This article below contains some key diagrams for A-level microeconomics exams. Suitable for AQA, Edexcel A and other exam boards.
If you want to practise your diagrams using practice papers, click the blue button below:
A PDF file of the diagrams is here:
For other resources, check out these links:
Related questions
How to use paper 1 diagrams – basics
Use diagrams to make your analysis easier and think of points. If you’re unsure what point to make in a 25 marker, ask yourself: “what diagram could I draw here?”.
The basics of diagrams – use the acronym SCALE:
- S for shift. Show the shift of curve in your diagram if a shift is needed (it often is)
- C for coordinates. Show the coordinates of any key points.
- A for axes – make sure the axes are labelled (price, quantity for example)
- L for label – label all lines or curves e.g. S and S1.
- E for explanation – describe what happens in the diagram in the text and explain why this happens.
Use this to make sure you don’t forget the basics.
High level diagrams
High level diagram use often involves labelling areas. This could include producer and consumer surplus, revenue for government or firms, welfare loss or gain, the price mechanism and supernormal profit for example.
When writing 25 markers with 2 analysis points only, you need to extend the diagram analysis. To do so, consider these methods:
- For supply / demand, extend by showing the price mechanism or consumer / producer surplus changes.
- For cost / revenue diagrams, can extend by discussing effects on producers (“PIES: profits, investment, employment/efficiency and shutdown) or consumers (quality and consumer surplus).
- For cost and benefit diagrams, can consider further welfare effects. If a tax eliminates a negative externality, maybe the tax revenue can be used to further improve welfare.
- For labour market diagrams, consider the worker surplus (the surplus on the supply side) and associated effects on poverty and inequality.
These are just examples and there are other ways to do it. This also only applies if you cannot write enough analysis – if you already have enough analysis there is less need to extend further.
Other diagrams you may wish to include:
The above list of diagrams is not comprehensive. It covers almost all diagrams but not every diagram.
Other diagrams that are not included above, but that you may wish to revise, include (but are not limited to):
- Marginal, average and total product
- Lorenz curve (AQA micro, Edexcel A macro).
- Short run to long run elasticity change e.g. on agriculture market and PES.
- Price elasticities of demand – perf inelastic, perf elastic, elastic, inelastic unitary. Similarly for PES.
- Types of interrelationships between goods – complements, substitutes, joint demand, joint supply etc.
- PED varying along a linear demand curve
- Information gaps eg perceived vs actual MPB.
- Shutdown points for some exam boards (Edexcel A).
- Contestable market, where the monopoly produces where AR=ATC. / comparing monopoly and perfect competition outcomes.
- Second-degree price discrimination / filling up capacity third degree // peak vs off peak pricing.
- First-degree price discrimination.
- Perfectly competitive labour market.
- Movement along demand or supply.
- Collusion in a cost-revenue diagram.
- Engel curves for some exam boards.
- Note that demand shifts in a supply-demand diagram can be used for adverse selection, moral hazard and behavioural bias / nudge analysis.
Related posts
For more Economics A-level resources, check out the links below:
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