How To Get a 7 in IB Economics

By Regina Ng

Economics/Business/LNAT Academic Instructor

at The Edge Learning Center

IB Economics is one of the hardest courses that IB offers. However, universities know about it. Admissions Offices in higher education institutions worldwide are aware of the difficulty of the Higher Level Economics course and many will take it into consideration your university applications. For example, many universities in the US give college credit for the IB higher-level courses. Here are some tips for you to be successful in your IB Economics study. 

Terminology

The amount of new vocabulary that is being thrown at you IB Economics can sometimes make you feel like a foreign language; so learn it like one! Practice definitions and also use the terms throughout your responses.

Diagrams

If you want to get a high score, just memorizing and perfectly recreating diagrams are not sufficient. Students must know the diagrams well enough so that illustrating changes and explaining those changes on a diagram can come easily.

Be Informed

Part of the unique features of the IB’s long answer is that it requires students to include examples in explanations. This also means that the standard examples are usually given by teachers and textbooks. However, if a student has a wider knowledge of the ‘real world’ and is able to think about and give examples from current events, the examples tend to be more relevant and a ‘better fit’.

Staying informed by constantly reading newspaper articles, watching the news and online videos, and even discussing with others will deepen the student’s understanding of economics and the real world.

Internal Assessment Portfolio

To get a 7 in IB Economics, a student should be getting the maximum possible marks prior to the exam. Internal Assessments are a way of ensuring that you can get a 7 under ‘pressure-free’ conditions. They also play a big role in helping you to get a high predicted grade for university applications.

Persistence

IB Economics has a wide syllabus with a lot of new topics (unrelated to other IB subjects) and an exam that requires calculations, essay-based answers, and text examination. It can be overwhelming for some students so they will do poorly on some topics or some papers. Yet, the key is to learn from your mistakes and keep studying!

How we can help

If you’re still uncertain how to obtain a high score during your current studies in IB  Economics, we are here to help! Simply give us a ring or contact us today to schedule a lesson with Regina.