The CCEA GCE Economics specification provides an insight into behaviours that influence income, wealth and well-being. Economics is a social science that incorporates mathematics and statistics.

Economics connects to physical sciences, politics, law and geography. It covers contemporary economic issues in local, national and global contexts.

It’s not just about money and business; it covers wider social and environmental issues including climate change, globalisation and the distribution of wealth.

This specification is available at two levels: AS and A2. Students can take the AS units plus the A2 units for a full GCE A level qualification. They can also choose to take the AS course as a stand-alone qualification.

In the AS units, students consider how markets work, examine market failure and evaluate government intervention.

Students who continue to A2 examine organic growth, mergers and takeovers and economic behaviours in competitive and non-competitive markets.

The specification has four units:

• Unit AS 1: Markets and Market Failure
• Unit AS 2: Managing the National Economy
• Unit A2 1: Business Economics
• Unit A2 2: Managing the Economy in a Global World.