Welcome to IGCSE Economics Section

This section is specifically written for Cambridge IGCSE Economics Syllabus 0455. However, students and teachers from other curricula will find this section equally useful as most of the topics covered here are common. All GCSEs from various Examination Boards such as EDEXCEL, AQA, CECA, and others will find it equally useful.

The syllabus has been divided into the following themes. The topics covered and learning outcomes are given in these themes so everybody can find something of interest here. There are revision notes, interactive quizzes, worksheets, case studies, and a lot of interesting stuff.

Syllabus IGCSE Economics Code 0455

The syllabus can be downloaded from the CAMBRIDGE ASSESSMENT OFFICIAL WEBSITE

For your convenience, here are online versions of the syllabuses shown from the CIE website via the Google Docs viewer (pick the one that relates to the year that you will sit your IGCSE exam):

DOWNLOAD 2023-2025 SYLLABUS

DOWNLOAD 2026 SYLLABUS

Syllabus at a Glance

1. The Basic Economic Problem

1.1 The nature of the economic problem

1.2 The factors of production

1.3 Opportunity cost

1.4 Production possibility curve (PPC) diagrams

2. The Allocation of Resources

2.1 Microeconomics and macroeconomics

2.2 The role of markets in allocating resources

2.3 Demand 2.4 Supply

2.5 Price determination

2.6 Price changes

2.7 Price elasticity of demand (PED)

2.8 Price elasticity of supply (PES)

2.9 Market economic system

2.10 Market failure

2.11 Mixed economic system

3. Microeconomic Decision Makers

3.1 Money and banking

3.2 Households

3.3 Workers

3.4 Trade unions

3.5 Firms

3.6 Firms and production

3.7 Firms’ costs, revenue and objectives

3.8 Market structure

4. Government and the Macroeconomy

4.1 The role of government

4.2 The macroeconomic aims of government

4.3 Fiscal policy

4.4 Monetary policy

4.5 Supply-side policy

4.6 Economic growth

4.7 Employment and unemployment

4.8 Inflation and deflation

5. Economic Development

5.1 Living standards

5.2 Poverty

5.3 Population

5.4 Differences in economic development between countries

6. International Trade and Globalisation

6.1 International specialisation

6.2 Globalisation, free trade and protection

6.3 Foreign exchange rates

6.4 Current account of balance of payments

Assessment Objectives

Cambridge IGCSE Economics [ Syllabus code 0455]  For examination in and after June and November 2009

A KNOWLEDGE WITH UNDERSTANDING

Students should be able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in relation to:

1. economic facts, definitions, concepts, principles, and theories;

2. economic vocabulary and terminology.

B ANALYSIS

Students should be able to:
3. select, organise and interpret data;
4. apply economic knowledge and understanding in verbal, numerical, diagrammatic, pictorial and graphical form;
5. use economic data, to recognise patterns in such data, and to deduce relationships.

C JUDGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING

Students should be able to:
6. distinguish between evidence and opinion, make reasoned judgements and communicate them in an accurate and logical manner;
7. recognise that economic theory is subject to various limitations and uncertainties;
8. evaluate the social and environmental implications of particular courses of economic action.

D CRITICAL EVALUATION

Students should be able to:
9. draw conclusions from economic information and critically evaluate economic data;
10. communicate conclusions in a logical and concise manner.

Scheme of Assessment

Cambridge IGCSE Economics [ Syllabus code 0455]  For examination in and afterJune and November 2009

The assessment has two components, Paper 1: Multiple choice and Paper 2: Structured questions.

Candidates must take both papers. Candidates receive grades from A* to G.

Paper 1 Multiple choice 45 minutes

Candidates answer 30 multiple-choice questions.

Weighted at 30% of total available marks.

Paper 2 Structured questions 2 hours 15 minutes

Candidates answer one compulsory question, which requires them to interpret and analyse previously unseen data relevant to a real economic situation, and three optional questions from a choice of six.

Weighted at 70% of total available marks.

Past Year Exam Papers

Past Papers (IGCSE Economics Code 0455)

We cannot provide past papers for you through this site since CIE owns the copyright to these documents.
However, some past exam papers (theory and practical) along with mark schemes can be downloaded from the CIE open site.
At the moment the following papers and mark schemes are available from the CIE website (clicking a link will open the document up from the CIE website in an online Google Docs viewer):

• June 2019 Question Paper 11 (PDF, 147KB)
• June 2019 Mark Scheme Paper 11 (PDF, 92KB)
• June 2019 Question Paper 21 (PDF, 1MB)
• June 2019 Mark Scheme Paper 21 (PDF, 189KB)
• JUNE 2016 Question Paper 1(PDF, 156KB)
• JUNE 2016 Question Paper 2(PDF, 443KB)
• JUNE 2016 MARK SCHEME PAPER 1(PDF, 102KB)
• JUNE 2016 MARK SCHEME PAPER 2(PDF, 145KB)
• November 2013 Question Paper 1(PDF, 142KB)
• November 2013 Mark scheme 1(PDF, 83KB)
• November 2013 Mark scheme 2(PDF, 117KB)
• November 2013 Question Paper 2(PDF, 111KB)
• November 2013 Question Paper 3(PDF, 127KB)
• November 2013 Insert 3(PDF, 59KB)
• November 2013 Mark scheme 3 (PDF, 110KB)
• November 2014 Question Paper 11 (PDF, 159KB)
• November 2014 Mark scheme 11 (PDF, 86KB)
• November 2014 Question Paper 21 (PDF, 443KB)
• November 2014 Mark scheme 21 (PDF, 264KB)