What is examined in the CIE IGCSE Economics Paper 1?
- Paper 1 tests your knowledge and understanding of economics and your ability to analyse simple economic situations
- All questions are based on the full syllabus content (Topics 1–6)
- You answer 40 multiple-choice questions
- Each question is worth 1 mark
- The paper lasts 1 hour
- Paper 1 is worth 33% of the total qualification (40 marks out of 120 overall)
- All questions are compulsory – you must answer every question
- Paper 1 mainly assesses:
- AO1 Knowledge and Understanding – recognising and recalling key definitions, formulas, diagrams and concepts
- AO2 Analysis – interpreting simple data or diagrams and applying economic ideas to short scenarios
- There are no AO3 evaluation marks on Paper 1
The structure of Paper 1
For more detailed help on how to approach multiple-choice questions, see the section “Answering 1-Mark MCQ Questions“
Each of the 40 questions:
Has four answer options (A, B, C, D)
Moves systematically through Topics 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.
The first question will be from Topic 1 and the final question will be from Topic 6
Might be:
a straightforward recall question
based on a short piece of data, a table or a diagram
a calculation using a simple formula
Examples of the types of skills tested include:
Recognising correct definitions (e.g., opportunity cost, PED, GDP per head)
Using demand and supply diagrams to identify the effect of a shift
Interpreting changes in unemployment, inflation or growth from data tables
Working out simple percentages and elasticities
You can use a calculator in Paper 1
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