Understanding economics is essential for unravelling the global economy's and contemporary society's complexities. It is a discipline that offers valuable insights into the intricate workings of the world around us.
If you have chosen economics as one of your subjects in Form 6, you already know its importance in life. However, it can be a confusing subject for many students. If you share this sentiment, there's no need to be concerned. It primarily involves understanding the fundamental concepts. After you understand the concepts well, you will find this subject much easier to handle.
This comprehensive article will provide invaluable tips and strategies to assist STPM students in excelling in their economics exams. These tips are designed not only to help students achieve excellent results but also to set them on the path to a successful transition into tertiary education.
What Should You Expect for Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ)?
MCQ, which stands for multiple-choice questions, is part of the assessment for semesters one and two of STPM economics. In both of these semesters, the assessment will consist of 20 questions each.
More often than not, people tend to think that multiple-choice questions are a breeze, but this couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth. Multiple-choice questions have clear right and wrong answers. This means if you are unsure of the answer, there is a chance you will lose marks. For you to succeed in the multiple choice question part of the assessment, you will need to ensure that you cover every topic in the syllabus for that semester.
One thing that makes it easy for students is that you will have five chapters each for your semester one and semester two. This makes it easier for you to concentrate and master them before your examination.
The multiple-choice answers given are aimed to be confusing. In short, there will not be a clear-cut wrong answer usually. In order for you to be able to get the correct answer, you must know what the question is asking and what the correct answer is.
Another tip for students is not to spend too much time on a given question. When students are confused, they should move on to the rest. Since the assessment starts with multiple-choice questions, the student will not have sufficient time to answer the essay and quantitative parts later in the examination. Always ensure that you have proper time management during your examination.
Before submitting your test, ensure you have correctly answered the answer sheet. Sometimes, students might mark the answer sheets incorrectly by missing out on a question or marking two answers for a question without realising it.
How to Tackle Essay Questions
Essay questions are included in three out of four assessments in the STPM Economy subject. Students should understand that the marks allocated for each essay question clearly indicate how many key points they should aim to address for that specific question.
You should organise your answers based on the marks appointed for each question. For example, if the question has two marks, just be straight to the point and not waste your time explaining things. If a question has ten marks, for example, you will need to arrange your answer to have crucial points and examples to back up those points you have.
Secondly, read the questions correctly. Students tend to rush through questions and miss critical points. Your answer can be totally wrong just by missing a word in a question, so make sure to read the questions slowly and thoroughly.
When you are faced with higher marks, it is best to elaborate on your points with examples. This shows the examiner that you have a thorough understanding of the concepts, theories, and subject matter. I have questions like this, and just answering with the key points is not sufficient to get a full mark.
Another tip for scoring in the essay part is to always go through all of the questions before choosing to answer them. If you look closely at the exam paper format, which we have detailed in Insights into the STPM Economics 2025 Format, you will notice that in semesters one and two, students will be given six essay questions and have to answer four. In semester three, students will be given a choice of six articles and have to answer five.
Before answering any questions, it's best to carefully read through all the articles first. This way, you can make an informed decision about which question you feel confident in answering. It would be a waste of time to answer questions as you go along, only to realise the last question is something you know about but didn't have time to answer.
Answer Quantitative Questions With Ease
In the final sections of your STPM Economic papers, you will encounter quantitative questions. During Semester 1 and Semester 2, you will be required to choose and respond to 2 out of 3 available question options. However, in Semester 3, you only need to answer 1 out of 2 question options.
Each question is worth ten marks, and candidates will receive a set of questions that may be calculation-based or short-structured, which will be derived from either a table of data or a graph.
Ensure to begin by thoroughly reading the questions and comprehending the specific requirements. Then, assess the allocated marks to gauge the expected length of your response. Below are a few examples of quantitative questions found in the STPM economics paper:
- Tentukan kos tetap firma ini. [1]
- Hitung kos berubah purata dan kos sut bagi setiap tingkat keluaran. [4]
- Sekiranya harga barang ialah RM50.00 per unit,
- (i) berapakah kuantiti keluaran firma ini pada tingkat keseimbangan? [1]
- (ii) hitung jumlah keuntungan yang diperoleh. [2]
- Berapakah harga paling rendah yang membolehkan firma terus beroperasi dalam pasaran dan mengapa? [2]
How to Ace Economics Coursework/Kerja Kursus?
Candidates will work on and finalise this internal assessment concurrently with the written external assessment during the final semester. The questions will be provided by the Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM), and the topics will be drawn from the Semester 4 STPM Economics syllabus. Each STPM candidate is required to create a written report based on their research findings.
Candidates are encouraged to use a computer to prepare a study report in the following format:
- Paper size: A4 white only
- Margin: Top and bottom 1 inch, left and right 1.25 inches
- Writing: Times New Roman (font 12)
- Spacing: 1.5
- Length: No more than 25 pages are allowed, including tables, figures, graphs, charts, and reference lists, but excluding the appendix.
- Photo evidence, data, interview results, and others must support coursework writing.
The order of the coursework report is as follows:
- Front cover (as prescribed format) (Appendix 1)
- Candidate Certificate Form (BPC) (Appendix 2)
- Candidate Course Work Record Form (BRKKC) (Appendix 3)
- Economics coursework writing
As we have shown above, there are explicit details on what is expected of your report. Follow this properly, as making a mistake on these can cost you marks.
In order for you to make sure that your work is presentable, you should make sure that you use consistency in your format. This will make a good impression on your examiner.
Since students are given a whole semester to work on this coursework, make sure not to start at the very last minute. This is a mistake that can cost you precious marks.
Your examiner will easily be able to identify work that has been rushed, and it is not a good look, especially if you are given so much time to work on it.
Take your time to read the question correctly. Look at what is required. Discuss with your fellow students and teachers what you should write about. Visit libraries and get your hands on as many resources as possible to help you with your coursework topic.
Always go through the past year's questions and MPM's expectations for students. Although the topics might be different, they give students insight into what is actually wanted and expected of them. They can enlighten students and prepare them for their own coursework.
Thanks to technological advancements, we now have ChatGPT. Students can always use them as mentors to help them understand or to receive guidance, but students should never ever use this as a tool for their coursework, as it is just plain cheating and plagiarism.
One of the best tips for a student taking the Economy subject in their STPM is to hire a tutor. More often than not, students tend to go for group tuition, and some even rely on classes in school. One of the best things you can do is hire a Superprof tutor. At times, students benefit greatly from the individualised attention that a tutor can offer. A tutor can help you understand the topics for STPM economics, familiarise yourself with the marking scheme and anything else you desire to learn or improve.
More often than not, people tend to think that hiring a tutor is for someone to teach you like how a teacher would. This is not true. A tutor is someone who is there to help you improve on your weaknesses while encouraging you to surpass the goals you have set for yourself. Our tutors are highly trained and skilled to ensure that you will get the help you need and ace all your semesters and assessments.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...