Government intervention

27 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

LowHigh
Topic
2022
2023
2024
Σ

The interaction of labour markets

44
51
35
130

Fiscal policy

40
35
75

The financial sector

44
44

Government intervention

27
27

Oligopoly

26
26

Costs and economies of scale

24
24

Employment

24
24

Difficulty trend

How session difficulty has shifted across recent years

202220232024
2022 2022 · 3.8/52023 2023 · 3.8/52024 2024 · 4.2/5

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

H460/01 Microeconomics: H460/02 Macroeconomics: H460/03 Themes in Economics:

80 marks120 min

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

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    The 2022 OCR A Level Economics (H460) papers presented a balanced yet rigorous assessment across all three components: Microeconomics (H460/01), Macroeconomics (H460/02), and Themes in Economics (H460/03).

  • 2Message

    The difficulty of this exam series sits at a solid 3.8 out of 5.

  • 3Message

    While the multiple-choice section of Paper 3 and the structured short-answer data questions in Section A of Papers 1 and 2 offered accessible marks, the 25-mark evaluation essays demanded exceptional theoretical depth and highly contextualized synthesis to achieve top-tier marks.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

2022 2022

Economics - H460

The 2022 OCR A Level Economics (H460) papers presented a balanced yet rigorous assessment across all three components: Microeconomics (H460/01), Macroeconomics (H460/02), and Themes in Economics (H460/03). The difficulty of this exam series sits at a solid 3.8 out of 5. While the

  • The 2022 OCR A Level Economics (H460) papers presented a balanced yet rigorous assessment across all three components: Microeconomics (H460/01), Macroeconomics (H460/02), and Themes in Economics (H460/03).

  • The difficulty of this exam series sits at a solid 3.8 out of 5.

  • While the multiple-choice section of Paper 3 and the structured short-answer data questions in Section A of Papers 1 and 2 offered accessible marks, the 25-mark evaluation essays demanded exceptional theoretical depth and highly contextualized synthesis to achieve top-tier marks.

Total marks
240
Duration
360 min
Session difficulty
3.8 / 5

Session analysis

The 2022 OCR A Level Economics (H460) papers presented a balanced yet rigorous assessment across all three components: Microeconomics (H460/01), Macroeconomics (H460/02), and Themes in Economics (H460/03). The difficulty of this exam series sits at a solid 3.8 out of 5. While the multiple-choice section of Paper 3 and the structured short-answer data questions in Section A of Papers 1 and 2 offered accessible marks, the 25-mark evaluation essays demanded exceptional theoretical depth and highly contextualized synthesis to achieve top-tier marks.

Updated Jun 14, 2026

Paper breakdown

H460/01 Microeconomics: H460/02 Macroeconomics: H460/03 Themes in Economics:

80 marks120 min

Top chapters

The interaction of labour markets44 marks
Fiscal policy40 marks
Government intervention27 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

The interaction of labour marke44 marks
Fiscal policy40 marks
Government intervention27 marks
Development25 marks
Economic growth21 marks
Income distribution and welfare14 marks
Business objectives13 marks
Inflation11 marks

Mark accessibility

Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.

75% within easy or medium reach

65
115
60
Easy: 65 marksMedium: 115 marksHard: 60 marks

Command word frequency

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Evaluate11 times
Explain8 times
Calculate3 times
Identify1 times
Describe1 times

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

240Marks
  • Evaluation Essay

    (25-mark)

    100·4·42%

  • Short-Answer Data Response

    40·14·17%

  • Structured Essay

    40·4·17%

  • Multiple Choice

    30·30·13%

  • Evaluation Essay

    (15-mark)

    30·2·13%

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

DifficultyRecurrence %Government interve…Fiscal policyIncome distributio…InflationThe interaction of…

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

MarksMinutesMarks / min

MCQ (Themes Paper)

0.75 m/min
30
40

Short-Answer Case S

0.67 m/min
80
120

25-Mark Optional Es

0.67 m/min
100
150

15-Mark Themes Essa

0.60 m/min
30
50

Total marks

240

Total time

360 min

Avg pace

0.67

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Implementing Monetary Policy

90%

90%

Contestable markets

85%

85%

Exchange rates and BOP adjustments

75%

75%

2022 OCR A Level Economics H460 Exam Analysis

The 2022 OCR A Level Economics (H460) papers presented a balanced yet rigorous assessment across all three components: Microeconomics (H460/01), Macroeconomics (H460/02), and Themes in Economics (H460/03). The difficulty of this exam series sits at a solid 3.8 out of 5. While the multiple-choice section of Paper 3 and the structured short-answer data questions in Section A of Papers 1 and 2 offered accessible marks, the 25-mark evaluation essays demanded exceptional theoretical depth and highly contextualized synthesis to achieve top-tier marks.

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

ECONOMICS-H460/21 — Cambridge OCR A Level Economics - H460 (2022) | Revui