IB & IGCSE Economics · Far East Shopping Centre, Orchard · Lessons in English, 简体中文 & 한국어

IB Diploma Economics · SL & HL ★★★★★ Rated 5.0·on Google

IB Economics Tuition Based in Singapore

SL · HL

Both levels

Weekly IB classes

3 langs

EN · 中文 · 한국어

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Find us at Orchard Road, Far East Shopping Centre

Small-group IGCSE and IB classes, five minutes on foot from Orchard MRT.
Drop by during class hours, or message us to arrange a trial lesson.

Our centre

Far East Shopping Centre, #15-06 545 Orchard Road, Singapore 238882

Nearest station

NS22 TE14

Orchard MRT About a 5-minute walk

Class hours

Monday – Friday: 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Saturday – Sunday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Hours may differ during school and public holidays.

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Preview — IB Economics Tutor Widget

Who teaches you

Your Economics tutors

Every IB Economics class at KS Academia Prep — SL and HL — is taught by Jason Low, our Head of Economics, who also designs the IB Economics curriculum.

Head of Economics · KS Academia Prep

Jason Low

IB Curriculum Designer of Economics

Jason teaches weekly IB Economics classes at KS Academia Prep, at both Standard and Higher Level, and designs the IB Economics curriculum the centre runs on.

His feedback is examiner-focused: the pattern-recognition of what scores well and what doesn't, built from 14+ years of tutoring and marking student work against IB and IGCSE mark schemes — not a general sense of "good writing," but the specific habits examiners reward and penalise.

NUS Industrial and Systems Engineering (Honours)

14+ years tutoring and marking against IB & IGCSE mark schemes

Resource bank: summary notes, model essay outlines, past papers & worksheets

Economics Internal Assessment (IA) and Extended Essay (EE) mentoring

View Jason's profile →

Kirby Ng

Lead IGCSE Economics Tutor

Kirby designs and teaches the IGCSE Economics programme — the two-year foundation many of our IB students come through. He teaches IB Economics in Mandarin.

NUS Economics graduate

Designs the IGCSE Economics curriculum

Teaches in English, Mandarin & Cantonese

See the IGCSE programme →

Karen Chen

IB Economics Tutor

Karen supports IB Economics students at both Standard and Higher Level, helping them build the Microeconomics and Macroeconomics foundations HL and SL both draw on and structure evaluative, exam-ready analysis.

NUS Business School graduate

8+ years of tutoring experience

Strengthens Micro & Macro foundations & exam technique

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What students say

Rated 5.0 on Google by IB Economics students

Four of the students below went on to score a 7 in IB Economics. One of them also earned an A in the Economics Extended Essay, and one describes moving from near-failing to a top grade. Here is what they said, in their own words.

100%

of Jason Low’s May 2025 IB Economics cohort scored a 6 or a 7

~77%

of that cohort scored a 7

students below name a 7 in IB Economics in their own review

Cohort figures are KS Academia Prep’s own records for the May 2025 examination session. The reviews below are published on our Google Business Profile and can be read in full there.

5.0

★★★★★

Based on 37 Google reviews of KS Academia Prep

Showing the 8 Google reviews from IB Economics students, plus 4 student testimonials for Jason Low. Reviews are shown as published, in the language they were written.

Google review

정

정유찬

18 July 2026

“The best econs tuition you can find in Singapore. I started taking lessons from here since IGCSE econs all the way upto IB econs. I successfully managed to gain both a 7 in HL econs and A for econs extended essay.”

7 in IB HL EconomicsA in Economics EEIGCSE → IB

Google review

JiHo JEONG

21 July 2026

“Taking classes from Jason tutor was an amazing experience. He focuses on both the intuitive understanding of economic concepts and the practical methods to score high marks in the actual exam. Thanks for Jason, I was able to get a 7 for economics on the IB Final exam.”

7 in IB EconomicsJason Low

Google review

Choi Seoyeon

18 July 2026

“I joined Jason's IB econs class during Grade 11 and it's been really helpful! I maintained a 7 throughout the IB course and ended up getting a 7 on my final exam as well.”

7 in IB EconomicsJason Low

Google review · 中文

Lucy Lu

19 July 2026

“在KS Academia Prep的学习体验真的非常棒！Jason老师的教学方法特别有帮助。他教给我的论文结构、答题技巧、IA写作方法和高效记忆法，让我在IB HL经济中拿到了7分。”

7 in IB HL Economics中文评价Jason Low

Google review

seojin

18 July 2026

“His lessons helped to bolster my conceptual understanding of the principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Ultimately, I noticed massive improvement from near-failing to a top grade.”

Near-failing → top gradeMicro & macro

Google review

20 July 2026

“I took IB Econ lessons from Jason. He was very clear, patient, and knew exactly how to guide me through the IB. He also provided classes for IA, which were really important in order to achieve good grades.”

Internal AssessmentJason Low

Google review

조

조민형

18 July 2026

“I learned IGCSE Economics and IB Economics SL from my tutor Jason. His explanations were always clear and he provided appropriate examples that helped me understand theories better.”

IB Economics SLIGCSE → IBJason Low

Google review

Luke Lee

19 July 2026

“Personally I attended the class for IB Economics and would highly recommend Jason's class. Class is very well planned along with great short and concise notes.”

IB EconomicsJason Low

Student testimonial

Reina Goh

Taught by Jason Low

“The simple yet elaborate explanations actually made me like Economics a lot more.”

Jason Low

Student testimonial

Tan Yihao

Taught by Jason Low

“Under his tutelage, my results jumped 6 grades.”

