Question Which one of the following does a point on a production Mark

Number possibility curve (PPC) represent?

Answer
1(a) AO1 1 mark

The only correct answer is:

D A given amount of resources being fully employed

A is not correct because this cannot be determined on a PPC

B is not correct because a PPC cannot show how production can
increase
C is not correct because a PPC does not show government (1)
revenue

Question Which one of the following describes this economic Mark

Number assumption?

Answer
1(b) AO2 1 mark

The only correct answer is:

A Businesses aim to maximise their profit

B is not correct because there is no indication of any charitable

work taking place
C is not correct because consumer behaviour is not described
D is not correct because it is not linked to government actions (1)

Question What is meant by the term economies of scale? Mark

Number
Answer
1(c) AO1 2 marks

Award 1 mark for reference to reduced average cost and 1 mark

for reference to increased output

Average costs of production fall (1) as the level of output rises

(1)

Accept any other appropriate response (2)

Question State one example of a factor of production that can be Mark
Number classified as land.

Answer
1(d) AO1 1 mark

Award 1 mark for correct example

• Forest
• Rainwater
• Coal
• Oil

Accept any other appropriate response (1)

Question Define the term monopoly. Mark

Number
Answer
1(e) AO1 1 mark

Award 1 mark for a correct definition

One dominant seller in a market

Accept any other appropriate response (1)

Question Calculate, to two decimal places, the price elasticity of Mark

Number demand (PED) for Alfie’s dog‑walking service. You are advised
to show your working.

Answer
1(f) AO2 2 marks

Award 1 mark for showing correct calculation

-1.1/1.5 (1)

Award 1 mark for correct PED

= -0.73 (1)

Award 2 marks if PED is correctly calculated as -0.73, even if no

calculations are shown

Do not award marks for a formula (2)

Question Using the diagram below, draw the likely effects on the market Mark
Number for cars of the introduction of more effective technology in
production. Label the new curve, the new equilibrium price and
the new equilibrium quantity.

Answer
1(g) AO2 3 marks

Award 1 mark for rightward shift of supply, labelled

Award 1 mark for lower equilibrium price, labelled
Award 1 mark for higher equilibrium quantity, labelled

(3)

Question Explain one possible effect on the supply of labour of the Mark
Number school‑leaving age being raised.

Answer
1(h) AO2 3 marks

Award 1 mark for identifying an effect

Award 1 mark for developing the response
Award 1 mark for the response being in context

• One effect would be a decrease in the supply of labour (1)

because young people would not be able to be employed
full-time until they reached the school-leaving age (1) which
means only people over 18 in England could contribute to
the supply of labour (1)

Accept any other appropriate response (3)

 Question With reference to the data above and your knowledge of economics, analyse
Number why Bupa may have decided to operate in a wider range of markets.

Indicative content
1(i) AO2 (3 marks)/AO3 (3 marks)

AO2 and AO3

• There are several factors that can affect the growth of firms. One of these is
the desire to spread risks
• By expanding its product range, Bupa can reduce the risk because it is
trading in different markets
• This means that if there is a problem in one market (such as health
insurance) it has other areas in which it can continue to trade
• Therefore the range of services, such as hospital and dental treatment,
could help to finance the firm and allow it to continue to be successful, if
there are problems in other markets
• As Bupa operates in 190 countries, it is likely to encounter uncertainty in the
different markets and therefore having a range of services means it is
reducing the overall risk to the firm

Level Mark Descriptor

0 No rewardable material.

Level 1 1–2 • Demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding by developing relevant

points. Limited application of economic terms, concepts, theories and
calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will lack selectivity and organisation. Interpretation
of economic information will be limited, with a lack of analysis of issues
(AO3).
Level 2 3–4 • Demonstrates partial knowledge and understanding by developing
relevant points. Partial application of economic terms, concepts, theories
and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate some selectivity and organisation.
Interpretation of economic information will be good, with some analysis of
issues (AO3).
Level 3 5–6 • Demonstrates clear knowledge and understanding by developing relevant
points. Appropriate application of economic terms, concepts, theories and
calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate excellent selectivity and
organisation. Interpretation of economic information will be excellent, with
a thorough analysis of issues (AO3).
 Question Answer Mark
number
2(a) AO1 1 mark

C 120 HKD
(1)

Question Answer Mark

number
2(b) AO2 1 mark

B The excess demand will be 500 tablet covers

(1)

Question Answer Mark

number
2(c)(i) AO1 1 mark

Award 1 mark for correct formula in words/as an equation.

