A-level History instead of Econ for Econ/PPE courses at top unis

[sunisshiningandtweetingbirds]

YP's head suggested they might consider History instead of Econ at A-levels, along with Maths, Further Maths and a STEM.

YP does like History but is not as strong as their Maths/FM/Sciences (probably on for a 9 at GCSE but have oscillated between very high 9s and mid 8s). They don't offer Econ at GCSE at their school.

I know Econ is not necessary but maths and entry tests are key. But I've also heard Oxford students say that those who had done A-level Econ had an easier time with the interview and the early months academically.

And how do you 'signal' interest in Econ/PPE without Econ, Politics, Philosophy etc?

I'd love to hear from admissions staff or parents-in-the-know. Always appreciate the advice of @poetryandwine

TIA

I think it is always a good idea to do the subject at A level for the degree if you can as then you have a basic understanding of your subject. Especially if it is offered. You have to think about the candidates he will be up against, a lot of them will be studying Economics.

Ds didn't do Econ for GCSE as they didn't offer it. He did Econ, Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science for A level and is in his second year at Warwick doing an Economics degree.

Ds agrees that the A level in Econ helps in the first few months but after that everything is new. He didn't interview for Warwick or any of the other unis but didn't apply to Oxbridge so cannot comment on the interview process.

DD did history, maths and English language before studying PPE at Oxford. History is recommended, economics isn't. Economics gives no advantage at interview as they ask questions needing you to demonstrate your thought process rather than prior learning.

She had offers from Oxford, Warwick, York & Durham, none of which expected any of the underlying papers at A level.

What does YP mean? Young person?

kids should do subjects they enjoy if the school doesn’t do economics then they wont be able to fo an A level in it anyway?

you can signal an inertest with a Saturday job?

I think that's fine as the maths is there too.. could you contact the universities and ask?

They all clearly state their recommended and required A level subjects on their websites. History & maths are the 2 recommended subjects for PPE. Economics at a top university requires maths and usually recommends FM.

DD did lots of reading around the 3 subjects & an EPQ on a topic linked to PPE which she recently completed her masters in. Both Oxford and Cambridge run lots of accessible outreach activities and have ideas on their websites. This ensures that you don't need to have won lots of essay competitions or had work experience at the UN to make a strong application.

Well yes, and my DS did both maths and further maths along with Spanish but not everyone on his course did both maths.
No harm in asking. We did and they preferred both maths to economics A Level.

Hi, OP -

Thank you for tagging me.

PP have made many useful comments, so I will try to add some different thoughts.

Firstly, my (limited) understanding is that Economics and PPE have different flavours. One or the other is likely to appeal more to a given person, and one or the other is more likely to play to their strengths. With luck, the same subject in both cases! How does DS answer these questions?

For PPE at Oxford or Durham (so presumably most places) it looks to me like DS should play to his strengths and interests - again hoping that these coincide. He will need to show himself as an all rounder across the whole of his application and interview.

For Economics, I completely agree that in theory Economics A level isn’t needed. My (again, limited) understanding is that it is something of an essay subject, whereas most of the top degree programmes are quite mathematical. However I can easily imagine that in Y1 especially, PP’s comments about how familiarity with the subject helps in the PPE programme will also be true in an Economics programme.

Also, when the large majority of students have had a particular A level, in practice the introductory courses at university adjust for this. If the A level wasn’t required everything will be taught ‘from scratch’ but the A level bits can go by very quickly indeed. Students who did not do the A level are disadvantaged at least to some extent.

I have no idea how serious the disadvantage is in Economics. DS might want to join the online forum The Student Room and ask some undergraduates on degree programmes he is thinking about.

Eg Cambridge is explicit that Economics A Level is not required, but in recent years about 93% of those admitted have had it. At minimum, I would enquire at TSR what it is like to be one of the 7%. Personally I would be more cautious, if Cambridge was my dream.

However as an admissions tutor I would be impressed by a strong candidate who explained that they had wanted to take this last chance to delve into history, and further explain how this would inform their study of Economics! I feel confident Cambridge admissions tutors would agree. The FM and a STEM subject will mean a lot there, also, if DS decides to apply. The same is true for Warwick and Imperial.

Perhaps it would help DS to clarify whether he is leaning towards PPE or Economics. The decision can be tentative, but they are not equal and having some clarity on one thing may help with the other.

Best wishes to DS.

