At a glance
- Cambridge codes
- 0455 (A* to G), 0987 (9 to 1)
- Edexcel code
- 4EC1 (9 to 1)
- Cambridge change
- New syllabus from June 2027
- Edexcel papers
- Micro and macro, 50% each
- Tiers
- None
Cambridge IGCSE Economics 0455 / 0987: assessment
Both papers are compulsory, with no tiers. The syllabus changes between the November 2026 and June 2027 series.
| Paper | Syllabus | Length | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 Multiple Choice (30 questions) | 2026 (November 2026) | 45 minutes | 30 | 30% |
| Paper 2 Structured Questions (one compulsory, then three from four) | 2026 (November 2026) | 2 hours 15 minutes | 90 | 70% |
| Paper 1 Multiple Choice (40 questions) | 2027 to 2029 (June 2027 onwards) | 1 hour | 40 | 30% |
| Paper 2 Structured Questions (Section A: one compulsory six-part question; Section B: three from four) | 2027 to 2029 (June 2027 onwards) | 2 hours | 80 | 70% |
What changes in the Cambridge 2027 syllabus
- Environment and sustainability are referenced throughout the content.
- Removed: the role of government as a separate topic, principles of taxation, deflation, fixed exchange rates, interpreting population pyramids, among others.
- Added: the concept of scarcity, perfectly elastic, unitary and perfectly inelastic demand, monopoly as a market failure, types of merger, average total cost diagrams for economies of scale, minimum wage diagrams, causes and consequences of recession and of changes in globalisation.
- Evaluation carries less weight overall, and knowledge and analysis carry more.
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Economics 4EC1: assessment
Both papers compulsory, single tier, calculators allowed. Exams in May/June and November, on paper or on screen.
| Paper | Length | Marks | Weighting | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 Microeconomics and business economics | 1 hour 30 minutes | 80 | 50% | Four compulsory 20-mark questions mixing multiple choice, short answer, data response and open-ended questions |
| Paper 2 Macroeconomics and the global economy | 1 hour 30 minutes | 80 | 50% | Same format |
Where IGCSE Economics marks are lost
Diagrams are the most reliable marks in Economics and the most often lost. Demand and supply diagrams need labelled axes (price and quantity), labelled curves, the original and new equilibrium, and arrows showing the shift. Students draw the curve shifting the wrong way, or shift demand when the question is about a cost change that shifts supply. Under the 2027 Cambridge syllabus, cost diagrams for economies of scale and minimum wage diagrams join the list.
The second loss is analysis that stops too early. A strong answer is a chain: a tax on sugary drinks raises the cost of production, so supply shifts left, price rises and quantity falls, so consumption falls, which may reduce health costs. Students write one link and move on. Evaluation (discuss, consider whether) then asks for both sides and a justified conclusion, which many students skip because they run out of time.
Definitions must be exact. Inflation is a sustained rise in the general price level, not prices going up. Multiple choice questions on both boards punish half-remembered definitions, especially on elasticity, types of unemployment and the balance of payments.
How one-to-one Economics lessons work
A tutor who teaches your child's board draws diagrams with them on the shared whiteboard until each one can be produced quickly and correctly from memory, then uses past-paper questions to practise writing the analysis chain that goes with it. Longer answers are written as homework and marked against the official mark scheme, showing exactly where the chain broke or the evaluation was thin.
For Cambridge students sitting in June 2027 or later, the tutor focuses on the new content and the specimen papers, since older past papers include removed topics and the old Paper 2 format. Economics rewards students who follow the news, so lessons often use a current Gulf example, such as oil prices or a VAT change, to practise applying a concept. Starting in Year 10 is ideal; in Year 11, lessons move to timed papers.
Common questions
My child sits Cambridge Economics in June 2027. Do old past papers still work?
For many topics, yes, but Paper 1 now has 40 questions in an hour and Paper 2 is 80 marks in 2 hours. Some old topics are removed and new ones added, so check each question against the 2027 syllabus and use the new specimen papers.
Is IGCSE Economics a lot of maths?
Not much. Students calculate percentages, percentage changes, elasticity and simple averages, and read graphs and tables. Clear writing matters more than maths.
What is the difference between Cambridge and Edexcel Economics?
Cambridge has a multiple choice paper and one long structured paper. Edexcel has two equal papers, one microeconomics and one macroeconomics, each with four compulsory questions. Your child sits whichever board the school enters.
Does IGCSE Economics help with A Level Economics?
Yes. It introduces the diagrams, vocabulary and essay style used at A Level, though A Level is not restricted to students who took it at IGCSE.
How much do Economics lessons cost?
$15 a lesson, one rate for every subject. Choose a weekly plan of 1 to 5 sixty-minute lessons, billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.