Grade improvementJason Low

Student testimonial

Melvin Lim

Taught by Jason Low

“Overall, Jason is a man of high caliber as an Economics tutor and I am proud to have been taught under his wing.”

Jason Low

Student testimonial

Keith Teo

Taught by Jason Low

“Jason is more than just a tutor, he is a friend and someone that you can count on when you are in need of any enquiries in any aspects.”

Jason Low

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Class times

IB Economics class schedule

Day	Time	Grade	Class	Exam session
Wednesday	5:00 – 7:00 PM	Grade 12	IB Economics HL	Oct/Nov
Wednesday	7:00 – 9:00 PM	Grade 12	IB Economics SL	Oct/Nov
Friday	5:00 – 7:00 PM	Grade 11	IB Economics HL	Oct/Nov
Friday	7:00 – 9:00 PM	Grade 11	IB Economics SL	Oct/Nov
Saturday	9:00 – 11:00 AM	Grade 12	IB Economics HL — Class A	May/Jun
Saturday	11:15 AM – 1:15 PM	Grade 12	IB Economics SL	May/Jun
Saturday	2:00 – 4:00 PM	Grade 11	IB Economics HL	May/Jun
Saturday	4:15 – 6:15 PM	Grade 12	IB Economics HL — Class B	May/Jun
Sunday	9:00 – 11:00 AM	Grade 12	IB Economics HL	May/Jun
Sunday	11:15 AM – 1:15 PM	Grade 11	IB Economics SL	May/Jun
Sunday	2:00 – 4:00 PM	Grade 11	IB Economics HL	May/Jun

Weekday classes run 5:00–9:00 PM and weekend classes run 9:00 AM–6:15 PM.
Online places are available for students outside Singapore.
Timings occasionally shift between terms — message us to confirm the current slot for your grade and exam session.

Check availability on WhatsApp Read the full IB Economics guide ↓

Understanding is the easy part. Let’s get you the marks.

Tell us your level and preferred language, and we’ll arrange a no-commitment trial lesson at Orchard.

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Standard Level

IB Economics SL Tuition in Singapore

KS Academia Prep runs dedicated IB Economics SL tuition in Singapore: Standard Level taught as a course in its own right, not a shorter lap through the Higher Level room.

Nine of the ten weekly IB Economics classes on the timetable above run as single-level sessions, SL only or HL only, and three of those nine are dedicated Standard Level classes across the May/June and October/November exam sessions. That split exists because SL and HL are marked differently: SL never sits Paper 3, and its Internal Assessment is weighted higher than HL's. Teaching them apart keeps SL lesson time on what SL is actually assessed on.

No Paper 3 in the room. SL lesson time goes to Paper 1, Paper 2 and the IA, never to HL's policy paper.
IA time weighted to match the syllabus. The Internal Assessment is 30% of the SL grade against 20% at HL, so SL classes give it proportionally more class time.
Same tutor, same class cap. SL classes are taught by Jason Low and capped at ten students, exactly like HL.

Still deciding between SL and HL? Our guide compares the two levels topic by topic and paper by paper: IB Economics SL vs HL: what is the difference?

However you search for it, IB SL Economics tuition and IB Economics SL tuition mean the same class here.

Ask about IB Economics SL tuition See the SL classes on the schedule ↑

The full guide · 15 sections

Everything about IB Economics, SL and HL

The complete reference: syllabus, assessment, exam technique, the KS Academia Prep Evaluation Method, how fees work, location and FAQs. Open the full guideClose the guide

How to choose IB Economics tuition in Singapore

Six questions worth asking any centre before you enrol

The best IB Economics tuition is not the centre with the broadest claims. It is the one whose format matches what your child is actually losing marks on. Most families compare on price and location first. These six questions separate providers far more reliably, and every one of them has a short, checkable answer.

Does the person you were sold on actually teach the weekly class?

Many centres market a founder or a head tutor and then staff the classes with junior teachers. Ask who stands in front of the room every week, by name, and whether that changes across the term.

At KS Academia Prep: Jason Low teaches all ten weekly IB Economics classes himself, SL and HL.

Is written work marked against the real IB criteria, and do you see the marks?

“We give feedback” can mean a tick and a comment. Ask to see a marked script: it should carry criterion-referenced marks and name the specific line that cost one. This is the single biggest difference between centres.

At KS Academia Prep: every practice piece and IA commentary comes back marked to the IB criteria, with the sentence that cost the mark identified.

What is the class size, as a number?

“Small groups” is not an answer. Published caps in Singapore range from about 6 to 13 students. The number matters because it decides whether written work can realistically be marked individually.

At KS Academia Prep: every class is capped at ten students.

Do they teach A-Level, JC or H2 Economics as well?

This is the most common mismatch in Singapore. Many Economics centres are built for the A-Level syllabus, and IB students end up taught a mark scheme they will never sit: no Paper 3, no command terms, no Internal Assessment.

At KS Academia Prep: we teach IB and Cambridge IGCSE Economics only. No A-Level, JC or H2.

Is the Internal Assessment coached, and the Extended Essay?

The IA is 30% of the SL grade and 20% at HL, and it is the one component completed with time and feedback available. A centre that only drills past papers is leaving the most recoverable marks on the table. Ask the same about the Economics Extended Essay if your child is writing one.

At KS Academia Prep: the IA is coached commentary by commentary, and Jason Low mentors Economics Extended Essays.

What does it cost per month, including everything?

Compare monthly, not hourly, and ask about registration fees, material fees and deposits: several Singapore centres charge all three on top of the headline rate, and some ask for several months upfront.

At KS Academia Prep: no registration fee, no material fee and no deposit. You are billed for the lessons in each month, at the start of the month, and every fee includes all learning materials, marking and 24/7 WhatsApp access to your tutor.

