Years 9 to 11: keeping the best options open

Nothing in Years 9 to 11 decides an economics application. Two choices made now can still close doors later: letting Maths slip, and picking A-levels the sixth form cannot support. The rest is curiosity, a little reading, and one or two challenges at school.

Plan the yearKey dates
  • Designed by a first-class Cambridge economist
  • Every date linked to its official page
  • Written for parents

What do you need help with?

GCSE and A-level choicesWhich subjects economics degrees ask for, and what to check with the sixth form.open theguide What to enter this yearCompetitions and maths challenges for your child’s year, with a checklist and alerts.build aplan Where economics leadsCareers from the Bank of England to the Government Economic Service.see themap

Three years, one job for each

Small, steady habits matter more than anything intensive. Here is what each year is for, and what parents can do.

Year 9 · Curiosity first

GCSE options evenings in spring

Noticing how the world works

The whole job is curiosity: how money and prices work in everyday life, and GCSE options that keep economics open.

  • Autumn: ask what they noticed in the news, and why a price went up or down
  • Spring: take Maths seriously at options evening; almost every economics degree asks for A-level Maths
  • Summer: one book, podcast or documentary, and the start of a simple reading list
See Year 9 in full

Year 10 · Good habits

UKMT Intermediate Challenge in January

A little reading, a maths challenge

Most opportunities come later. Year 10 builds the habits that make them easy to take.

  • Autumn: a short reading log (title, one idea, one question), ten minutes a week
  • Spring: ask the school about the UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Challenge
  • Summer: if there is a work experience week, a placement where numbers and decisions meet
See Year 10 in full

Year 11 · GCSEs and A-level choices

Sixth-form choices in spring

The choice that matters: A-level Maths

GCSEs come first. Any extras should be small and enjoyable; the decision that counts is the A-level list.

  • Autumn: check which A-levels the sixth form offers, especially Maths and Further Maths
  • No Further Maths at school? Ask about the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP)
  • Summer, after exams: a book, a short online course or a small project they choose
See Year 11 in full

When Year 12 starts: the Early Starter

This is where our preparation begins. The strongest economics applicants arrive in Year 13 with a year of reading they can talk about, the maths behind the TMUA, and practice at thinking aloud.

Year 12 · About two hours a week

Applications open in Year 13

Year 12 Early Starter

A year of preparation that cannot be crammed later, with a term-by-term plan that says what to do and when.

  • A guided reading path: 38 modules in eight stages, each stage paired with a real book
  • TMUA foundations: 57 questions with worked solutions
  • Interview foundations: the method tutors reward, and about 40 practice questions
  • The Essay Competition Pack 2027

From

See the Year 12 Early Starter

Year 12 · Spring and summer

John Locke, RES and Marshall Society

Essay Competition Pack 2027

For students who want a piece of work of their own before applying: how the leading economics essay competitions are judged, and how to write for them.

  • Built for the John Locke, RES Young Economist and Marshall Society competitions
  • Included in the Early Starter, or sold on its own

From

See the Essay Competition Pack

Key dates for 2026–27

For Years 9 to 11. The next one is highlighted.

  1. ESU Schools’ Mace debating, Round One (school teams)
  2. Practical Ethics and Responsibility Competition: video entries close, 4pm (Year 11 teams)
  3. Last day for schools to order UKMT Intermediate Challenge papers
  4. UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Challenge (Years 9 to 11, through school)
  5. GCSE options (Year 9) and sixth-form choices (Year 11); dates set by each schoolCheck the subjects
  6. Year 12 beginsStart early

Who we are. Econ Coaching was founded by a first-class Cambridge Economics graduate who has prepared applicants for six years. About us

Questions

Is it too early to think about university?

Too early to prepare, yes. Not too early to keep options open. The only decisions in these years that affect an economics application are subject choices, above all keeping Maths strong. Everything else should be driven by your child’s own interest.

Does my child need GCSE or A-level Economics?

No. Most leading economics degrees do not require Economics at A-level. Almost all ask for A-level Maths, and the most selective courses value Further Maths where the school offers it. The options guide sets out what each university asks for.

What if the school doesn’t offer Further Maths?

Ask the sixth form about the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP), which helps students study Further Maths when their school cannot teach it.

Is this only for Oxford and Cambridge?

No. Subject choices matter for every competitive economics course, including LSE, UCL, Warwick and Imperial.