NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant ----- Guidelines for completing an SBA task

A.

What is school-based assessment?

School-based assessment (SBA) refers to assessment administered in schools and marked by the
student's SBA supervising teacher. It constitutes part of the public assessment in addition to the
public examination. Purposes include:
a. motivating students to learn and apply what they have learnt to reinforce curriculum aims;
b. assessing generic skills not so easily assessed in the public examination;
c. reducing dependence on public examination results which may not always provide the most
reliable indication of the actual abilities of students.

B.

Task

In economics, the tasks can take the form of a news commentary or an essay/report. Students have
to submit at least 3 written tasks in S5 and S6, and at least one in each year. Students are allowed to
work in groups. Marks are to be awarded to students individually according to the individual work
submitted.
Each task carries equal marks, i.e. 5% of the subject total. Students will be informed in advance
which tasks are to be selected for mark submission. All students in the same school with the same
school years will have the same tasks selected for mark submission.

C.

Assessment

Marks are assigned according to three assessment aspects. The items and weightings are listed in
the table below.
Area

Assessment aspects

Economic analysis
selection of an issue / topic for the task;
provision of relevant data (if applicable);
observation from student's own experience (if applicable);

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

Weighting

60%

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2009

 interpretation of data from source and reference materials;

understanding economic concepts and theories;
analysis from different parties perspectives.
2

Organisation and communication

use of language for effective communication and argument;
use of tables, graphics or formulas to illustrate arguments (if applicable);
use of layout for effective presentation;
citation and reference.

25%

Values and reflections

policies evaluation from different perspectives (if applicable);
reflection of personal values (if applicable);
extended questions for further exploration (if applicable)

15%

Total

100%

D. Steps to complete an SBA task

Topic selection

Data collection

Economic analysis

Decision making
(Is the economic analysis substantive and meaningful?) No
Yes
Writing the commentary/essay/report

Hand in your SBA task on time

E.

Guidelines to each step

1. Topic selection
Guidelines:
a. Read newspapers, be aware of current affairs discussed in the mass media and observe daily
life phenomena.
b. Collect interesting news, current affairs or daily life phenomena related to economics.

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2009

c.

e.

Choose between news commentary and essay/report:

Since the mass media contain a lot of information, it may be easier to collect materials for
news commentary, e.g. detailed information about the issue, views of different relevant parties
(stakeholders), comments from experts, etc.
However, issues of current issues may not be the most interesting to students and hence the
scope may be more restrictive. Topics for essays and reports can be more flexible, creative,
familiar to and more favoured by students.
Select one with room for discussion. The following are some hints.

The issue is significant, interesting, special or controversial;

You have sufficient information;

You can apply several economic concepts to analyse the issue;

You can manage the economic analysis involved;

You have your own viewpoint, etc.

Seek the advice of your SBA supervisor.

2.

Data collection

d.

Guidelines:
a. Identify the key words and surf the net for more information.

Collect information from different sources (to counter-check).

Collect viewpoints of the different parties involved.

Collect different opinions on the issue.

b.

Useful websites suggested:

Search engines
http://www.google.com.hk/ (Google)
http://yahoo.com.hk/
(Yahoo Hong Kong)
News

http://www.hoyu.edu.hk/second/wiseNews/ (WiseNews)
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/ (Yahoo Hong Kong News)
http://news.google.com.hk/ (Google Hong Kong News)
http://www.news.gov.hk
(New.gov.hk)
http://mytv.tvb.com/news/?path=news (TVB news)
http://www.hkatvnews.com/v3/index.html (ATV News)
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/index_news.htm
(RTHK news)
Concepts http://www.wikipedia.org/ (Wikipedia)
http://www.answers.com/
(Answers.com)
http://www.oswego.edu/~economic/newbooks.htm
NSS Exploring Economics
SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

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(Online economic references books)

Hong Kong economy

World economy

http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/ (Census and Statistics Department)

http://www.hkeconomy.gov.hk/en/home/index.htm
(Hong Kong Economy)
http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/index.htm
(GovHK:Factsheets)
http://www.yearbook.gov.hk/ (Hong Kong Yearbook)

http://data.un.org/ (United Nations)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
(The Worldfactbook, CIA, US)
http://www.wto.org/
(The World Trade Organization)
http://www.worldbank.org/ (The World Bank)
http://www.imf.org
(The International monetary fund)
http://www.oecd.org
(The Organisation for Economc Co-operation and
Development)

c.

