Aqa
OCR
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
GCE
Economics
H460/03: Themes in economics
A Level
Mark Scheme for June 2023
,Aqa
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) is a leading UK awarding body, providing a wide
range of qualifications to meet the needs of candidates of all ages and abilities. OCR
qualifications include AS/A Levels, Diplomas, GCSEs, Cambridge Nationals,
Cambridge Technicals, Functional Skills, Key Skills, Entry Level qualifications, NVQs
and vocational qualifications in areas such as IT, business, languages,
teaching/training, administration and secretarial skills.
It is also responsible for developing new specifications to meet national
requirements and the needs of students and teachers. OCR is a not-for-profit
organisation; any surplus made is invested back into the establishment to help
towards the development of qualifications and support, which keep pace with the
changing needs of today’s society.
This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and students, to indicate the
requirements of the examination. It shows the basis on which marks were awarded
by examiners. It does not indicate the details of the discussions which took place at
an examiners’ meeting before marking commenced.
All examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected
approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the
relevant knowledge and skills demonstrated.
Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the published question papers
and the report on the examination.
© OCR 2023
,PREPARATION FOR MARKING
RM ASSESSOR
1. Make sure that you have accessed and completed the relevant training packages for on–screen marking: RM Assessor Online
Training; OCR Essential Guide to Marking.
2. Make sure that you have read and understood the mark scheme and the question paper for this unit. These are posted on
the RM Cambridge Assessment Support Portal http://www.rm.com/support/ca
3. Log–in to RM Assessor and mark the required number of practice responses (“scripts”) and the required number of
standardisation responses.
YOU MUST MARK 5 PRACTICE AND 10 STANDARDISATION RESPONSES BEFORE YOU CAN BE APPROVED TO MARK LIVE SCRIPTS.
MARKING
1. Mark strictly to the mark scheme.
2. Marks awarded must relate directly to the marking criteria.
3. The schedule of dates is very important. It is essential that you meet the RM Assessor 50% and 100% deadlines. If you
experience problems, you must contact your Team Leader without delay.
4. If you are in any doubt about applying the mark scheme, consult your Team Leader by telephone or the RM Assessor
messaging system, or by email.
5. Crossed Out Responses
Where a candidate has crossed out a response and provided a clear alternative then the crossed-out response is not
marked. Where no alternative response has been provided, examiners may give candidates the benefit of the doubt and
mark the crossed-out response where legible.
Rubric Error Responses – Optional Questions
Where candidates have a choice of question across a whole paper or a whole section and have provided more answers than
required, then all responses are marked and the highest mark allowable within the rubric is given. Enter a mark for each
question answered into RM Assessor, which will select the highest mark from those awarded. (The underlying assumption is that
the candidate has penalised themselves by attempting more questions than necessary in the time allowed.)
, Multiple Choice Question Responses
When a multiple-choice question has only a single, correct response and a candidate provides two responses (even if one
of these responses is correct), then no mark should be awarded (as it is not possible to determine which was the first
response selected by the candidate). When a question requires candidates to select more than one option/multiple options, then local
marking arrangements need to ensure consistency of approach.
Contradictory Responses
When a candidate provides contradictory responses, then no mark should be awarded, even if one of the answers is correct.
Short Answer Questions (requiring only a list by way of a response, usually worth only one mark per response)
Where candidates are required to provide a set number of short answer responses then only the set number of responses
should be marked. The response space should be marked from left to right on each line and then line by line until the
required number of responses have been considered. The remaining responses should not then be marked. Examiners will
have to apply judgement as to whether a ‘second response’ on a line is a development of the ‘first response’, rather than a
separate, discrete response. (The underlying assumption is that the candidate is attempting to hedge their bets and therefore getting undue
benefit rather than engaging with the question and giving the most relevant/correct responses.)
Short Answer Questions (requiring a more developed response, worth two or more marks)
If the candidates are required to provide a description of, say, three items or factors and four items or factors are provided,
then mark on a similar basis – that is downwards (as it is unlikely in this situation that a candidate will provide more than
one response in each section of the response space.)
Longer Answer Questions (requiring a developed response)
Where candidates have provided two (or more) responses to a medium or high tariff question which only required a single
(developed) response and not crossed out the first response, then only the first response should be marked. Examiners will
need to apply professional judgement as to whether the second (or a subsequent) response is a ‘new start’ or simply a poorly
expressed continuation of the first response.
6. Always check the additional pages (and additional objects if present) at the end of the response in case any answers have
been continued there. If the candidate has continued an answer, there then add a tick to confirm that the work has been
seen. The ‘link page’ check box should be used on RM Assessor to link candidate responses in additional objects to the
corresponding question number.
• Where additional objects are present, all pages must contain an annotation, or RM Assessor will not allow you to submit
the script. Where no response is given by a candidate on a whole page the ‘BP’ annotation must be applied.
• Where generic answer booklets are used, all pages must contain an annotation, or RM Assessor will not allow you to
submit the script. Where no response is given by a candidate on a whole page the ‘BP’ annotation must be applied.