The IB Economics syllabus in full: every unit and sub-topic

Four units · 1.1 to 4.10 · HL-only content flagged · teaching hours

IB Economics (first assessment 2022) is built from four units, taught through nine key concepts, and assessed at Standard and Higher Level. SL and HL study the same four units; HL covers them in greater depth, adds sub-topics of its own, and carries a heavier quantitative load. The table below is the full syllabus outline as published in the IB Economics guide.

IB Economics syllabus outline (first assessment 2022) with recommended teaching hours
Unit	Sub-topics	SL hours	HL hours
Unit 1 Introduction to economics	1.1 What is economics? 1.2 How do economists approach the world?	10	10
Unit 2 Microeconomics	2.1 Demand † 2.2 Supply † 2.3 Competitive market equilibrium 2.4 Critique of the maximizing behaviour of consumers and producers † 2.5 Elasticity of demand † 2.6 Elasticity of supply † 2.7 Role of government in microeconomics † 2.8 Market failure: externalities and common pool or common access resources † 2.9 Market failure: public goods 2.10 Market failure: asymmetric information (HL only) 2.11 Market failure: market power (HL only) 2.12 The market’s inability to achieve equity (HL only)	35	70
Unit 3 Macroeconomics	3.1 Measuring economic activity and illustrating its variations 3.2 Variations in economic activity: aggregate demand and aggregate supply 3.3 Macroeconomic objectives † 3.4 Economics of inequality and poverty † 3.5 Demand management: monetary policy † 3.6 Demand management: fiscal policy † 3.7 Supply-side policies	40	75
Unit 4 The global economy	4.1 Benefits of international trade † 4.2 Types of trade protection † 4.3 Arguments for and against trade control/protection 4.4 Economic integration 4.5 Exchange rates † 4.6 Balance of payments † 4.7 Sustainable development † 4.8 Measuring development 4.9 Barriers to economic growth and/or economic development 4.10 Economic growth and/or economic development strategies	45	65
Internal assessment	Portfolio of three commentaries on real news articles, one per unit, each applying a different key concept, maximum 800 words each.	20	20
Total	Recommended teaching hours	150	240

† Includes HL-only sub-topics, diagrams or calculations. All content is SL and HL unless otherwise stated; the IB marks HL-only topics, diagrams and calculations in bold in its own guide. Three microeconomics sub-topics (2.10, 2.11 and 2.12) are HL only in their entirety.

◆ The nine key concepts

These conceptual lenses run through every unit, and the Internal Assessment requires each of your three commentaries to apply a different one, so they’re not background reading, they’re an assessed part of the course.

ScarcityChoiceEfficiencyEquityEconomic well-beingSustainabilityChangeInterdependenceIntervention

◆ Where HL actually goes further

The clearest HL extensions are in microeconomics: behavioural economics and business objectives under 2.4, asymmetric information (2.10), market power and market structures (2.11), and the market’s inability to achieve equity (2.12). Macroeconomics and the global economy add HL-only calculations rather than whole new sub-topics. HL also sits Paper 3, which tests exactly this quantitative and policy material.

New to the course? Start with our free guide: What Is IB Economics? The Complete Guide to SL & HL.

How IB Economics is assessed: SL & HL

Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3 and the IA, with weightings

Both levels share the same nine concepts, Paper 1, Paper 2 and the Internal Assessment. HL goes wider and deeper and adds Paper 3. Here’s exactly what each level sits.

IB Economics assessment components and their weighting at Standard and Higher Level
Component	What it is	SL	HL
Paper 1	Extended-response (essay) paper. Answer one of three questions; each has a 10-mark part (a) and a 15-mark part (b). Draws on all units.1 hour 15 minutes	30%	20%
Paper 2	Data-response paper. Answer one of two questions using provided extracts; calculators allowed.1 hour 45 minutes	40%	30%
Paper 3 HL only	Policy paper. Two compulsory questions combining quantitative work with a policy recommendation.1 hour 45 minutes	Not sat	30%
Internal Assessment	Portfolio of three commentaries on real news articles, one per unit, each applying a different key concept, max 800 words each. School-marked, IB-moderated.Coursework	30%	20%

◆ SL or HL: which should you take?

Both levels think the same way about economics; HL simply goes wider and deeper, carries a heavier quantitative load, and adds Paper 3. HL suits students taking economics as a core subject or heading toward economics, business or related degrees; SL works well as a strong, broadening choice within your six.

Modelling how that choice moves your final points is the fastest way to make it concrete. Our free IB Points Calculator lets you enter all six subjects plus the core and see what an SL or HL Economics grade actually does to your total.

The decision also interacts with your whole subject combination and your target universities, which is exactly the kind of thing our IBDP subject consultation is built to think through before the choice becomes hard to reverse.

What you don’t know you need to know about IB Economics

Five assessment realities that quietly cost marks

Content is only half of IB Economics. These are the assessment realities that quietly cost marks, and the first ones we make sure a student actually understands.

The IA is a fifth of your grade (a third at SL), and your school marks it

The Internal Assessment is a portfolio of three commentaries, each on a real news article, each drawn from a different unit of the syllabus and applying a different key concept, and each a maximum of 800 words. It’s worth 20% at HL and 30% at SL, and it’s marked in-house then moderated by the IB. Students leave it too late and lose easy marks to structure, word count and concept choice: the most recoverable marks in the whole course.

Paper 1 part (b) is fifteen marks of evaluation, and it needs real examples

Each Paper 1 question has a 10-mark part (a) and a 15-mark part (b) that is almost entirely evaluation, and top answers are built on real, current, specific examples. You can know every model perfectly and still cap your score without a bank of examples ready to deploy. Building that bank is deliberate work, not something that appears the night before.

