2026-W12

Simultaneous shifts and expectation effects are the main weakness in Microeconomics diagrams

This week students performed well on basic demand shifts but struggled with diagrams that combine multiple simultaneous changes and expectation-driven supply effects.

Published March 23, 2026

Total attempts

Active learners

Average score

82.4%

Question accuracy

79.4%

Avg time per question

80 s

1. Weekly Overview

Clear strength on single-factor demand shifts; weakness on multi-factor diagrams and expectations.

Aggregate quiz activity (96 attempts, 26 learners) shows strong accuracy on basic demand and substitute questions, but low accuracy on Microeconomics diagram questions that require combining entry, subsidies or changing expectations. Time-on-question is high for multi-step macro diagrams, suggesting careful work rather than random guessing.

Student takeaway: Prioritise practice on multi-factor supply/demand diagrams and questions that ask you to combine policy changes with expectations.

2. Key Patterns

Main Insights

Difficulty with simultaneous shifts and demand-side reductions

Questions requiring a single diagram showing multiple simultaneous changes (e.g., more firms entering while willingness to pay falls due to a strong free substitute) had very low accuracy, indicating confusion about net effects on price and quantity.

Advice: When you draw combined shifts, mark each shift separately, predict direction for price and quantity for each shift, then compare to find the net result; practise 10 paired-shift problems.

Strong grasp of single-factor demand changes and substitutes

High accuracy on basic demand-shift and substitute-good questions shows students reliably identify direction of demand changes when only one factor changes.

Advice: Keep reinforcing clear language linking cause → demand/supply shift → price/quantity impact; practise short-answer explanations alongside diagrams.

High time-on-task for multi-step macro diagrams with accurate responses

Some macro questions (AD–SRAS–LRAS, saving decisions) show very long average times but high correctness, suggesting careful stepwise reasoning rather than guessing.

Advice: For long diagram questions, keep using a stepwise checklist (identify shock → short-run effect → long-run effect) to structure answers under time pressure.

3. Revision Plan

Priority Areas

Combined shifts and net effects · 2.2

Lowest accuracy on questions requiring single diagrams that combine multiple simultaneous changes (entry, demand reduction, subsidies, expectations).

Action: Practice 8–12 combined-shift diagrams: label each individual shift, note separate predicted price/quantity changes, then determine the net outcome and write one-line justification.

Expectations and current supply timing · 2.2

Several items show confusion about how producers' future price expectations change current supply decisions.

Action: Work through examples where producers anticipate higher or lower future prices; explain in words why current supply shifts in each case and sketch supply curves accordingly.

Quasi-public and public goods distinctions · 2.9

Low correct rate on identifying quasi-public goods indicates shaky classification between private, public and quasi-public goods.

Action: Create a 2x2 table of rivalry and excludability with 6 practice examples, then test yourself with 10 classification questions.

4. Question Evidence

Featured Questions

Most Wrong Questions

Question	Topic	Unit	Attempts	Correct	Wrong	Avg Time
In a single diagram for IB Economics revision courses, show what happens when more EdTech firms enter the market while a new, very effective free online resource reduces students' willingness to pay for paid courses.	Microeconomics	2.2	9	22.2%	77.8%	28.3 s
In a single diagram for solar panels, show the effects of a government production subsidy and rising expectations that future electricity prices will be much higher.	Microeconomics	2.2	5	0.0%	100.0%	10.0 s
Which of the following is an example of a quasi-public good?	Microeconomics	2.9	9	33.3%	66.7%	8.3 s

Most Correct Questions

Question	Topic	Unit	Attempts	Correct	Wrong	Avg Time
What happens to the demand for tea if the price of coffee, a substitute good, increases?	Microeconomics	2.1	11	100.0%	0.0%	1.2 min
What happens to the demand curve when consumer income increases?	Microeconomics	2.1	20	90.0%	10.0%	7.4 s
If AI chip producers expect much higher prices for AI chips next year and ramp up production now, what happens to the current market supply of AI chips?	Microeconomics	2.2	12	91.7%	8.3%	59.7 s

Most Time Spent Questions

Question	Topic	Unit	Attempts	Correct	Wrong	Avg Time
How is Ibonomics(a fictive country) affected if households become pessimistic about the future state of the economy and decide to save a larger share of their income?	Macroeconomics	3.2	4	100.0%	0.0%	118.5 min
Over many years, the central bank of Ibonomica maintains low and stable interest rates, encouraging persistent increases in private investment in new technologies and capital equipment. In the AD–SRAS–LRAS diagram, which curve is most likely to shift in the long run as a result of this monetary policy, and in which direction?	Macroeconomics	3.5	4	100.0%	0.0%	22.7 min
Asian tech firms cancel planned data centres in the USA. How does this change in inward FDI affect the dollar in the foreign exchange market?	Global Economy	4.5	3	100.0%	0.0%	1.9 min

5. Conclusion

Next steps

Focus short, targeted practice sessions on combined-shift diagrams and expectation-driven supply problems; use stepwise annotations on diagrams and test yourself with timed mixed-shift sets to build speed and clarity.

Note: This weekly report is automatically generated and may contain mistakes. Always double-check key points before using them for revision.

This report is based on anonymized aggregate quiz activity for the week and does not include individual student-level data.