• Where structured answer booklets are used, the ‘BP’ annotation must be applied to all pages where no response is given by a
OCR
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
GCE
Economics
H460/03: Themes in economics
A Level
Mark Scheme for June 2023
,Aqa
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) is a leading UK awarding body, providing a wide
range of qualifications to meet the needs of candidates of all ages and abilities. OCR
qualifications include AS/A Levels, Diplomas, GCSEs, Cambridge Nationals,
Cambridge Technicals, Functional Skills, Key Skills, Entry Level qualifications, NVQs
and vocational qualifications in areas such as IT, business, languages,
teaching/training, administration and secretarial skills.
It is also responsible for developing new specifications to meet national
requirements and the needs of students and teachers. OCR is a not-for-profit
organisation; any surplus made is invested back into the establishment to help
towards the development of qualifications and support, which keep pace with the
changing needs of today’s society.
This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and students, to indicate the
requirements of the examination. It shows the basis on which marks were awarded
by examiners. It does not indicate the details of the discussions which took place at
an examiners’ meeting before marking commenced.
All examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected
approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the
relevant knowledge and skills demonstrated.
Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the published question papers
and the report on the examination.
© OCR 2023
,PREPARATION FOR MARKING
RM ASSESSOR
1. Make sure that you have accessed and completed the relevant training packages for on–screen marking: RM Assessor Online
Training; OCR Essential Guide to Marking.
2. Make sure that you have read and understood the mark scheme and the question paper for this unit. These are posted on
the RM Cambridge Assessment Support Portal http://www.rm.com/support/ca
3. Log–in to RM Assessor and mark the required number of practice responses (“scripts”) and the required number of
standardisation responses.
YOU MUST MARK 5 PRACTICE AND 10 STANDARDISATION RESPONSES BEFORE YOU CAN BE APPROVED TO MARK LIVE SCRIPTS.
MARKING
1. Mark strictly to the mark scheme.
2. Marks awarded must relate directly to the marking criteria.
3. The schedule of dates is very important. It is essential that you meet the RM Assessor 50% and 100% deadlines. If you
experience problems, you must contact your Team Leader without delay.
4. If you are in any doubt about applying the mark scheme, consult your Team Leader by telephone or the RM Assessor
messaging system, or by email.
5. Crossed Out Responses
Where a candidate has crossed out a response and provided a clear alternative then the crossed-out response is not
marked. Where no alternative response has been provided, examiners may give candidates the benefit of the doubt and
mark the crossed-out response where legible.
Rubric Error Responses – Optional Questions
Where candidates have a choice of question across a whole paper or a whole section and have provided more answers than
required, then all responses are marked and the highest mark allowable within the rubric is given. Enter a mark for each
question answered into RM Assessor, which will select the highest mark from those awarded. (The underlying assumption is that
the candidate has penalised themselves by attempting more questions than necessary in the time allowed.)
, Multiple Choice Question Responses
When a multiple-choice question has only a single, correct response and a candidate provides two responses (even if one
of these responses is correct), then no mark should be awarded (as it is not possible to determine which was the first
response selected by the candidate). When a question requires candidates to select more than one option/multiple options, then local
marking arrangements need to ensure consistency of approach.
Contradictory Responses
When a candidate provides contradictory responses, then no mark should be awarded, even if one of the answers is correct.
Short Answer Questions (requiring only a list by way of a response, usually worth only one mark per response)
Where candidates are required to provide a set number of short answer responses then only the set number of responses
should be marked. The response space should be marked from left to right on each line and then line by line until the
required number of responses have been considered. The remaining responses should not then be marked. Examiners will
have to apply judgement as to whether a ‘second response’ on a line is a development of the ‘first response’, rather than a
separate, discrete response. (The underlying assumption is that the candidate is attempting to hedge their bets and therefore getting undue
benefit rather than engaging with the question and giving the most relevant/correct responses.)
Short Answer Questions (requiring a more developed response, worth two or more marks)
If the candidates are required to provide a description of, say, three items or factors and four items or factors are provided,
then mark on a similar basis – that is downwards (as it is unlikely in this situation that a candidate will provide more than
one response in each section of the response space.)
Longer Answer Questions (requiring a developed response)
Where candidates have provided two (or more) responses to a medium or high tariff question which only required a single
(developed) response and not crossed out the first response, then only the first response should be marked. Examiners will
need to apply professional judgement as to whether the second (or a subsequent) response is a ‘new start’ or simply a poorly
expressed continuation of the first response.
6. Always check the additional pages (and additional objects if present) at the end of the response in case any answers have
been continued there. If the candidate has continued an answer, there then add a tick to confirm that the work has been
seen. The ‘link page’ check box should be used on RM Assessor to link candidate responses in additional objects to the
corresponding question number.
• Where additional objects are present, all pages must contain an annotation, or RM Assessor will not allow you to submit
the script. Where no response is given by a candidate on a whole page the ‘BP’ annotation must be applied.
• Where generic answer booklets are used, all pages must contain an annotation, or RM Assessor will not allow you to
submit the script. Where no response is given by a candidate on a whole page the ‘BP’ annotation must be applied.
• Where structured answer booklets are used, the ‘BP’ annotation must be applied to all pages where no response is given by a