Determine if the data are relevant, significant and reliable.

d.

Organise the data and formulate your own analysis.

3. Economic analysis
Guidelines:
a. Use a mind map to list all the economic concepts related to the issue

Make use of the Checklist provided in Section F or the Index of each book for
brainstorming;

Choose three to five economic concepts related to the issue. Its better if they are
related so that the written work is more consistent and substantive.
b.

Analyse the issue or derive implications from the economic concepts identified

Make use of the Checklist provided in Section F

Use diagrams if possible.

4. Writing the commentary or essay

Components:
a. Summary / Introduction

News commentary: Summary of the news

NSS Exploring Economics
SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2009

Essay or report: Essay introduction state the theme, describe the issue and its
background information.

b.

Economic analysis: (using diagrams if possible)

Describe the issue using the language of economics;

Present, compare and interpret the data collected;

Analyse the issue using related economic concepts, theories and data;

Derive implications;

Evaluate from different perspectives, e.g. viewpoints of different stakeholders, pros

and cons and tradeoff involved, etc.

c.

Conclusion

Summarise your analyses, judgements, proposals or evaluations;

Provide suggestions, e.g. policies or actions to be taken, room for improvement, areas for
further exploration, etc.;

Share your feeling and personal values.

d. References
Template of citation (English)

Book: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of Publication). Title of book: Capital letter
also for subtitle. Publisher.

Article in a newspaper: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (if available) (Year). Title of
Article. Title of Newspaper, pages.

Electronic sources: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (if available) (Date of publication).
Title of article. Title of website. Retrieved month day, year, from
http://www.siteaddress.com/full/url/
Template of citation (Chinese)

e.

()
()
()

Appendices, tables of data, figures and diagrams

Seek advice from your SBA supervisor and amend your work.
Remember to proofread your final draft and hand in your work on time.

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2009

F.

Checklist of frequently used economic concepts and economic analysis applied

Microeconomics
Economic
concepts

Economic concepts worth analysing in SBA

1. Positive and
normative
statements

2. Cost

3. Cost-benefit
analysis

4. The three
basic economic
problems

5. Competition

6. Alchian
generalisation

7. Demand and
supply
(Change in price
and quantity)

8. Change in
total revenue

9. Government

Related
chapter

Identify if the relevant statements are positive or

normative statements.
Can the debate on an issue be settled by appealing to
facts?
List out all the resources used and the value of their
best alternative use. Find out the full cost involved.
Any change in cost and change in behaviour (cost
and behaviour are negatively related).
Identify (and calculate if possible) all the benefits
involved.
Identify (and calculate if possible) all the costs
involved.
Weigh benefits and costs to determine if choosing an
option is worthwhile.
Identify the economic problems concerned.
Discuss how they are solved under different
economic systems.

Bk. 1
Ch. 2

Identify the scarce resources under competition.

Identify the relevant parties, their benefits and costs
involved and their standpoints.
How do the parties compete for more resources?
Evaluate if the form of competition is appropriate.
Is there any change in the relative price (or full cost)?
How does the change affect the choice between a
high-priced good and a low-priced good?
Does the issue concern changes in market price and
quantity transacted?
Determine if the determinant concerns the decisions
of buyers or sellers.
How does the determinant affect the decisions of
buyers or sellers?
How does the change affect the equilibrium price and
quantity? Explain with the aid of a supply-demand diagram.
Do the price and quantity change in the same or
opposite direction(s)?
If opposite, predict the change in total revenue from
the demand elasticity or project the demand elasticity from
the change in total revenue. Draw a supply-demand diagram
to illustrate.
Identify the types of government intervention

