Chapters
It seems bewildering that our schools don't offer economics courses until Year 9. Only then do students preparing for GCSEs have the option of learning about this vital subject. For those who choose to do so, it's like jumping into a new curriculum with no lead-in, buildup or prerequisite.
Granted, the number of students who selected Economics as one of their GCSE subjects is small. The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) reports that only 7160 students certified in Economics in 2023. Still, that number represents a jump of roughly 400 students over the year before. This signals that interest in this subject is growing.
For these reasons, it's a bit shocking that Economics GCSE revision resources are so thin on the ground. Even our beloved Bitesize has no tutorial module for GCSE Economics.
Amazon drives our point home. It lists an AQA GCSE Economics manual whose printing date (July 2009) reveals how little attention this vital subject receives. You may think twice about buying it because many of the reviews lament how basic and limited its contents are.
However, that doesn't mean students have nothing to learn from other than their course textbooks. The news discusses economic matters often, these days. Catering to a public hungry for information, websites, tutorials and explainers have cropped up everywhere. Entire books exist to help you put economic concepts into context.
Like any good Economics tutor would, Superprof points you to pages and resources to round out your learning. Specifically, we look at:
- textbooks and manuals to aid your economics revision
- economics revision guides for subject mastery
- online economics revision resources
- other resources you may use as revision guides
Before we start, we offer this advice. Don't limit your review of economics only to the topics your exam covers. To understand your subject matter - to see the connections between all the concepts, read as widely as possible. That way, come time to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of economics, you will have more to offer than your exam demands of you.
GCSE Economics Textbooks
As we mentioned in this article's introduction, GCSE Economics textbooks are scarce. However, the website Economics Help has one such manual, buried amidst all of its Advanced-Level economics revision resources. It is reasonably priced and available for download (in PDF format) immediately after purchase. This workbook even tailors its curriculum to the exam board whose papers you'll test on.
As this book distributor allows schools to buy these books in bulk, you may find that this volume is, in fact, your course book. What will you do for economics texts then?
The trick is knowing which economics concepts your course presents. You can discover these from your exam board's website. Once you know which topics you're expected to learn, you can look for resources to master them.
Broadly speaking, you will study basic aspects of macro- and microeconomic concepts. For the latter category, those include how markets work, how prices are determined and all about resource allocation. The following titles will shine a light on these concepts.
| Title | Author(s) | Topics Covered |
| Microeconomics: Principles, Problems, & Policies | McConnell, Brue, Flynn | Economic foundations Economic groups price setting behavioural economics |
| Modern Principles: Microeconomics | Tyler Cowen, Alex Tabarrok | Microeconomics many visual learning guides |
| Microeconomics Made Simple | Austin Frakt, Mike Piper | Microeconomics vs macroeconomics Demand Elasticity Supply Elasticity Monopolistic Competition Economic Costs vs. Accounting Costs |
| Microeconomics | Krugman, Wells | All the basic microeconomics concepts |
| Principles of Microeconomics | Gregory Mankiw | Essential concepts, tools, and techniques presented in easy-to-understand language Includes a mind map to help with test preparation |
| Freakonomics | Levitt, Dubner | Basic microeconomic concepts includes case studies to demonstrate real-world economic activity consequences |
Your GCSE Economics Paper 1 tests you on the microeconomic concepts presented in these books. Paper 2 tests your knowledge and understanding of macroeconomic concepts. To learn about them, read these books.
| Title | Author(s) | Content notes |
| Core Macroeconomics | Eric Chiang | Includes integrated media tools Suitable as a textbook or teacher's manual |
| Macroeconomics: Principles, Applications, and Tools | O’Sullivan, Sheffrin, Perez | Well organised, every concept is easy to digest and apply Written for macroeconomics beginners |
| Foundations of Macroeconomics | Bade, Parkin | Written for beginner economics learners Use in conjunction with MyEconLab |
| The Macro Economy Today | Schiller, Gebhardt | Easy to read and understand Tailored to classroom studies |
| Macroeconomics | Krugman, Wells | A companion to their Microeconomics volume (see first table) |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | Gregory Mankiw | Written for beginner economics students |
As long as you know the economics topics your exam tests you on, you can turn to any source to learn about them. This collection of titles explains the concepts you need to know and then some. What's even better is that you don't have to buy these books. You may check your school or local library to see if you can borrow their copy.
GCSE Economics Study Guides
Past papers are your best guides to the topics you'll discuss during your exams. You'll also discover the types of questions you can expect to see on your papers. Going over past papers and marking schemes will show you which topics will feature on your exams and how you must address them.
Reading over these papers' examiners' reports is another invaluable guide. Question papers are ambiguous; you can't tell what the examiners are looking for when you read the questions. By contrast, these reports lay out what the expected responses are. They also outline how future test takers could earn higher marks on each question.
A private tutor specialising in GCSE Economics is your first line of defence against subject matter uncertainty. Your tutor can recommend the most relevant texts and websites. You can put their economics knowledge and teaching skills to the test as you explore each economic concept.
GCSE Economics Websites
As noted in our introduction, you can find resources online that can help you understand the concepts you learn about in your GCSE Economics course. It's a source of information if you want to find out more about the topics you are studying, or to read up on the latest economic issues.
The website Tutor2u offers revision notes covering the topics that you will cover in class. It can be a valuable resource to review a particular subject. This page's 'Key Terms' list is a convenient place to check definitions. You may also watch their GCSE Economics tutorial videos on YouTube.
MrGoff.com presents its GCSE Economics information in a much more straightforward manner. Once you load this bright blue and white page, you only need to click on the pull-down menu labelled GCSE Economics. Then, you'll see all the topics available for review. This page also has a YouTube channel where he presents each topic in a short, clear format, one keyword and its related concepts per video.
Brainscape is a flashcard platform that offers study sets to aid your revision. These user-created decks are particularly helpful because because past students built them. For a more expansive and official flashcard utility, turn to Quizlet. Over the past few years, BBC Bitesize has linked its study resources to that platform, which includes a study module and games.
You may access all of these online resources to prepare for your GCSE Economics. While you're at it, bookmark the Investopedia website. It boasts a glossary of economic terms with detailed explanations for each. This site could serve as your economics encyclopaedia.
Revision Guides: Other Resources
The Bank of England has some useful resources to learn more about the UK’s economy. As well as studying more about the history of the central bank, you can also find resources relating to current economic policies, and some educational tools that are designed for GCSE-level students.
That site's Made for Money tool is particularly useful if you want to review the key topics that you will need to understand for your exams. You can also watch short films and learn about inflation. The HM Treasury site can also provide some useful information about the UK economy.
The World Bank website offers resources that can help you to explore the global economy. It features economic news stories and resources that could help you research topics you want to use for your coursework. Its You Think! blog showcases stories about young people working on development projects. You can also discover information on the UK’s Sustainable Development Commission website.
You might consider the Nobel Prize website an unusual GCSE revision resource. It lists famous economists and their work, information you might use to learn more about their theories. The site also features the Trade Ruler game, which tests the theories of Nobel Laureate Bertil Ohlin. He helped develop the Heckscher-Ohlin model of international trade.
You now have a guide to GCSE Economics study resources. You needn't drive yourself mad reading all of them. However, with such a selection to choose from, you can pick the ones that work best for you.
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