History teacher here and over the (many decades) I’ve been teaching I’ve had lots of students apply to do PPE. History and Maths are usually the two most important subjects. History is an academically rigorous subject that teaches critical and analytical thinking as well as honing argument and essay writing skills. The third subject is more flexible and some do philosophy, economics or politics but many don’t. Many do an EPQ related to one of the subjects though.

And how do you 'signal' interest in Econ/PPE without Econ, Politics, Philosophy etc?

MOOCS
Gresham College lectures (all available voa livestream and on YouTube as well as in person at the London venues)
Reading a range of newspapers (news items for current affairs, relevant 'section' articles)
For politics at a local democracy level, attending local council meetings, getting involved personally with the local Youth Council.

Thank you all so much!

So the head said that admissions tutors are increasingly getting tired of seeing the same identical applicants i.e. Econ, Maths, FM, Physics or Chemistry or etc and that, across the board, they'd like to see more of a breadth (as much as you can with only 3-4 subjects). They also said that History, which I know, is a very rigorous subject and that showing strength in Maths/STEM AND a rigorous humanities subject looks impressive and would be useful too.

@pimplebum they don't do Econ at GCSE but do it for A-level (think this is not uncommon). Saturday jobs and extracurricular - as opposed to supracurricular - activities are not taken into account for Oxbridge. Yes YP = Young Person.

@Dearover That is interesting re your YP's subject mix. Yes, we've seen the requirements online - e.g. History not Econ - but just assumed that most applicants would have at least ONE of the subjects for PPE (i.e. Politics, Philosophy or Econ), and it certainly looks that way when looking at freedom of information data. That is encouraging then. YP can't take part in outreach programmes as they're at an independent (a highly selective one so they will need to have near all 9s at GCSE) so will just have to have that slightly stronger application in order to compete.

@NetballHoop was this for PPE? We were thinking of asking but slightly worried as YP has not yet set their mind on whether they'll go for Econ & Management or Econ OR PPE (this is at Oxbridge, they will apply to other unis too of course). They may even apply for a STEM subject so it looks perhaps a bit diluted if asking questions like that? Wish there was a way of asking anonymously!

@poetryandwine as always, thank you so much for your detailed and helpful reply. Yes, we had seen via freedom of information data that the successful Econ candidates at Cambridge had a very similar profile in terms of subjects. Realise that ultimately, the entry test such as TMUA (Cambs) or TARA (Econ & PPE Oxford) will be key too. Hadn't thought about the impact of most incoming students having Econ and so tutors might skim through the introductory courses which would potentially disadvantage someone without it at A-level - good point, will check on TSR. I agree that YP needs to decide at some point. They love maths, sciences but also loves reading the paper, following the news, history and is interested in most things which makes it very difficult!

@MarchingFrogs Yes, I think it's MOOCs and lectures etc that they will need to focus on. I think the 4 subjects they're considering is too much for then also doing an EPQ.

Saying that, even though they are (and this is not a boast) a really strong allrounder who does well in tests, they are also a dep and mature thinker and with a real 'sparky' mind, they may not even want to apply to Oxbridge.

Would be a shame as they would totally suit the teaching set up there with tutorials etc. They are super engaged in lessons and often 'thinks out of the box' and asks interesting questions (according to teachers).

Thanks again for all the advice.

Hi, OP -

PPE is a wonderful degree so I am not trying to sway DS. But FWIW many, possibly most, scientists I know have a lively interest in current events, follow the news, enjoy discussing it, are reasonably engaged civically, etc I would expect that economists lean at least as far in this direction.

I take the head’s point but statistics speak louder than words. Cambridge clearly doesn’t mind the same old thing. I would bet this is true of other top programmes. Admissions tutors are truly delighted by anything that suggests an original mind, but at the level I think you’re speaking of accomplishment comes first. (Interestingly, as long as you have a First Class degree or Distinction, creativity counts for much more when you are applying for a PhD)

I think a lot will come down to whether DS prefers a more writing focused or a more maths focused degree programme. I agree he sounds a good fit for the Oxbridge tutorial system.

Anyone can access the outreach ideas and suggestions on their websites. However, your DS would usually be expected to receive similar support through his school. The only 6th form support offered by DD's school was a practice interview with someone who had studied politics at Oxford Brookes when she told them she had a PPE interview at Oxford! Everything else she had to find out for herself.

There will be Cambridge masterclasses (i met Hugh Bonneville at one, so they're open to all). You can also suggest he searches for Oxbridge essay competitions which tend to be dominated by the private sector. DD had no idea that such things existed. Her interview Qs ranged from Dr Who & time travel, Boris Johnson & the Kardashians' public personas and car parks. They were all testing her ability to think on her feet.