Since 2022, every paper can test all four units

Under the current syllabus, Paper 1 draws on all four units, not the two that older papers used to test. The old habit of quietly dropping a unit and hoping it doesn’t appear no longer works. There’s nowhere to hide a gap. Complete, even coverage is now the baseline, and it changes how you should revise.

HL Paper 3 is a different exam skill entirely

Higher Level students sit a third paper SL students never face: a policy paper with quantitative work and a policy recommendation, with two compulsory questions. It rewards deliberate, repeated practice with the numerical and decision-making tools, not last-minute cramming. It’s the clearest marker of the HL step up, and the part most worth starting early.

The nine key concepts aren’t a preamble: they’re assessed lenses

Scarcity, choice, efficiency, equity, economic well-being, sustainability, change, interdependence and intervention frame the whole course, and the IA expects each commentary to apply a different one. Treated as an introduction to skim past, they quietly cost marks; used deliberately, they’re a ready-made structure for analysis and evaluation.

None of this is difficult once someone points it out. It only costs marks when a student meets it in the exam hall, or on IA submission day, instead of in a lesson. Making these visible early, then drilling them, is a large part of how a predicted 4 becomes the grade it should have been.

How to score a 7 in IB Economics

The KS Academia Prep Evaluation Method, the diagrams examiners expect, and HL Paper 3

The gap between a 5 and a 7 is almost never content. It’s evaluation, application and exam craft. Here’s what actually separates a top script, and the structure we drill to get there.

A 7 in IB Economics comes from doing three things reliably: applying theory to real, current, specific examples rather than hypotheticals; evaluating, reaching a supported judgement instead of listing both sides; and executing the exam-craft that carries the marks: correctly labelled diagrams, precise use of the command term, and answers built to the assessment objectives. Content gets you to a 4 or 5. These three lift it to a 7.

Economics is graded on the IB’s 1–7 band scale, and the mark needed for each band is set fresh by the IB after every session, so it moves with the paper. That is why chasing a target mark is the wrong instinct. The band descriptors don’t move: the top band always rewards sustained application, genuine evaluation and a supported judgement. Build those, and the boundary takes care of itself.

KS Academia Prep Evaluation Method

The five moves that turn analysis into a 7

Evaluation (AO3) is where the top marks live, most visibly in Paper 1’s 15-mark part (b) and throughout the IA. We break “discuss both sides” into a repeatable structure students can drill until a balanced judgement becomes a habit, not a guess.

Stakeholders

Who is affected (consumers, producers, government, society), and who wins or loses.

Time

Short run vs long run: effects that flip or fade once you extend the horizon.

Magnitude

How big is the effect, and does it actually matter here: size, not just direction.

Assumptions

What has to hold (elasticity, ceteris paribus, rational behaviour), and when it doesn’t.

Judgement

A supported conclusion that answers the actual question, weighted to your strongest point.

The diagrams examiners expect

A precise, correctly labelled diagram earns analysis marks a paragraph of text can’t. These are the ones that recur, drawn cleanly, from memory, under time.

Microeconomics

Market failure & externalities

Negative and positive externalities of production and consumption, the welfare loss triangle, and the effect of taxes, subsidies and regulation.

Microeconomics

Elasticity & intervention

PED/PES on demand-supply, price controls (floors and ceilings), indirect taxes and subsidies, and the incidence between consumer and producer.

Macroeconomics

AD–AS & the multiplier

Demand-side and supply-side shifts, inflationary and deflationary gaps, and the difference between Keynesian and monetarist/new-classical AS.

Global economy

Trade, tariffs & exchange rates

Gains from trade, the welfare effect of a tariff or quota, and appreciation/depreciation on a foreign-exchange demand-supply diagram.

◆ HL: Paper 3 is its own path to marks

For HL students, Paper 3 rewards the quantitative and policy toolkit directly: the calculations, the policy recommendation, the numerical fluency. It’s the clearest single place HL marks are won or lost, and the part most worth drilling early rather than cramming. We treat it as its own strand of practice, not an afterthought to the essay papers.

Paper by paper: how to attack each one

Paper 1, Paper 2, HL Paper 3, plus every command term

The assessment table tells you what you’re sitting. This is how the three papers reward different skills, and why a student can be strong on one and weak on another.

Paper 1 · SL & HL

The extended response

One question, two parts, and the marks are lopsided. Part (b) carries the evaluation, and it is where most of the difference between a 5 and a 7 is made.

Budget your time to the marks, not the parts: part (b) needs the larger share
Part (a) wants definition, diagram and clean explanation, not evaluation
Every part (b) needs real, current, named examples; invented ones read as invented
Reach a judgement; a balanced list with no conclusion caps the band

Paper 2 · SL & HL

The data response

Rewards precision more than breadth. The text and data are the source of your marks. Answers that ignore them and recite theory score poorly however good the theory is.

Quote and use the data: figures, dates, the specific market in the extract
Define terms as they are used in the extract, not generically
The final part is an evaluation question, so treat it like a mini part (b)
Read every line of the extract before writing; the marks are seeded through it

Paper 3 · HL only

The policy paper

A different skill entirely: quantitative work and policy recommendation under time. It is the clearest single place HL marks are won or lost, and the most drillable.

Show working; method marks survive an arithmetic slip
Carry units and currency through every step
Draw and label accurately; measurement is assessed, not just shape
The recommendation needs justification, not just a choice

IB Economics command terms, and what each one demands

Command terms tell you the depth expected. Answering one as if it were another is the most common way a student who knows the content still loses marks.

