A Quick and Easy Economics Tutor’s Guide to Drawing JC Economics Diagrams

One of the most important skills required in A level Economics is the drawing of economics diagrams. These diagrams show how different economic factors influence each other. Economists use these diagrams to model how changes in one variable will cause changes in another variable. They are a great way to visualize and explain concepts in Economics.

The JC Economics exams also require candidates to have proficiency in drawing and interpreting economics diagrams as they are an essential tool for studying Economics. They help you analyze the causes and outcomes of economic events, explain how market structures work, and analyze the impact of government policies on the economy.

In this blog post, we will teach you some quick and easy ways to draw an economics diagram, and you will soon be drawing them like a pro!

1. Recognize When a Diagram is Needed

The first step to acing the JC Economics paper is knowing the ideal places to draw a diagram. Some questions rely on textual evidence and might have a low mark value, while others need diagrammatic evidence to achieve high scores. So always consider the mark value of the question at hand. Use your intuition and common sense to guide you here. You should know that for short three-mark questions, it is apparent that we don’t need to make a complete drawing to get full marks, while the situation can change if we have an eight-mark question at hand.

Another great indicator to determine whether you should draw a diagram is to look at the question and see what it wants from you. Now, you might think that this is just common sense, but believe me, many students skip this simple part and hurt their grades.

So make sure to always keep an eye out for the phrase, “please use appropriate diagrams to provide analysis.”

Furthermore, when you draw a diagram, always explain the related economics concepts in the text as they will allow you to score maximum marks in your JC Economics exam.

It will help if you go through examiner marking schemes present in ten-year series to gauge where examiners prefer and award marks for having diagrams to have an even more expert intuition of knowing where diagrams are needed.

2. Know Which Diagrams to Draw

We are now aware of when we need to draw a diagram in the JC Economics exam.

The next fundamental question is: What should we draw?

To tackle this part, you should refer to the context given in the question. If the examiner asks you for a simple DD/SS analysis, draw up a DD/SS diagram in your answer sheet.

However, examiners are not always this helpful and usually only drop hints of related concepts when they want to see a diagram in the answer. Questions can include keywords such as macro–policies (this shows that you have to use your AD/AS framework). Follow this simple strategy, and you will easily ace all diagram-related questions in the exam.

Draw your diagrams neatly, clearly, and big enough for an examiner to quickly check them.

3. Drawing with Top Efficiency

Now, we know when to draw and what to draw. It should be smooth sailing from here on, right?

Well, don’t get too comfortable because the threat of time is always hanging above your head during the JC Economics paper. You need to produce all your diagrams and complete your paper within the given time limit.

To win your race against time, you don’t need any fancy tools or tricks. You mainly have to focus on the basics, and everything else will work out on its own. These basics can include:

• Always using a ruler for every line (don’t rely on your hand, it will make things messy).
• Always labelling your axes.
• Not writing anything on your diagram
• Labelling your diagram.
• Always clearly mentioning and elaborating on your diagrams in the text part of your answer.

Make sure to imagine and visualize the image you are about to make in your mind beforehand, as it aids the accuracy and the drawing process a lot. Remember that these diagrams should never aim to act as fillers in your answer sheet, and each of your diagrams should play a distinct purpose and role within the solution.

4. Getting Expert Help

Still feeling confused and facing difficulties?

You can get expert help and real-life guidance on learning more about drawing JC Economics diagrams.

You can contact our expert tutor, Mr. Anthony Fok, here. He is one of the most acclaimed A-levels Economics teachers in Singapore, teaching at JC Economics Tuition Centre. You can take a look at his weekly tuition schedule here and register yourself to have a better chance at acing the JC Economics exam!