To be honest, I am skeptical of the head teacher's 'insight' into the collective viewpoint of admissions tutors concerning subject choices. Some points to consider:

History can feel very content heavy and so needs good time management skills if running alongside Maths, FM and a physical science. Depending on exam board, there may be an NEA component, so be aware and embracing of that. Some students have a strong preference for studying particular periods eg C19 Russia v Tudors, so find out what the school will cover at A level.

Economics will be a new subject, so download past exam papers for the relevant board and possibly buy some study guides to get an idea of what it will really be like. How successful is the school at helping students achieve top grades (relative to History)?

Very helpful post from @PerpetualOptimist

DS will need the best predicted grades he can get for these very competitive degree programmes.

Also, if this is an independent school that overpredicts greatly (relative to the average, which is bad enough), experienced admissions tutors will be aware. So the data on those Economics grades is important.

My dd did maths, Further maths, physics and English. She then did PPE & data analytics at UCL. They care about the maths - and you’ll need it as the coding and economics is very maths heavy.

@PerpetualOptimist Yes, a concern was the workload, for sure. The top grades (A*) is around 10-15% for each Econ and History and so one of the 'least' well performing subjects in that regard at their school. My thinking is that quite a few of those who pick Econ at YP's schools are those who don't meet the minimum criteria of 8/9s in other subjects (they will have 7s) so have a limited choice, so the spread of ability is probably greater in their Economics classes than in History.
I'll check with YP re topics in History and potential interest.

@poetryandwine Thanks. Actually they have a very good track record of highly accurate predictions and on track grades. Weirdly, of my friends - we know many at both state and other indies - the ones whose kids were massively overpredicted for UCAS were in local (well performing) comprehensives and grammars!

Your quoted % is actually good, OP. Nationally in 2025 only 6% of History candidates and 7.5% of Economics candidates earned A star.

We more typically see the figures for Maths and FM where grades skew very high.

@poetryandwine Thank you! Actually, just looking now it was 11% for Economics and 19% for History (A star) in 2025. Rolling average is near 20% for Econ and 15% for History...

Anecdotally, my impression when I talk to my children and their friends is that Economics A-level gives Economics undergraduates a slightly easier first term at university but that this small advantage is quickly over. On the other hand, Economics students who have done subjects other than Economics at A-level (or IB or whatever) tend to do better long term because their academic hinterland is broader.

I would absolutely love to see proper research on this subject. Our one DC who is still at university is studying something quite unrelated to their school subject choices (did Maths and Sciences, studying a Humanities subject) and this has proved incredibly helpful. First term at university was a little rocky (got 2:1s in the first couple of essays) but quickly got over that and has had Firsts and High Firsts ever since. This seems to be a common pattern - some students are almost over prepared at the start of university with a narrow combination of subjects that precisely target their degree and sail through First Year but by Third Year have peaked and don't seem to have many resources left to draw upon.

I’d say yes. PPE is a very essay driven subject so by doing Math/Further Maths/Economics at A level you’re not getting that exposure to heavy levels of writing required. History gives that and is an excellent underpining for PPE as it links to all three e.g. all historical events have an economic/philosophical or political angle!

On that basis, I’d ask the question if you’re not keen to do an essay subject at A level that links to all three topics, why are you going for PPE? If the person is so STEM focused, go for straight Econ orEcon + Maths at degree level if they have such a clear preference. This could put LSE in the frame- hugely prestigious and incredible career opportunities.

@Ceramiq Very, very interesting point and it actually makes sense in a way. Uni is for independent learning and if you have already done the subject, maybe you 'coast' a bit and get into bad habits which are difficult to break further down the line. Hadn't thought of that angle. Would love to see research on that too!

@user1471548941 You make a good point. It's hard when a child really is very interested in so many things, and could pursue them well. Sciences and maths are quite easy for them to hit the high marks even without revision (although they have revised a lot, maybe not as much as some, but they still have had time for sports, socialising and extra curricular activities). For History and English they don't revise as much, as - and I think this is common - it's often easy to leave it until last as you feel you can wing it more (not true necessarily). I would love to analyse it deeper but their ability to do well on new material in terms of analysing text or comprehension is very strong (as is their VR - and I wonder it it's their high VR plus Maths/NVR which meant they received offers at super selective grammars, and also Westminster, none taken up), means they do often perform in the high 80%/low 90% for English and often significantly above the median at their high performing school. But I don't know if that comes down more to the ability to juggle the 'novel' stuff or if they have 'memorised/learnt' the right stuff! Maybe it's the former as with History, where I assume it's a lot about memorisation too alongside the analytical, their scores are much less predictable ranging mid 70% to near 100%. But they love History, as well as current affairs etc.