Common IB Economics command terms grouped by the depth of answer required
Depth	Command terms	What the examiner wants
Recall	Define · State · List · Outline	The term or points, accurately and briefly. No development needed, and no marks for adding it.
Application	Explain · Distinguish · Suggest · Describe	A reason plus its consequence, applied to the context given. One developed point beats three undeveloped ones.
Analysis	Analyse · Apply · Comment	A complete cause-and-effect chain with economic reasoning, supported by a correctly labelled diagram where relevant.
Evaluation	Discuss · Evaluate · Examine · Justify · To what extent · Compare and contrast	Weigh the argument and reach a supported judgement. This is where the KS Academia Prep Evaluation Method does the work.
Quantitative & diagram skills	Calculate · Draw · Sketch · Label · Construct · Determine	Accurate working, correct units, fully labelled axes and curves. Heavily weighted in HL Paper 3.

The Internal Assessment: 30% at SL, 20% at HL

Three commentaries, 800 words each, and the one part you control

Three commentaries, 800 words each, marked against IB criteria and moderated externally. It is the only component completed with time, feedback and redrafting available, which makes marks lost here the most avoidable in the whole course. We coach article choice, the criteria that carry the marks, and structured feedback on your own drafts.

Ask about IA coaching

FormatThree commentaries, 800 words each

UnitsMicro, macro and the global economy, one each

ConceptsA different key concept per commentary

Marks45 in total across the portfolio

Weight30% at SL · 20% at HL

Why understanding economics isn’t the same as scoring in IB

The diagnosis behind everything we teach

Almost every student who struggles with IB Economics can explain the theory perfectly well in conversation. That is exactly why the marks feel so unfair.

IB doesn’t reward how much you know. It rewards evaluation and real-world application delivered in a specific shape. Paper 1’s part (b) is fifteen marks of pure evaluation. The data-response paper wants precise interpretation, not description. The Internal Assessment rewards applying a key concept to a real news article with a clear diagram and a genuine judgement. Students lose marks not because they don’t understand, but because nobody taught them how those marks are actually awarded.

This is a coachable skill, and it’s the one most self-study misses. Re-reading notes and re-watching videos builds familiarity, which feels like progress, but familiarity is not the same as producing a mark-scheme answer under timed conditions, or writing a commentary that hits the IA criteria. The only way to close that gap is to write, be marked against the real IB criteria, and be shown exactly where the marks were won and lost.

That is the whole of what we do. Small classes, structured notes and, above all, practice that comes back marked against the actual IB criteria, with the specific next step to close the gap. Not “good, keep going,” but “here is the exact sentence that cost you the evaluation mark, and here is how to write it.”

Studying alone vs structured coaching

What actually changes, point by point

Both routes cover the same syllabus and the same nine key concepts. Only one closes the gap between knowing the content and scoring on it.

✕ Studying alone

✕ Re-reading notes and watching videos: feels productive, builds no exam output
✕ The IA left late, with no feedback on the commentaries before they’re submitted
✕ Paper 1 part (b) evaluation treated as “just discuss both sides”
✕ A thin, generic stock of real-world examples that don’t fit the question
✕ HL Paper 3’s quantitative and policy work practised alone, if at all
✕ Diagrams half-remembered, rarely labelled to IB standard

✓ With KS Academia Prep

✓ Every concept opened with the real-world tension it explains, so it sticks
✓ The IA coached commentary by commentary, with feedback before it counts
✓ Evaluation taught as a structured skill: stakeholders, time horizons, magnitude
✓ A working bank of current, specific real-world examples ready to deploy
✓ HL Paper 3 drilled as its own distinct skill, not an afterthought
✓ Marked practice against real IB criteria, explained in EN / 中文 / 한국어

How we teach

Four principles behind every lesson

Our approach comes from one stubborn principle about how people actually learn abstract ideas, and from treating exam skill as something you coach, not something you hope for.

Principle 01

Never open with the definition

Opportunity cost, elasticity, market failure: every one describes a tension people already live through. We open with that tension, so the concept lands as an answer to a question you actually feel, not a definition to memorise and forget.

Principle 02

Evaluation is a taught skill

Most teaching leaves evaluation as “discuss both sides.” We break it into a drillable structure (mapping stakeholders, weighing short vs long term, judging magnitude and likelihood) and practise it until a balanced judgement becomes a habit, not a guess.

Principle 03

Marked practice, precise feedback

Writing without expert marking entrenches your mistakes. Every practice piece, and every IA commentary, comes back assessed against the real IB criteria, with the specific line that cost the mark and exactly how to fix it.

Principle 04

Taught across three languages

When a concept is fully understood in a student’s stronger language first, the English answer gets easier, not harder. We teach in English, Simplified Chinese and Korean so comprehension is never the thing standing between a student and the mark.

“Never open with the definition. Open with the tension the definition resolves.”

The principle behind every lesson at KS Academia Prep

Singapore examples that earn application marks

Six real policies you can deploy in Paper 1 and Paper 2

IB Economics rewards real, current, specific examples, and students at international schools in Singapore are living in one of the best-documented policy laboratories in the world. Generic textbook examples are what every other candidate writes; these are not.

MAS runs monetary policy through the exchange rate

Singapore is one of very few economies that manages monetary policy via the exchange rate rather than interest rates, steering the Singapore dollar against a trade-weighted basket. Explaining why a small, extremely open economy makes that choice is exactly the specific analysis Paper 1 part (b) rewards.

The carbon tax as a textbook externality correction

Singapore’s carbon tax rose from S$5 per tonne to S$25 in 2024 and to S$45 from 2026: a clean, dated example of pricing a negative production externality, with a real trajectory you can evaluate on magnitude and effectiveness.

