IBonomics2026-W36
Confusion around classical vs Marxian ideas and non-price supply determinants
Aggregate quiz activity shows strong mastery of basic introduction topics but recurring errors on classical vs Marxian concepts and supply determinants.
Published September 13, 2026
Total quiz attempts
117
Average score
82%
Question accuracy
80.5%
Lowest single-item accuracy
36% (Marx critique question)
Highest time-on-question outlier
≈2.4M ms (WTO objectives)
1. Weekly Overview
Intro theory questions and supply determinants drove most errors this week.
Students overall performed well (average score ≈82%), with clear strengths in basic introduction topics (circular flow, sustainability) but repeated low accuracy on Unit 1.2 questions about Marx’s critique and Say’s Law and mixed results on supply determinants in Microeconomics (Unit 2.2). Time-on-question shows some deep engagement in a few Global Economics items.
Student takeaway: Prioritise revising Unit 1.2 (classical and Marxian perspectives) and Unit 2.2 (non-price supply determinants and shifts).
2. Key Patterns
Main Insights
Weakness: concepts in Introduction (Unit 1.2)
The lowest accuracy items were in Unit 1.2: a question on Karl Marx’s critique (36% correct) and one on Say’s Law (46% correct). These indicate gaps in distinguishing classical and Marxian frameworks and understanding supply-driven claims.
Advice: Review core statements and assumptions of Marxian critique (e.g., exploitation, capital accumulation) and contrast them with classical ideas such as Say’s Law; use short comparison notes and practice 3–5 MCQs that ask you to pick which thinker or school a claim belongs to.
Confusion around supply shifts and non-price determinants (Unit 2.2)
Multiple medium‑difficulty items on supply shifts and non-price determinants show ≈45–50% correct, suggesting students can explain price movement but struggle to identify real drivers of supply curve shifts.
Advice: Make a short checklist of non-price determinants (input costs, technology, taxes/subsidies, expectations, number of sellers) and practise applying it to 6–8 scenario questions where only one determinant changes.
Strength: solid mastery of core Introduction 1.1 concepts
Students scored perfectly on several Unit 1.1 items (circular flow sectors, sustainability) showing consistent recall of foundational definitions and models.
Advice: Keep using brief concept maps for Unit 1.1 to maintain strength, but use those maps to anchor related Unit 1.2 theory comparisons.
High time-on-question for some Global Economics items
A small number of Global Economics items show very high average times (WTO predictability/transparency and trade benefits) with correct responses, suggesting careful reading or complex scenario work rather than confusion.
Advice: When preparing for longer Global Economics questions, practise summarising short passages and extracting the policy objective or effect in one sentence to keep time manageable.
3. Revision Plan
Priority Areas
Classical vs Marxian ideas (key claims) · 1.2
Lowest item accuracy; students mix up key claims (e.g., Say's Law vs Marxian critique).
Action: Create a two-column summary (classical vs Marx) and practise 8–10 MCQs that ask you to attribute statements to the correct school.
Supply determinants and curve shifts · 2.2
Repeated errors identifying non-price determinants and what shifts supply.
Action: Drill 10 scenario questions that change one determinant at a time and draw supply shifts plus short explanations.
Market equilibrium changes (demand shifts) · 2.3
Mixed accuracy on effects of demand changes on price and quantity.
Action: Practice 6 supply/demand diagrams: increase/decrease in supply or demand and annotate price/quantity outcomes.
Global trade objectives (WTO) · 4.4
High time-on-question shows depth; consolidating definitions will improve speed.
Action: Write 3 one-sentence explanations for each WTO objective and time yourself answering short justification questions.
4. Question Evidence
Featured Questions
Most Wrong Questions
| Question | Topic | Unit | Attempts | Correct | Wrong | Avg Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Which concept is associated with Karl Marx's critique of capitalism? | Introduction to Economics | 1.2 | 11 | 36.4% | 0.0% | — |
| What does Say’s Law propose? | Introduction to Economics | 1.2 | 13 | 46.2% | 0.0% | — |
| Which of the following would cause a shift in the supply curve? | Microeconomics | 2.2 | 11 | 45.5% | 0.0% | — |
Most Correct Questions
| Question | Topic | Unit | Attempts | Correct | Wrong | Avg Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Which of the following is NOT a key sector in the extended circular flow of income model? | Introduction to Economics | 1.1 | 15 | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| What does sustainability in economics aim to achieve? | Introduction to Economics | 1.1 | 12 | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| What is the role of prices in the price mechanism? | Microeconomics | 2.3 | 11 | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
Most Time Spent Questions
| Question | Topic | Unit | Attempts | Correct | Wrong | Avg Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why are predictability and transparency important objectives of the WTO? | Global Economics | 4.4 | 3 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 39.9 min |
| Which of the following is NOT a benefit of international trade? | Global Economics | 4.1 | 3 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 16.8 min |
| What are economic goods? | Introduction | 1.1 | 5 | 60.0% | 0.0% | 9.3 min |
5. Conclusion
Next steps
Focus short, targeted revision on Unit 1.2 (classical vs Marxian claims) and Unit 2.2 (non-price supply determinants). Use quick comparison notes and 10–15 focused practice questions to convert conceptual gaps into secure recall.
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 from the weekly dataset; no individual student data is shown.