% change in quantity demanded ÷ % change in price

(1)

Question Answer Mark

number
2(c)(ii) AO2 2 marks

Award 1 mark for showing correct calculation.

Award 1 mark for correct price elasticity of demand (PED).

−20 ÷ 10 (1) = −2 (1)

Award 2 marks if PED is correctly calculated, even if no

calculations are shown.

Award 2 marks if students show calculation and put 2 without the

minus sign.

Award 1 mark if students do not show calculation but identify that

it is price elastic.

Do not award marks for the formula.

(2)

26 Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Economics – Sample Assessment Materials

Issue 1 – October 2016 © Pearson Education Limited 2016
 Question Answer Mark
number
2(d) AO1 1 mark

Award 1 mark for one correct factor:

 increased advertising
 increased income
 change in fashion and tastes in favour of product
 increased price of other substitute goods
 decreased price of other complementary goods
 increased population size
 increased immigration.
Accept any other appropriate responses.
(1)

Question Answer Mark

number
2(e) AO1 2 marks

Award 1 mark for reference to breaking up production and award

1 mark for reference to workers specialising in one task.

Division of labour occurs where a firm breaks up the production

process (1) and each worker specialises in one task (1).
(2)

Question Answer Mark

number
2(f) AO2 3 marks

Award 1 mark for identifying an advantage of the division of

labour, a further mark for developing the advantage and 1 mark
for the response being in the context of bikes.

 Less time is wasted (1) as workers will not keep having to

change tools to do each task (1), whereas before they needed
to change from one tool to another (1).
 Workers specialising in one task become better at that task
(1), making them more productive (1) and helping to lower
the average costs of producing each bike. (1)

Accept any other appropriate responses.

(3)

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Economics – Sample Assessment Materials 27

Issue 1 – October 2016 © Pearson Education Limited 2016
 Question Indicative content
number
2(g) AO2 (3 marks)/AO3 (3 marks)/AO4 (3 marks)

AO2 and AO3

 The minimum wage will help employees meet their basic needs, as they
will be able to earn enough to buy the clothes, food and shelter they need.
 This will improve their quality of life, being less likely to get ill as they are
able to buy the food they need to survive.
 More pay for workers means they will be more motivated and their
productivity is likely to rise, helping to cut average costs for the business
(own knowledge).

AO4

 However, higher wages will be a problem for business owners as

production costs will rise and they may not be able to employ as many
people, which could cause increased unemployment for clothing workers in
Bangladesh.
OR
 However, the minimum wage could have a big impact on the price of
goods, as wage increases will be large (77%), which could lead to
unemployment as demand for the goods fall.

Level Mark Descriptor

0 No rewardable material.
Level 1 1–3  Demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding by
developing relevant points. Limited application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
 Information presented will lack selectivity and organisation.
Interpretation of economic information will be limited, with a
lack of analysis of issues (AO3).
 Only offers one viewpoint, meaning there is an unbalanced and
incomplete evaluation, showing limited understanding and
awareness (AO4).
Level 2 4–6  Demonstrates partial knowledge and understanding by
developing relevant points. Partial application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
 Information presented will demonstrate some selectivity and
organisation. Interpretation of economic information will be
good, with some analysis of issues (AO3).
 Offers more than one viewpoint but the argument may lack
balance, leading to an evaluation that may not demonstrate full
understanding and awareness (AO4).

28 Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Economics – Sample Assessment Materials

Issue 1 – October 2016 © Pearson Education Limited 2016
 Question 3
(a) D

(b) D

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Economics – Sample Assessment Materials 29

Issue 1 – October 2016 © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Question Answer Mark
number
3(c) AO2 2 marks

Award 1 mark for showing correct calculation.

0.85 x 95,000 (1)

Award 1 mark for correct total revenue (TR).