COE: a market with deliberately fixed supply

The vehicle quota system sets supply administratively and lets price clear by bidding. It is one of the clearest real illustrations anywhere of a perfectly inelastic supply curve and what happens to price when demand shifts against it.

GST as an indirect tax with visible incidence

A broad-based consumption tax, raised in staged steps and paired with offset packages, useful for incidence, regressivity, and evaluating equity against revenue efficiency.

Trade openness and the global economy unit

Singapore’s dependence on trade, its free-trade agreements and its exposure to supply-chain disruption give concrete grounding for gains from trade, protectionism and the balance of payments.

Labour market policy without a minimum wage

The Progressive Wage Model and foreign worker levies are a genuinely distinctive alternative to a statutory minimum wage: strong material for evaluating intervention in labour markets.

◆ How we teach this

Examples are only worth marks if they are used, not just named. We build each student a short bank of examples they can actually deploy (the policy, the date, the figure, and the two evaluative points it supports), so that under exam pressure the example arrives complete rather than as a vague reference. Naming a policy earns nothing; using it to support a judgement earns the band.

How lessons run, and how fees work

Class size, format and billing

Small-group IB Economics lessons at Far East Shopping Centre on Orchard Road, with online places available for students outside Singapore.

👥

Capped at 10

Every IB Economics class is capped at ten students, so written work is marked individually and every student is known.

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Orchard, or online

In person at #15-06 Far East Shopping Centre, five minutes from Orchard MRT, or online for students overseas.

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Marked practice

Written work comes back marked against the real IB criteria, naming the line that cost the mark and how to rewrite it.

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Trial first

Sit in on a full lesson before committing. Message us with your level and preferred language.

◆ How do IB Economics fees work?

There is no registration fee, no material fee and no deposit. You are billed for the lessons in each month (four lessons in a four-week month, five in a five-week month), paid at the start of the month, with no commitment to pay several months upfront. Lessons can be cancelled if you tell us ahead of time, and a missed lesson can be caught up through the recording.

Every fee includes all learning materials in soft and/or hard copy, 24/7 WhatsApp access to your tutor, and marking of submitted answers. Message us on WhatsApp for the current rate for the SL or HL class you want.

IB Economics taught in English, Mandarin and Korean

한국어 수업 가능 · 中文授课

A student who understands the economics but writes it imprecisely in English is losing marks to language, not to economics. We teach the concept in the language it lands in, then build the English answer that earns the marks.

한국어 수업 가능

IB 경제학(SL·HL)을 한국어로 지도합니다. 개념을 한국어로 먼저 이해한 뒤, 채점 기준에 맞는 영어 답안 작성법을 함께 훈련합니다. 학부모님 상담도 한국어로 진행할 수 있습니다. 오차드 파 이스트 쇼핑센터 #15-06.

中文授课

我们提供 IB 经济学（SL/HL）中文教学：先用中文讲透概念，再训练学生写出符合评分标准的英文答案。家长沟通同样可以使用中文。地址：乌节路远东购物中心 #15-06。

Our Google reviews come in English and Chinese from students taught this way. More on how it works across every subject: Trilingual tuition at KS Academia Prep.

Where to find us

Far East Shopping Centre, #15-06 · 5 min from Orchard MRT

KS Academia Prep runs IB and IGCSE Economics tuition at Far East Shopping Centre, #15-06, 545 Orchard Road, Singapore 238882, a five-minute walk from Orchard MRT.

KS Academia Prep

Far East Shopping Centre, #15-06
545 Orchard Road, Singapore 238882

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MRT

Orchard (NS22 / TE14), Exit E, about a 5-minute walk

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+65 8129 8782

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ksacademiaprep@gmail.com

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Rating

5.0 from Google reviews

Book a no-commitment trial

Sit in on a full lesson before you decide. Tell us your level (SL or HL) and preferred language, and we’ll arrange a trial that fits.

Message us on WhatsApp

IB Economics questions, answered

17 frequently asked questions in three groups · English & 中文

The course & assessment

What's the difference between IB Economics SL and HL?

IB经济学SL和HL有什么区别？

Both cover the same four units and nine key concepts, sit Paper 1 and Paper 2, and complete the Internal Assessment. HL goes wider and deeper, carries a heavier quantitative load, and adds Paper 3, a policy paper with quantitative and HL-extension focus that SL students don't sit. HL suits students taking economics as a core subject or heading toward economics or business degrees; SL is a strong broadening choice. We can help you decide as part of a subject consultation.

两个级别涵盖相同的四个单元和九个关键概念，都需要参加第一卷（Paper 1）和第二卷（Paper 2），并完成内部评估（IA）。HL在深度和广度上要求更高，计算量更大，并且需要额外应考第三卷（Paper 3），这是一份侧重量化分析和HL延伸内容的政策题卷，SL学生无需参加。HL适合将经济学作为核心学科，或有意报读经济、商科相关专业的学生；SL则是一个很好的拓宽选择。我们可以在学科咨询中协助您做出决定。

What exactly is the IB Economics Internal Assessment?

IB经济学的内部评估（IA）到底是什么？

It's a portfolio of three commentaries, each analysing a real news article using economic theory, one drawn from each of the syllabus units (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, The Global Economy), each applying a different key concept, and each a maximum of 800 words. It's worth 30% at SL and 20% at HL, marked by your school and moderated by the IB. It's one of the most recoverable parts of the grade, and we coach it commentary by commentary.

