Subject
Economics
Competition Support · Economics
Economics Essay Competitions & Olympiad
The essay prizes and olympiad that let economics applicants show analytical thinking before they apply.
Key Facts
Level
Sixth form
When
Varies by competition
Format
Essays and, for the olympiad, problem-solving
Rounds
Single essay, or multi-round olympiad
Run by
Marshall Society, Royal Economic Society, and others
University signal
Strong for Economics and PPE
Why Economics Competitions coaching is hard to find
The Economics Competitions sits above the syllabus, so most tutors cannot teach it
A tutor who has only taught Economics to A-Level has not met these problems. Competition papers are not harder versions of the syllabus, they are a different kind of work, and coaching them means having sat them. That is why most agencies quietly decline this, and why students who want to prepare seriously are usually left with a past-paper archive and no one to mark it.
We do teach it. Every Oxbridge Mentors tutor is a graduate of the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, and the ones who coach the Economics Competitions sat it themselves and scored at the top of it. That is the whole reason we can offer this when others do not.
Who it is for
Applicants aiming at the most selective courses, where strong grades are the baseline rather than the differentiator.
Admissions signal: Strong for Economics and PPE.
01
Section 01
What is the Economics Competitions?
Economics applicants can choose from several respected competitions, including the Marshall Society Essay Competition at Cambridge, the Royal Economic Society's Young Economist of the Year, and the International Economics Olympiad. Between them they reward clear economic reasoning, real-world analysis, and, in the olympiad, quantitative problem-solving. All are strong signals for economics and PPE applications.
There is no single economics competition, but several well-regarded ones. The Marshall Society Essay Competition, run by Cambridge's student economics society, and the Royal Economic Society's Young Economist of the Year both ask for an essay applying economic thinking to a contemporary question. The International Economics Olympiad adds a quantitative and financial-literacy dimension through multi-round problem-solving.
The essay competitions reward the ability to take an economic idea and use it to analyse the real world clearly and rigorously, exactly the skill an economics or PPE degree is built on. The olympiad rewards a broader blend of economics knowledge, data handling, and reasoning under time pressure.
Entering the competition that fits your strengths, whether writing or problem-solving, is a targeted way to show admissions tutors that your interest in economics goes beyond the classroom.
Run by Marshall Society (Cambridge), Royal Economic Society, and others. See the official competition site for current dates and entry details.
02
Section 02
Format & Rounds
Marshall Society Essay Competition
An economics essay competition run by the University of Cambridge's student economics society.
RES Young Economist of the Year
The Royal Economic Society's essay competition applying economics to a contemporary question.
International Economics Olympiad
A multi-round international competition combining economics theory, financial literacy, and problem-solving.
03
Section 03
Who Should Enter
Sixth-formers applying to Economics, PPE, Land Economy, or related courses. Students who write well should target the essay competitions; those who enjoy quantitative problems will find the olympiad a better fit. Many strong applicants attempt both.
- Aimed at sixth-form students; specific rules vary by competition.
- Essay competitions are usually entered directly; olympiad routes may involve national selection.
- A-Level maths is a real advantage, especially for the olympiad.
04
Section 04
Key Dates & Timeline
Autumn-winter
Identify which competitions suit your strengths and note their deadlines.
Spring
Many essay competitions release questions; begin reading and drafting.
Spring-summer
Essay deadlines; olympiad rounds where applicable.
Windows are indicative and move each cycle. Always confirm exact dates on the organiser's site.
05
Section 05
How Our Tutors Help With the Economics Competitions
1
Mentoring from tutors who read Economics or PPE at Oxford or Cambridge and know what strong economic writing and problem-solving look like.
2
Help choosing the right competition and framing an essay question with a clear, defensible economic argument.
3
Feedback across drafts on using models and evidence precisely, plus quantitative coaching for the olympiad route.
4
Support turning the work into compelling personal-statement and interview material for economics and PPE.
Tutoring is one-to-one and online, matched to the competition and the student. Packages start from over £50 per session with graduate mentors.
06
Section 06
How to Prepare
- Use economics to say something specific: the best essays apply a model or two carefully, rather than describing many in passing.
- Ground your argument in real evidence and current examples, and be precise about assumptions and limitations.
- For the olympiad, build quantitative fluency and financial literacy early, since the problem-solving rounds move quickly.
07
Section 07
Where It Leads
Economics Essay Competitions & Olympiad is a strong signal for competitive applications. We connect competition coaching to the rest of your preparation:
Related A-Level Guides
Related Admissions Tests
Degrees This Strengthens
EconomicsPPELand EconomyEconomics and Management
Economics Competitions: Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your strengths. Strong writers should target the essay competitions such as the Marshall Society prize or Young Economist of the Year; students who prefer quantitative problems will suit the International Economics Olympiad.
The essay competitions reward clear reasoning more than heavy maths, but A-Level maths is a real advantage, and it matters much more for the olympiad's problem-solving rounds.
Yes. They demonstrate analytical thinking and genuine interest, both of which strengthen PPE, economics, and related applications.