= $80 750 (1)

Award 2 marks if TR is correctly calculated, even if no

calculations are shown

Do not award marks for the formula (2)

Question Answer Mark
number
3(d) AO1 1 mark

Inelastic (1)

OFR applies
e.g. if answer to 3(c) is less than $75 000, award 1 mark for
elastic (1)
Question Indicative content
number
3(e) AO2 (3 marks)/AO3 (3 marks)

AO2 and AO3

• The PPF shows the combinations of goods which can be produced with all
available resources
• An increase in the ability to produce both capital and consumer goods is
shown in figure 3 due to the outward shift of the PPF
• Economic growth would allow this to happen as there is likely to be an
increase in economic resources and improvements in technology over
time
• With the increase in resources and efficiency, it would be possible to
increase production of both capital and consumer goods without the
sacrifice of the other

Level Mark Descriptor

0 No rewardable material.

Level 1 1–2 • Demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding by

developing relevant points. Limited application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will lack selectivity and organisation.
Interpretation of economic information will be limited, with a
lack of analysis of issues (AO3).
Level 2 3–4 • Demonstrates partial knowledge and understanding by
developing relevant points. Partial application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate some selectivity and
organisation. Interpretation of economic information will be
good, with some analysis of issues (AO3).
Level 3 5–6 • Demonstrates clear knowledge and understanding by
developing relevant points. Appropriate application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate excellent selectivity and
organisation. Interpretation of economic information will be
excellent, with a thorough analysis of issues (AO3).
Question Indicative content
number
3(f) AO2 (3 marks)/AO3 (3 marks)/AO4 (3 marks)

AO2 and AO3

• Trade unions can help raise wages and improve working conditions for
workers by putting pressure on employers during negotiations
• SAFTU has nearly 700,000 members and is the 2nd largest federation in
South Africa meaning it could have a lot of influence on employers
• SAFTU is a new trade union group and so may have new ideas with
which to push for workers’ rights
• The higher wages may reduce the quantity of labour that firms can
afford to employ, thus meaning fewer workers are employed in the
industry but those remaining receive higher wages
• The use of a quantity/wage of labour diagram

AO4

• However, the influence of trade unions has been decreasing all over the
world
• The effectiveness of the trade unions may depend on whether their
power and influence is restricted by legislation
• When wage rates increase, if productivity also rises, firms may not have
to reduce the number of workers they employ due to higher labour
costs
• There isn’t enough information in the data to know whether 700,000 is
a large proportion of the workforce and therefore how influential they
might be
• How effective trade unions are in influencing the price and quantity of
labour may depend on whether firms can pass on increased costs
through increased prices or reduced profit margins
Level Mark Descriptor

0 No rewardable material.

Level 1 1–3 • Demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding by

developing relevant points. Limited application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will lack selectivity and organisation.
Interpretation of economic information will be limited, with a
lack of analysis of issues (AO3).
• Only offers one viewpoint, meaning there is an unbalanced and
incomplete evaluation, showing limited understanding and
awareness (AO4).
Level 2 4–6 • Demonstrates partial knowledge and understanding by
developing relevant points. Partial application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate some selectivity and
organisation. Interpretation of economic information will be
good, with some analysis of issues (AO3).
• Offers more than one viewpoint but the argument may lack
balance, leading to an evaluation that may not demonstrate full
understanding and awareness (AO4).
Level 3 7–9 • Demonstrates clear knowledge and understanding by
developing relevant points. Appropriate application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate excellent selectivity and
organisation. Interpretation of economic information will be
excellent, with a thorough analysis of issues (AO3).
• Offers more than one viewpoint. The argument is well balanced
and coherent, leading to an evaluation that demonstrates full
understanding and awareness (AO4).
Question Answer Mark
number
4(a) AO2 2 marks

Award 1 mark for showing quantity demanded is 50 and quantity

supplied is 20 and 1 mark for correct calculation of excess demand

50 – 20 (1) = 30 (1)

Award 2 marks if excess demand is correctly calculated to be 30,

even if no lines are shown on diagram or calculation shown (2)
Question Indicative content
number
4(b) AO2 (3 marks)/AO3 (3 marks)