这是一份包含三篇评论文章的作品集，每篇评论都需运用经济学理论分析一篇真实的新闻文章，分别取自三个考纲单元（微观经济学、宏观经济学、全球经济），每篇应用不同的关键概念，字数上限为800字。该部分在SL占30%，在HL占20%，由学校老师批改，并由IB统一进行调节评分。这是整体成绩中最容易通过针对性辅导提升的部分之一，我们会逐篇评论进行指导。

Do HL students have to sit Paper 3?

HL学生一定要考第三卷（Paper 3）吗？

Yes. Paper 3 is compulsory for Higher Level and is worth 30% of the HL grade. It's a policy paper with two compulsory questions that combine quantitative work with a policy recommendation, drawing on all units. SL students don't sit it. Because it's a distinct skill, we treat it as its own strand of practice rather than an afterthought.

是的。第三卷是高等级（HL）的必考项目，占HL总成绩的30%。这是一份政策题卷，包含两道必答题，结合量化计算与政策建议，内容涵盖所有考纲单元。SL学生无需参加此卷。由于这是一项独立的应试技巧，我们会将其作为单独的训练模块，而非附带内容来教授。

How is evaluation assessed in IB Economics?

IB经济学中的评估（Evaluation）是如何被评分的？

Evaluation (AO3) is where a lot of the marks are won, most visibly in Paper 1's 15-mark part (b), and throughout the IA. Strong evaluation weighs both sides, considers short and long term, brings in different stakeholders, and reaches a supported judgement backed by real-world examples. We teach it as an explicit, drillable structure rather than the vague "discuss both sides."

评估（AO3）是拿分的关键环节，最明显地体现在第一卷15分的(b)小题以及整个内部评估中。出色的评估需要权衡正反两方观点，兼顾短期与长期影响，涉及不同利益相关者，并结合真实案例得出有理有据的结论。我们将评估教授为一套明确、可反复练习的结构，而不是笼统的"讨论正反两面"。

Do I need to be good at Maths to take IB Economics?

读IB经济学需要数学很好吗？

You need to be comfortable with straightforward quantitative work, more so at HL, where Paper 3 involves calculations and the numerical side of the syllabus. It's far from a maths-heavy subject, but HL rewards students who don't avoid the quantitative parts. We build that comfort through practice rather than assuming it.

你需要能够自如应对基础的量化计算，HL学生尤其如此，因为第三卷涉及计算及考纲中的数理部分。这远不是一门以数学为主的学科，但HL确实会给予不回避计算题的学生更多加分空间。我们通过大量练习帮助学生建立这种自信，而不是假设学生天生具备。

Lessons, tutors & fees

How do I score a 7 in IB Economics?

如何在IB经济学中拿到7分？

A 7 comes from three things content alone won't give you: applying theory to real, specific, current examples; genuine evaluation that reaches a supported judgement rather than listing both sides; and exam craft: correctly labelled diagrams, precise command-term response, and answers built to the assessment objectives. We teach evaluation as an explicit structure (our KS Academia Prep Evaluation Method, covering stakeholders, time, magnitude, assumptions and judgement) and drill it against real IB criteria until the top-band answer becomes repeatable. The mark needed for each band is reset by the IB every session, so we coach against the band descriptors rather than a target score. For HL, Paper 3's quantitative and policy work is a distinct strand we start early.

拿到7分靠的是仅凭内容本身无法获得的三样东西：将理论应用到真实、具体、时效性强的例子中；进行真正有理有据的评估，得出支持性结论，而非简单罗列正反观点；以及应试技巧，包括正确标注的图表、精准回应指令词，以及紧扣评估目标作答。我们将评估教授为一套明确的结构（即KS Academia Prep Evaluation Method，涵盖利益相关者、时间、影响程度、前提假设与结论判断），并反复对照真实IB评分标准进行训练，直到学生能稳定写出高分答案。每次考试各分数段所需的分数由IB逐届重新设定，因此我们始终以评分描述为教学目标，而非某个固定分数。对HL学生而言，第三卷的量化与政策题是我们会提早开始训练的独立模块。

I understand economics but keep losing marks. Can you help?

我理解经济学内容，但考试总是丢分，你们能帮忙吗？

This is the single most common situation we see, and it's very fixable. In IB, losing marks despite understanding almost always comes down to evaluation, real-world application and IA technique, none of which self-study teaches well. We diagnose exactly where the marks are leaking, then drill the specific skills to close the gap. One of our Google reviews describes exactly this route: "massive improvement from near-failing to a top grade."

这是我们最常遇到的情况，而且非常容易改善。在IB中，明明理解内容却仍然丢分，几乎都是评估能力、实际应用和IA技巧的问题，而这些恰恰是自学很难掌握的部分。我们会准确诊断丢分的具体环节，然后针对性地训练相应技巧。我们的一条Google评论正好印证了这条路径（原文为英文）："massive improvement from near-failing to a top grade."

Who teaches IB Economics at KS Academia Prep?

KS Academia Prep 由谁教授IB经济学？

All ten weekly IB Economics classes, SL and HL, are taught by Jason Low, our Head of Economics and IB Curriculum Designer of Economics. He holds an NUS Engineering degree with Honours, has 14+ years teaching and marking against IB and IGCSE mark schemes, and mentors Economics Extended Essays. Kirby Ng, our Lead IGCSE Economics Tutor, designs and teaches the IGCSE Economics programme.

每周十节IB经济学课程（SL与HL）均由我们的经济学主任兼IB经济学课程设计者Jason Low执教。他毕业于新加坡国立大学（NUS）工程系（荣誉学位），拥有14年以上依照IB与IGCSE评分标准教学与批改的经验，并指导学生撰写经济学专题论文。我们的IGCSE经济学首席导师Kirby Ng负责设计并教授IGCSE经济学课程。

Do you teach A-Level, JC or H2 Economics?

