Reaction to 2026 Leaving Certificate Economics (Higher Level) by Rob Quinlan, Economics teacher at The Institute of Education.
- Questions focused on the “why” more than “what”.
- Not past paper friendly
Students will leave that exam wondering where the time went. At the best of times Economics is a race against the clock, but this paper included long introductions and enough conceptual framing that pushed this pace even further. Students will likely have paused for 30 seconds before committing pen to paper, and over the course of the whole exam those added up. This will have been immediately evident in Section 1’s short questions. The examples used were extremely topical and ranged from Spotify to Klarna to the aging farming population. Yet some the Economic concepts examples were dug from the lesser spotted areas of the course. Students would not have only needed to know the central talking points but also the footnotes in order to cover everything. Indeed, those who relied heavily on past papers to shape their grasp of the subject as a whole will have been shocked by the inclusion of Kuznet’s Curve which hasn’t yet been examined. As such students hoping to lob down a quick definition and move on will have struggled to gain traction here.
The long questions of Section 2 followed in a similar vein, though it is important to remember that the tougher task tend to loom larger in our memories of the paper. The exam definitely pushed the students to think about the economic principles at play beneath the given scenario and this dissection takes time and mental effort. The section opens with some familiar territory with Q11’s micro market structures. For the second year in a row imperfect competition was asked, which is unusual so those who relied heavily on patterns to filter their study regime might struggle. Q12 compared the economy of the US and Ireland, which will have suited those who knew their trade policies. Q13 was probably the most similar to past papers in how it covered topics like ECB interest rates and labour shortages.
The challenge increases in Q14 which looks welcomingly familiar at first glance. Those who ventured further will really have had to think when asked about the limitations of GDP on economic welfare. A top student could parse out the idea and feel rewarded but students hoping for something simpler to carry them over a grade line will be more unsure. Q15 of Fiscal Policy follows a similar formula: a nice prelude on current and capital expenses before diving deeper. The questions on targeted support for citizens and broadening the tax base will test the depths of their knowledge. A.I. made an appearance in the final phase of Q15 as students were asked to appraise its impact on the gap in productivity between foreign firms and Irish SMEs. The core ideas involved aren’t inherently hard, but the skills to dismantle the question will be what distinguishes the top scorers.
Q16 was a supply and demand question framed around “coolcations”, holidays to cooler climates like Ireland. Students were asked about exchanges rates and the reasons behind tourist taxes, both of which should be manageable. The latter part of the question on the Production Possibility Frontier (PPF) compared Ireland and Malawi. Again this was very approachable if the students knew how to shift the curve.
A student who entered this exam hoping for a repeat of the past papers will have struggled in this exam. However, those who went in ideas first and were always attentive to the underlying forces being examined will be happy.