Bukit Timah Economics Tuition: Understand the Importance of Evaluation
Evaluation credit is not something to overlook, specifically when writing an answer to part (b) of an essay or a higher-order case study question. Out of 15 marks awarded to part (b), 5 marks make up the evaluation credit. In a H2 case study (Paper 1), 2 and 3 marks are awarded to evaluation for 8 and 10 mark questions respectively. This is a point often emphasised by Mr Koh during Bukit Timah Economics tuition classes.
Evaluation in Essays (Paper 2)
Evaluation marks are given for in-body write-ups as well as the summative evaluation for part (b) of an essay. Most essays follow this format:
Requirement 1 (R1)
Interim Evaluation 1 (E1)
Requirement 2 (R2)
Interim Evaluation 2 (E2)
Summative Evaluation (Conclusion)
To score under E1 and E2, students should try to challenge the position set out in R1 and R2 and to provide an interim conclusion.
Evaluation in Case Studies (8 and 10 mark questions)
For case studies, we can skip the interim evaluation and focus on writing a good summative evaluation. As a general rule of thumb when writing the summative evaluation, one evaluation comment would suffice for an 8 mark question, while two evaluative comments are necessary for a 10 mark question.
Never-Stop-Getting-Ready
When writing the summative evaluation, students can consider NSGR (or the Never-Stop-Getting-Ready mnemonic) to derive evaluative points. This is one out of many mnemonics students will learn when they attend Mr Koh’s Economics tuition at Bukit Timah.
Nature of economy: inherent to each economy and does not change much over time. The following points can be considered.
– Export driven vs internally driven: former is more vulnerable to fall in external demand
– Import reliant vs resource rich: former is more vulnerable to external supply shocks
– Small vs large multiplier: impact of events affecting AD on real NI is less significant for the former
State of economy: varies with time. The following points can be considered.
– Nearing full employment vs operating with spare capacity: former is more susceptible to experiencing demand-pull inflation if AD rises
– Pessimistic/optimistic sentiments vs moderate sentiments: any change in interest rates less likely to impact AD (through C and I) significantly for the former
– Rich budgetary reserves vs strained government budget: former can afford to run expansionary fiscal policy to mitigate the impact of a fall in AD on the economy.
Government’s role: can be invoked for questions on the “Impact of an event on an outcome”. For example, if the event leads to adverse consequences for society, consumers, producers or an economy, the role of government policies in mitigating these challenges can be considered.
Root cause of problem: when considering policy effectiveness, it is usually neat to sum up the analysis by highlighting that the appropriateness of each policy depends on the root cause of the problem.