Bk. 1
Ch. 2

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

Bk. 1
Ch. 1
Bk. 3
Ch. 15

Bk. 1
Ch. 2

Bk. 1
Ch. 3
Bk. 1
Ch. 4

Bk. 1
Ch. 5

Bk. 1

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2009

intervention

10. Ownership
of firms

11. Raising
capital

12. Outputs of
production

13. Production
(industry)

14. Division of
labour

15. Workers

16. Production
decisions (Short
run and long
run)

17. Expansion

18. Market
structure

19. Monopoly

20. Externality

involved.
Ch. 6
Explain or predict the possible change in price,
Ch. 7
quantity, total expenditure of buyers, total revenue of
sellers, government receipt and expenditure, non-price
competition involved and final allocation. Draw a supplydemand diagram to illustrate.
Discuss the distribution of the tax burden or subsidy
share if appropriate. (if applicable)
Suggest possible reasons why the government should
intervene in the market.
Evaluate the pros and cons involved.
Identify the forms of business ownership concerned. Bk. 2
List its features and compare with a real life example.
Ch. 8
Identify the method used.
Bk. 2
Discuss its advantages and disadvantages relative to
Ch. 8
other methods.
Comment on the choice of method.
Identify if the output belongs to goods or services,
Bk. 2
consumer goods or producer goods, private goods or public
Ch. 9
goods.
Identify the types of production concerned.
Bk. 2
Discuss factors affecting the future development of
Ch. 9
the industry concerned.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages involved.
Bk. 2
Suggest methods to minimise the drawbacks.
Ch. 9
Discuss how the issue affects the supply, productivity Bk. 2
and mobility of different kinds of workers.
Ch. 10
Identify the wage payment methods adopted and
evaluate if they are appropriate (from their advantages and
disadvantages).
Identify if the production decision belongs to short
Bk. 2
run or long run decisions.
Ch. 11
List the variable and fixed factors involved.
If it is in the short run, determine if the law of
diminishing returns apply.
If it is in the long run, determine if economies of
scale or diseconomies of scale appear.
Identify the type of expansion internal or external;
Bk. 2
horizontal, vertical, lateral or conglomerate.
Ch. 12
Suggest a possible motive of the expansion
Identify the type of market structure concerned.
Bk. 2
List all its features. Discuss if they can be found in
Ch. 13
the market concerned.
Same as Economic concept 18 above.
Bk. 2
Identify its source of monopoly power.
Ch. 13
Identify the competition that it still has to face.
Does the government impose any regulation on its
operation?
Describe the possible external cost or benefit
Bk. 3

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2009

21. Income
distribution

22. Third-degree
price
discrimination

23. Anticompetitive
behaviours

24. Competition

policy

involved
Use a diagram to illustrate the deadweight loss
resulted
Suggest a possible solution to the situation.
How should income distribution be measured?
How does the issue concerned affect income
distribution?
Suggest methods for improving income distribution.
Discuss if the case is an example of third-degree
price discrimination. Does it satisfy the four conditions of
third-degree price discrimination?

Ch. 17

Discuss if the case is an example of anti-competitive

behaviours.
Discuss its effects, e.g. who gains and who loses.
Discuss if the government should intervene and what
form of intervention it should be.
Collect the arguments of different parties on the
issue.
Discuss the pros and cons of competition policy

Bk. 4
Ch. 20

Bk. 3
Ch. 18
Bk. 4
Ch. 19

Bk. 4
Ch. 21

Macroeconomics
Economic
concepts

Suggested economic analysis applied

1. (per capita)
GDP of a
country

2. Living
standard

3. CPI

4. Inflation or
deflation

5.
Unemployment

Related
chapter

What is the country's ranking in the world?

Is the (per capita) GDP growing or declining?
Rapidly or slowly?
What are the contributions of different economic
sectors in percentage and trends in these sectors?
Are national income statistics a good indicator of
living standard?
Suggest methods to improve the measurement of
living standard by means of national income statistics or
alternative measures.
What is the change in CPI and its components?
What are the causes?
Calculate the inflation or deflation rate.
What are the effects of inflation (or deflation) to an
economy? What are its redistributive effects?
What is its trend?
What are the causes as suggested by the official
release? Use a AS-AD diagram to illustrate the causes.
What are its effects?
What is its trend?
What are the causes as suggested by the official
release? Use a supply-demand diagram of the labour market

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

Bk. 5
Ch. 1
Ch. 2
Bk. 5
Ch. 2

Bk. 5
Ch. 2
Bk. 5
Ch. 3
Ch. 5
Bk. 5
Ch. 3
Ch. 5

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2009

6. Recession or
recovery, etc.

7. Aggregate
expenditure of
an economy
(aggregate
demand side)

8. Aggregate
supply side of
an economy

9. Changes in
GDP and price
level

10. New tax

11. Fiscal
policy (budget)

12. Financial
centre

13. Money
supply

14. Interest

to illustrate the causes.

