ECONOMICS · Pearson Edexcel IGCSE
ECONOMICS/12
Paper 1
Economics · June 2025 · Variant 2
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Pearson Edexcel
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.5 / 5
160
180 min
Government policies (including fiscal policy, taxation, and interventionist strategies like minimum wages and subsidies)
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
160
Duration
180 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
Marks are heavily concentrated in the analytical and evaluative domains.
Together, the 9-mark and 12-mark questions across both papers account for 60 marks out of 160 (nearly 38% of the total).
To capture top-tier marks in these sections, candidates must demonstrate clear, chained economic reasoning (AO3) and balanced counter-arguments culminating in a supported judgment (AO4).
Additionally, the quantitative calculations—ranging from the Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) formula PED=%ΔQd%ΔP \text{PED} = \frac{\%\Delta Q_d}{\%\Delta P} PED=%ΔP%ΔQd to percentage changes and balance of trade deductions—hold a vital 12 marks that often differentiate grade boundaries.
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.
Quantitative (Diagrammatic (Analytical (Chain
Weight: 6100%Evaluative (Count
Weight: 233%
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
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
State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.
Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.
Match the expected response style for “Label” questions.
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
Break into parts and explain how each contributes to the whole question focus.
Match the expected response style for “Assess” questions.
Weigh arguments for and against with evidence; end with a supported judgement.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 2
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Government policies
24 marks this session
Macroeconomic objectives
20 marks this session
The labour market
15 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
Government policies
International trade
Macroeconomic objectives
Relationships between objectives and policies
Elasticity
The economic problem
The labour market
Externalities
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1: Microeconomics and Business Economics:
Paper 2: Macroeconomics 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
Government policies
24 marks this session
Practise in RevuiMacroeconomic objectives
20 marks this session
Practise in RevuiThe labour market
15 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
Marks are heavily concentrated in the analytical and evaluative domains.
- 2Message
Together, the 9-mark and 12-mark questions across both papers account for 60 marks out of 160 (nearly 38% of the total).
- 3Message
To capture top-tier marks in these sections, candidates must demonstrate clear, chained economic reasoning (AO3) and balanced counter-arguments culminating in a supported judgment (AO4).
- 4Message
Additionally, the quantitative calculations—ranging from the Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) formula PED=%ΔQd%ΔP \text{PED} = \frac{\%\Delta Q_d}{\%\Delta P} PED=%ΔP%ΔQd to percentage changes and balance of trade deductions—hold a vital 12 marks that often differentiate grade boundaries.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2025 2025
Economics
Marks are heavily concentrated in the analytical and evaluative domains. Together, the 9-mark and 12-mark questions across both papers account for 60 marks out of 160 (nearly 38% of the total). To capture top-tier marks in these sections, candidates must demonstrate clear, chaine
Marks are heavily concentrated in the analytical and evaluative domains.
Together, the 9-mark and 12-mark questions across both papers account for 60 marks out of 160 (nearly 38% of the total).
To capture top-tier marks in these sections, candidates must demonstrate clear, chained economic reasoning (AO3) and balanced counter-arguments culminating in a supported judgment (AO4).
- Total marks
- 160
- Duration
- 180 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.5 / 5
Session analysis
Marks are heavily concentrated in the analytical and evaluative domains. Together, the 9-mark and 12-mark questions across both papers account for 60 marks out of 160 (nearly 38% of the total). To capture top-tier marks in these sections, candidates must demonstrate clear, chained economic reasoning (AO3) and balanced counter-arguments culminating in a supported judgment (AO4). Additionally, the quantitative calculations—ranging from the Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) formula PED=%ΔQd%ΔP \text{PED} = \frac{\%\Delta Q_d}{\%\Delta P} PED=%ΔP%ΔQd to percentage changes and balance of trade deductions—hold a vital 12 marks that often differentiate grade boundaries.
Updated Jun 13, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1: Microeconomics and Business Economics:
Paper 2: Macroeconomics 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.
69% 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.
Assess
36·4·23%
Analyse
30·5·19%
Evaluate
24·2·15%
Definition and State
15·10·10%
Draw/Label Diagrams
15·5·10%
Explain
15·5·10%
Calculate
12·6·8%
Multiple Choice
10·10·6%
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 1 Question 1
0.50 m/minTotal marks
5
Total time
10 min
Avg pace
0.50
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Monopoly, Oligopoly, and Market Concentration
85%85%
Exchange Rate Systems (Fixed vs Floating)
80%80%
Trade Unions and Labor Market Interventions
75%75%
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Incomplete Graphical Labels: Many candidates shifted curves correctly (such as the rightward supply shift for smartphone productivity or leftward supply shift for coal tariffs) but failed to label the new equilibrium points P1 P_1 P1 and Q1 Q_1 Q1 as instructed.
- Formula and Unit Errors: In calculations, students often omitted steps or forgot vital signs (e.g., negative signs for PED) and currency symbols.
- One-Sided Evaluations: In the 12-mark essay on the minimum wage and globalisation, many answers focused entirely on the benefits while neglecting the critical drawback analysis (such as the risk of structural unemployment or corporate exploitation).
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.