Explanation questions on the new AQA AS Papers

Part (c) explanation questions in the new AQA AS papers score 12 marks. For example in the January 2009 macro paper students were faced with this question:

“Extract B suggests that international studies ‘provide explanations for differences in labour productivity’. Explain two determinants of labour productivity.”

On the other question

“Explain two determinants of saving by households”

The examiners’report gives some important clues as to how to approach these questions and achieve high marks with the mimimum of fuss.

1/ Avoid a scatter-gun approach - pick two determinants and explain / develop them - do not leave it to the examiner to determine the best two explanations within your answer

2/ Use two separate paragraphs. In the first paragraph, the first determinant should be stated in the first sentence and the rest of the paragraph should be used to develop the explanation. This process should then be repeated for the second determinant.

3/ Go back to the data in the stimulus materials to help your answer. The most commonly quoted determinants of labour productivity were: training (or skills), incentives, job insecurity, investment in capital goods and improvements in technology.

4/ Succinct definitions still count - some marks are available for relevant definitions but not for repeating the definition that was required in part (a). If there are technical terms in your answer e.g. savings ratio, disposable income, human capital - then offer a brief and accurate definition - this will help achieve maximum marks for part (c)

5/ In micro questions a diagram is nearly always called for explicitly in the question and should form the centre piece of the answer - but once drawn, avoid laborious descriptions of it. Focus in stead on explaining relationships.