In which phase of a business cycle is an economy
situated?
What are the features?
What are the causes?
Has the government implemented any policies in
response?
What are the changes in C, I, G and NX?
What are the causes as suggested by the government
and the mass media? Are they the determinants you have
learnt?
What are their effects on the real GDP?
Identify any current changes in the determinants of
the SRAS and LRAS curve, e.g. change in oil price,
government policies.
Predict the change in AS curves.
What is the current change in the GDP and price
level?
Investigate the possible causes and illustrate with an
AS-AD diagram.
Has the government implemented any policies in
response?
Is it a direct tax or indirect tax?
Is it a progressive, proportional or regressive tax?
Does it agree with the principles of taxation?
What are the purposes of its imposition? Evaluate the
effects and side effects of the tax.
What are the changes in government revenue and
expenditure as proposed in the current budget?
What are their purposes?
What are their effects on employment and the price
level, economic growth and income distribution? Can the
purposes be achieved?
Use an AS-AD diagram to illustrate their effects on
GDP and the price level.
Is the development of financial markets satisfactory
in Hong Kong?
What are the factors contributing to Hong Kong's
development as a financial centre? Are they becoming more
favorable or unfavorable?
Are there any new developments, e.g. Renminbi
business?
Can you suggest any measures to strengthen the
markets?
What are the current monetary aggregates?
What has been the trend? Which component changes
by a larger percentage?
What are the differences between HIBOR and the
prime rate?

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

Bk. 5
Ch. 3

Bk. 5
Ch. 4
Ch. 5

Bk. 5
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Bk. 5
Ch. 5

Bk. 5
Ch. 6

Bk. 5
Ch. 6

Bk. 6
Ch. 7

Bk. 6
Ch. 8
Bk. 6

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rate

15. Monetary
policy

16. Quantity
theory of
money

17. Foreign
trade

18.
Protectionist
measures

19. Exchange
rate

20. Balance of
payments

21. Economic
growth

22. Economic
development

How do they change?

Can the change be explained by the change in money
demand and money supply? Illustrate with a diagram.
What are the determinants of money demand and
money supply?
What are the tools of monetary policy?
How does the Chinese or US government manipulate
these tools to affect the money supply?
What are their effects on the economy of China and
the US? Use an AS-AD diagram to illustrate.
Obtain the figures of nominal GDP and M1 of an
economy over 10 years.
Calculate the velocity of circulation of money in the
period. Is it a constant?
What is the current trend of external trade in an
economy?
What are the causes?
Are measures being taken by the government to
promote trade?
Are there any new protectionist measures imposed by
our trading partners?
What are their effects on our economy? Illustrate
with the help of a supply-demand diagram.
Is the Hong Kong dollar appreciating or depreciating
against the US dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, Australian dollar
and Renminbi?
How does the change affect the value of Hong
Kong's exports to and imports from the countries in Hong
Kong dollar? Explain with the help of a supply-demand
diagram.
Study the current figures from the BoP account of an
economy.
What is the trend?
What are the changes in the figures of external trade,
net external factor income flow and change in reserve
assets?
Can you suggest any causes?
What are the common measures of economic
growth?
How does Hong Kong perform in terms of these
measurements?
What is Hong Kong's ranking in the world?
What measures can the government take to improve
the situation?
What are the common measures of economic
development?
How does Hong Kong perform in terms of these
measurements?
What are their implications?
What measures can the government take to improve

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

10

Ch. 9

Bk. 6
Ch. 10

Bk. 6
Ch. 10
Bk. 6
Ch. 11
Ch. 12
Bk. 6
Ch. 12
Bk. 6
Ch. 13

Bk. 6
Ch. 13

Bk. 7
Ch. 15

Bk. 7
Ch. 15

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the situation?

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SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

11

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G. Suggested topics for essay or report

Examples like
A cost-benefit analysis on studying at in a Hong Kong (or foreign) university.

Business cycle in relation to the number of marriage and the birth rate.

Spending my pocket money wisely.

A case study on the expansion of a listed company in Hong Kong.

The debate on competition policy in Hong Kong.

An investigation of the green tax.

Comment on the current budget.

An investigation of the future development of Hong Kong as a financial centre.

Inflation and unemployment problems in Hong Kong.

Causes and effects of the credit crunch.

Going beyond a world factory - the present and future role of China in the world economy.

Others please refer to the Section "Activities" at the end of each chapter.

H. Sample of an SBA task

Please refer to the "SBA corner" of each book.
Samples of news commentary and essays/reports on current issues will be uploaded to our website
http://nssecon.ilongman.com and updated every month.

NSS Exploring Economics

SBA Assistant (Guidelines for completing
an SBA task)

12

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2009