My gut feeling is that for uni, Economics might be the better balance for them. Then, of course, there is a huge difference in programmes even at the top unis. And certainly a different 'vibe' at London unis v others!

Thanks for all your help and advice.

I have children who took various combinations of Maths, FM, a physical science and a social science or humanity (though not Econ). Their collective experience was that the M/FM & science overlaps were greatest with Physics, esp if Mechanics taken as an option in FM. This yielded time for other things. Notwithstanding that, the one who took Chem felt it was the right choice for them.

They did look at Econ for A level but felt it was quite theoretical for them, with an emphasis on graphs and models. Horses for courses obviously but shows importance of understanding what is taught and how it is taught. There is, however, ample opportunity to link to current affairs. Mine ultimately took an A level that included an NEA and really liked the experience. Four A levels and an EPQ sounds a bit heavy duty to me, even for a very able child, and the NEA was a kind of mini-EPQ hardwired within one of the subjects, rather than yet another element of workload.

My children were not as academically able as yours in the run up to GCSE and had to sweat their 8s in Maths. However, it meant they were in the right mindset for the step up at A level and came away with very good grades in Maths and FM whereas some more able at the outset of Y12 bailed FM or performed less well because they did not transition to having to stretch themselves - something to factor in when thinking how much time will needed to absolutely nail high grades in Maths and FM in sixth form.

It’s great that PGs are accurate, OP. So many schools, both state and independent, are being overly optimistic on PGs that hopefully this is also being noticed by admissions tutors.

I read somewhere that it's harder to accurately predict those who academically in the middle whereas easier with those at the top grade level. Not sure that's true but I can see why it might...

DD is reading Economics and Management at Oxford, she is from state school but in her college its 80-90% independent school for E&M over the 3 years. 90% of E&M offers go to students with Economics A level and Cambridge is 93% for their Economics course. DD is in the 10% without but not out of choice, it was an issue with school saying no.

Admissions test wise tests are either maths based or more logic base so only Maths A levels are helpful for Cambridge. I wouldn't say any A level is especially helpful for the Oxford one. DD found it very quick to prepare around 2 weeks. Interview at Oxford is economics based but on topics that are new - things like game theory was one year. There is some maths but its within A level. There was an Economics interview and a Management interview. One of the interviews DD had the comment after every answer pretty much that she was the only person to answer the question that way. The questions aren't right or wrong and they then say well what about from this point of view and they want to see you will consider another point of view. The only person we know who won an economics essay competition or took part in one got rejected because of their interview (Cambridge) and there was very little re personal statement. They did after the interview closed say there was a part of interview that did not count (I would always treat everything like it counts) where they asked DD about her job and she spent 10 minutes talking about that, quite an unusual job and there were lots of follow up questions.

As to whether being in the 10% who don't take economics A level affects things, well when I asked DD she said no, she loves Oxford and can do the course fine. I said that I was surprised as in my day people who had the A level would get one degree grade higher at Cambridge for Economics. Then she said oh if you want a First it absolutely matters not doing it and you should do it. With PPE you can drop Economics after a year so its not an issue. For a joint or whole Economics degree you can't so you either need to work harder to catch up and do less socialising / rowing (not happening with DD) or take the hit on the grade. It does depend a bit by course how much overlap there is - Politics A level was very like Cambridge politics so I got a grade higher, history A level was nothing like Cambridge Economics so it made no difference, Economics A level was assumed known. I didn't have either Maths A level and its catch up by yourself - luckily for me in year 3 at Cambridge then you could opt out of all Maths and you could avoid in the macro and micro. Nowadays you cannot avoid Maths in micro and macro papers but its always worth looking at degree options - its very useful for final grades to be able to take what you are best in. E&M its very hard to get in from independent school - I think 277 applied and 17 places. All the ones DD knows are from the big name London schools with 9s in everything and very full of energy. Some of them have work experience in venture capital firms, I would guess initially via connections and that would not be a thing that scores but the experience might help in management interview - DD had done a managing role and knew how everything worked in a business (pricing, marketing, seasonal adjustment, training, public speaking) plus job interview was good practice. But definitely not essential. All of them do rowing and all the independent ones started it at school, not essential and should not count but when I did Economics all the private school people reading Economics at my college also rowed. I think it helps mental health and teamwork, networking and DD now has paid rowing jobs.