She grabbed a blank sheet of paper and set a timer for 45 minutes.
Maya chose a question from Microeconomics: “Explain how the introduction of a per-unit tax on a good can lead to a deadweight loss. Using a diagram, evaluate whether governments should always tax demerit goods.” Ib Econ Past Papers
When she finished with ten minutes to spare, she leaned back. The student next to her was still erasing furiously. She grabbed a blank sheet of paper and
She didn’t stop there.
Maya highlighted the article like a surgeon. She underlined: “Farmers are switching to durian production.” That was opportunity cost. “Global demand for robusta beans has surged.” That was a demand shifter. The calculation? 12% price increase, 8% quantity decrease. PED = -0.67. Inelastic. The student next to her was still erasing furiously
By the end of the night, she had done three papers. Her room was a sea of diagrams, evaluation points, and examiner’s notes scribbled in red. But something had changed. The exam was no longer a monster hiding in the dark. It was a predictable machine. Paper 1 was always theory and evaluation. Paper 2 was data response and real-world application. Paper 3 (HL) was calculation and policy.