你们教授A-Level、初级学院（JC）或H2经济学吗？

No. KS Academia Prep specialises in IB Economics (SL and HL) and Cambridge IGCSE Economics (0455) only. We don't teach A-Level, JC or H2 Economics. That focus is deliberate: the IB and Cambridge mark schemes reward different things from the A-Level one, so our lesson time goes into the work IB students are actually assessed on: Paper 3, the Internal Assessment and the Economics Extended Essay, rather than material they will never sit.

不会。KS Academia Prep 专注于IB经济学（SL与HL）以及剑桥IGCSE经济学（0455），不教授A-Level、初级学院或H2经济学课程。这是刻意的定位：IB与剑桥的评分标准与A-Level所看重的能力并不相同，因此我们把课堂时间集中在IB学生真正会被考核的内容上，包括第三卷、内部评估以及经济学专题论文，而不是学生根本不会应考的内容。

How much does IB Economics tuition cost?

IB经济学补习的学费是多少？

Fees depend on the format (group or one-to-one) and the tutor, so message us on WhatsApp for the current rate for your class. Every fee includes all learning materials in soft and/or hard copy, 24/7 WhatsApp access to your tutor, and marking of submitted answers. There is no registration fee, material fee or deposit: you are billed for the lessons in each month, paid at the start of the month.

学费视上课形式（小组或一对一）及授课老师而定，请通过WhatsApp联系我们了解您所在班级的当前收费。所有费用均包含全部学习材料（电子版和/或纸质版）、全天候WhatsApp联系老师的权限，以及作业批改服务。我们不收取报名费、教材费或押金：按每月实际课节数收费，于月初缴付。

Do you help specifically with the Internal Assessment?

你们会专门辅导内部评估（IA）吗？

Yes, the IA is one of the highest-value things we coach, precisely because it's so recoverable. We help with choosing suitable articles, matching each commentary to the right unit and key concept, structuring the analysis and evaluation, drawing correct diagrams, and staying within the word count, with feedback before the work is submitted and counts.

会的，IA是我们重点辅导的内容之一，正因为它是最容易通过指导提升的部分。我们会协助挑选合适的新闻文章、将每篇评论对应到正确的单元与关键概念、搭建分析与评估结构、绘制正确的图表，并控制在字数范围内，并且会在正式提交、计入成绩之前提供反馈。

Do you teach in Korean and Mandarin as well as English?

除了英语，你们也用韩语和中文授课吗？

Yes. KS Academia Prep teaches in English, Simplified Chinese and Korean. For students whose first or second language isn't English, understanding a concept in the stronger language first makes the English exam answer easier to write. We can also speak with parents directly in Korean (한국어 가능).

是的。KS Academia Prep 提供英语、简体中文和韩语授课。对于母语或第二语言不是英语的学生，先用较擅长的语言理解概念，能让之后用英文写出得分答案更加容易。我们也可以直接用韩语或中文与家长沟通。

How do you mark practice, and how is that different from self-study?

你们如何批改练习？这与自己复习有什么不同？

Every practice piece and IA commentary is returned marked against the actual IB criteria, with feedback that names the exact line that cost a mark and shows how to rewrite it. Self-marking against a rubric can't do this: you can't see the gap you don't know is there. Expert marking is the tightest feedback loop a student can get, and it's where most of the improvement happens.

每一份练习和IA评论都会依照真实的IB评分标准批改，并具体指出丢分的那一句话，以及应如何改写。自己对照评分细则批改无法做到这一点，因为你看不见自己都没意识到的盲点。专业批改是学生能获得的最紧密反馈循环，也是进步最明显的关键所在。

What size are the classes?

班级人数是多少？

Every IB Economics class is capped at ten students. That cap is the reason every student's written work actually gets seen and marked, and why the tutor can coach individual technique rather than lecture. For current availability in a specific SL or HL class, message us on WhatsApp.

每一班IB经济学课程人数上限为十人。正是这个人数上限，确保每位学生的书面作业都能被认真查看与批改，老师也能针对个人技巧进行指导，而非单向讲课。如需了解某个SL或HL班级当前的名额情况，请通过WhatsApp联系我们。

Getting started

Do you offer a trial lesson?

你们提供试听课吗？

Yes, a no-commitment trial where you sit in on a full lesson before deciding. WhatsApp us at +65 8129 8782 with your level (IB SL or HL) and preferred language, and we'll arrange a trial that fits your schedule.

是的，我们提供无需承诺的试听课，您可以先旁听一整堂课再做决定。请通过WhatsApp（+65 8129 8782）告知您的程度（IB SL或HL）及偏好语言，我们会为您安排合适的试听时间。

Where are you located?

你们的地址在哪里？

Far East Shopping Centre, #15-06, 545 Orchard Road, Singapore 238882, about a five-minute walk from Orchard MRT (NS22 / TE14), Exit E.

乌节路远东购物中心 #15-06，545 Orchard Road, Singapore 238882，从乌节地铁站（NS22/TE14）E出口步行约五分钟。

Do you also teach IGCSE Economics?

你们也教IGCSE经济学吗？

Yes. We teach both IB and IGCSE Economics. If you're on the IGCSE (0455) track, ask us about IGCSE Economics: the coaching approach is the same, adapted to the IGCSE papers and the 2027 syllabus.

是的。我们同时教授IB和IGCSE经济学。如果您的孩子正在修读IGCSE（0455），欢迎向我们咨询IGCSE经济学课程：教学方法相同，并会针对IGCSE的考卷形式与2027年新考纲做相应调整。