And why small missteps carried real mark penalties
While much attention is often paid to extended responses, the 2024 VCE Economics exam showed that short-answer questions were just as revealing. The examiner’s report makes it clear that many students lost marks not through misunderstanding, but through imprecision.
Short-answer questions in Economics are not “easy marks”. They are tightly written, tightly marked, and designed to test whether students can respond exactly to what is asked.
In 2024, many students did not.
When one missing word changed the mark outcome
A recurring issue noted in the examiner’s commentary was students failing to fully address the wording of short-answer questions.
For example, questions that asked students to explain one reason or outline one effect were often answered with partial explanations that never quite landed. Students identified the idea, but did not complete the reasoning.
In Economics, even in short answers, the mark is usually tied to an outcome. Naming a factor without explaining its effect was not enough.
This was a consistent source of lost marks.
The problem with vague economic language
The 2024 report highlights frequent use of vague language in short responses.
Students wrote that something would “increase”, “improve” or “affect” the economy without specifying what variable changed or in what direction. While this kind of wording might sound acceptable in conversation, it does not meet assessment standards.
Short-answer questions still require precision. Examiners are not inferring meaning. They are awarding marks based on what is explicitly stated.
Students who failed to be specific often lost marks despite being broadly correct.
Diagram questions exposed rushed thinking
Several short-answer questions in the 2024 exam required students to refer to or interpret diagrams.
According to the examiner’s report, many students correctly identified shifts or movements but did not explain their significance. Others mislabelled axes or failed to link the diagram to the economic objective referenced in the question.
In these cases, the issue was not conceptual misunderstanding. It was rushing.
Students recognised the diagram type and answered too quickly, assuming the rest was obvious.
It was not.
Why short answers punished generic responses
Generic responses were particularly costly in short-answer questions.
Because these questions often targeted a single mark or two, there was little margin for error. Answers that sounded like textbook summaries but did not align precisely with the question wording were not rewarded.
The examiner’s report makes it clear that marks were awarded for relevance, not familiarity.
If the response could apply to several different questions, it was usually too broad.
The role of command terms in short answers
Another issue flagged in the 2024 report was students overlooking command terms even in short questions.
Words like identify, outline and explain still mattered. Students who explained when only identification was required wasted time. Students who identified when explanation was required lost marks.
Short-answer questions demand efficiency as well as accuracy.
High-scoring students adjusted their responses to match the task exactly.
What high-performing students did differently in short answers
Strong students treated short answers with the same discipline as extended responses.
They:
- responded directly to the wording of the question
- used precise economic terminology
- stated outcomes clearly
- avoided unnecessary detail
- finished their explanation within the scope of the question
Their responses were brief, but complete.
The key lesson from the 2024 short-answer section
The 2024 exam showed that small errors matter.
In a subject where total marks are tightly distributed, losing one or two marks repeatedly in short answers has a significant impact on overall performance.
Students who underestimated these questions paid the price.
What this means for Economics preparation
Students should practise short-answer questions deliberately, not treat them as warm-ups.
Preparation should focus on precision, clarity and alignment with task words. This is where many marks are quietly won or lost.
Improving short answers is often one of the fastest ways to lift an Economics score.
Working with ATAR STAR
ATAR STAR Economics tutoring places strong emphasis on short-answer technique as well as extended responses.
We train students to read questions carefully, respond efficiently, and avoid the small errors that accumulate into big mark losses. This approach helps students turn solid understanding into consistent performance across the entire paper.
The 2024 exam made this clear. In VCE Economics, every mark counts, and short answers are no exception.