AO2 and AO3

• In the USA, NBC Universal is the only network allowed to televise the
Olympic Games until 2032. This makes it a monopoly
• As a result NBC Universal has a unique product
• This means it is a price-maker and so can set high prices for the
advertising on its platforms
• By agreeing the rights with the IOC, a legal agreement has been made,
creating a barrier to entry for any potential competitors

Level Mark Descriptor

0 No rewardable material.

Level 1 1–2 • Demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding by

developing relevant points. Limited application of economic terms,
concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will lack selectivity and organisation.
Interpretation of economic information will be limited, with a lack of
analysis of issues (AO3).
Level 2 3–4 • Demonstrates partial knowledge and understanding by
developing relevant points. Partial application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate some selectivity and
organisation. Interpretation of economic information will be good,
with some analysis of issues (AO3).
Level 3 5–6 • Demonstrates clear knowledge and understanding by
developing relevant points. Appropriate application of economic
terms, concepts, theories and calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate excellent selectivity and
organisation. Interpretation of economic information will be
excellent, with a thorough analysis of issues (AO3).
Question Indicative content
number
4(c) AO2 (4 marks)/AO3 (4 marks)/AO4 (4 marks)

AO2 and AO3

• A monopoly occurs when one seller dominates the market

• Google had a 94.33% market share in South America
• Google’s dominance could mean they are able to spend their profits on
research and developing the search engine
• Therefore the firms which advertise on Google can benefit from
improvements to it, through innovation
• Due to its size, Google may be able to benefit from economies of scale
• These lower average costs could be passed on to the firms which advertise
through cheaper prices
• As the industry is fast moving, Google will need to provide a good service
in order to remain so dominant. This may encourage them to maintain
quality in the service offered
• As a result of Google’s dominance, firms advertising can be more confident
that their adverts will be seen by more people if they advertise on Google
• This could mean they are more likely to recoup their advertising costs
through higher customer levels

AO4

• However, due to its dominance, Google could choose to charge high prices
to the advertisers because it has a lack of competition
• There is a lack of choice for firms advertising on search engines
• Although Bing and a small percentage of others provide some choice, it
only amounted to 5.67% during the period
• Google may feel complacent about their strong position and not develop
the service to the satisfaction of the advertisers
• Without more competition, Google may not be concerned with rising costs,
as they could pass them on
• It may depend on whether the competitors such as Bing, and those in
other countries outside of South America, can develop a stronger following
• It may depend on whether search engines remain so prominent in internet
advertising
Level Mark Descriptor

0 No rewardable material.

Level 1 1–4 • Demonstrates isolated elements of relevant knowledge and

understanding; may lack development of relevant points.
Limited application of economic terms, concepts, theories and
calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will lack selectivity and organisation.
Chain of reasoning may be attempted. Interpretation of
economic information will be limited, with a lack of analysis of
issues (AO3).
• Only offers one viewpoint, meaning there is an unbalanced and
incomplete evaluation, showing limited understanding and
awareness. A judgement or conclusion is unlikely to be
attempted (AO4).
Level 2 5–8 • Demonstrates partial selectivity and some accurate knowledge
and understanding by developing some relevant points. Partial
application of economic terms, concepts, theories and
calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate some selectivity and
organisation. Chain of reasoning will be present but may be
limited. Interpretation of economic information will be good,
with some analysis of issues (AO3).
• Offers more than one viewpoint but the argument may lack
balance, leading to an evaluation that may not demonstrate full
understanding and awareness. A judgement or conclusion is
attempted, but may not be fully supported (AO4).
Level 3 9–12 • Demonstrates specific and accurate knowledge and
understanding by developing relevant points. Appropriate
application of economic terms, concepts, theories and
calculations (AO2).
• Information presented will demonstrate excellent selectivity and
organisation. Chain of reasoning will be coherent and logical.
Interpretation of economic information will be excellent with a
thorough analysis of issues (AO3).
• Offers more than one viewpoint. The argument is well balanced
and coherent, leading to an evaluation that demonstrates full
understanding and awareness. A supported judgement or
conclusion is present (AO4).