AS 91228 annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 1.5 MB]

TKI Economics assessment resources (external link)

For Achieved, the student needs to analyse a contemporary economic issue of special interest, using economic concepts and models.

This involves:

• identifying, defining or describing concepts related to the contemporary economic issue 
• providing an explanation of causes of the contemporary economic issue using economic models 
• providing an explanation of the impacts of the contemporary economic issue on various groups in NZ society. 

The Lorenz curve has been used to illustrate key points (1).

The student has defined the economic concepts related to the contemporary economic issue of income inequality (2). 

Two causes of the contemporary economic issue have been explained using the Labour Market Model and Consumption Possibility Curve (3). 

The student has explained the impacts of income inequality on various groups of NZ society, referencing education and healthcare (4). 

To reach Merit, additional, in-depth information is required to explain the statistics. For example, the student could explain the implications of the lower education rates for Māori. The implications of health on groups could also include the impact on how long they live and their quality of life.

For Merit, the student needs to analyse in depth a contemporary economic issue of special interest, using economic concepts and models. 

This involves:

• providing a detailed explanation of causes of the contemporary economic issue using economic models 
• providing a detailed explanation of the impacts of the contemporary economic issue on various groups in New Zealand society. 

The student has analysed, in depth, the economic issue of New Zealand’s gender pay gap. 

The student has explained the causes of the gender pay gap using the Lorenz Curve: fewer women in higher paying jobs leading to the wealth gap; occupational and vertical segregation (1). 

A detailed explanation of the impacts of the gender pay gap on women, men and government has been provided (2).

To reach Excellence, the student’s work would more comprehensively explain comparisons, explaining why one cause is greater than the other cause. Some attempt has been made to compare and/or contrast the causes of the gender pay gap. Models should be used in the detailed comparisons (3). 

The impacts should also be compared and/or contrasted, such as explaining that changes made to reduce the gender pay gap would affect some groups more or less than other groups. Or that a decrease in the gender pay gap would enable women to improve their financial status, both while they are in the workforce and when they retire. The impact on men would not be as great because there would be little change from their current situation (4).

For Excellence, the student needs to analyse comprehensively a contemporary economic issue of special interest, using economic concepts and models. 

This involves:

• comparing and/or contrasting the impact of different causes on the contemporary economic issue
• comparing and/or contrasting the impact of changes in the issue on various groups of New Zealand (NZ) society
• integrating changes shown on economic models into detailed explanations. 

The student has comprehensively analysed the economic issue of traffic congestion in New Zealand. A detailed explanation is provided for the causes of traffic congestion. Economic concepts have been used, and changes shown on the AS/AD model and the Production Possibility Curve (PPC) model have been integrated into the explanation (1).

The causes of the traffic congestion have been compared and contrasted in a ‘greater than/less than’ sense in the analysis, integrating the language of the PPC and the AS/AD models (2).

The impacts of the changes in traffic congestion on various groups of NZ society have been explained in detail. Economic concepts and secondary sources of information have been used to support the explanation (3).

The impact of the changes has been compared and contrasted in a ‘greater than/less than’ sense. The language of the AS/AD model and the Circular Flow model along with economic concepts are integrated into the explanation (4).