Most students write conclusions like this:
In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, a subsidy helps consumers. On the other hand, it costs the government money. Therefore, it depends on the situation.
That is a summary, not a conclusion. It does not answer the question, and it usually costs marks.
What a conclusion must do
A conclusion must decide.
The examiner wants to know:
- What is your answer to the question?
- Why is that your answer?
- When would your answer change?
If your conclusion does not answer those three questions, rewrite it.
The four-part structure
Use four short parts. You do not need headings in the exam, but you do need all four ideas.
Part 1 — Answer the question
Restate the question in your own words and give your direct answer.
Overall, removing the subsidy is likely to improve allocative efficiency.
Part 2 — Use your strongest evidence
Summarise the two strongest points from your analysis. Do not repeat everything.
This is because the subsidy currently encourages overconsumption, which creates a deadweight loss, and the revenue saved could be used on a policy with a larger benefit.
Part 3 — Acknowledge the condition
State when your answer would change.
However, this conclusion depends on the price elasticity of demand. If demand is highly inelastic, removing the subsidy would raise prices without reducing consumption much, so the efficiency gain would be small.
Part 4 — Give the final verdict
Decide, and say why it matters.
Therefore, removal is the better policy when close substitutes exist and the saved revenue is used productively. Otherwise, the case for removal is much weaker.
Full example
Overall, removing the subsidy is likely to improve allocative efficiency. This is because the subsidy currently encourages overconsumption, creating a deadweight loss, and the revenue saved could be spent on a policy with a larger benefit. However, this depends on the price elasticity of demand. If demand is highly inelastic, prices would rise without reducing consumption much, so the efficiency gain would be small. Therefore, removal is the better policy when close substitutes exist and the saved revenue is used productively. Otherwise, the case for removal is much weaker.
Four parts. Clear decision. No new arguments.
The two mistakes that cost the most
1. The summary trap
In conclusion, there are both advantages and disadvantages of the policy.
This repeats the essay. It does not judge it. A conclusion like this usually caps your evaluation marks, no matter how good your analysis was.
2. The missing conclusion
If you run out of time and write nothing, you lose the conclusion marks completely.
Fix: leave two minutes. Write three sentences using the four-part structure. Something is always better than nothing.
Useful phrases
Use these as starting points, not as a template to copy word for word.
For the verdict:
- Overall, ... is likely to ...
- On balance, ... is the stronger argument because ...
- The evidence suggests that ... , although ...
For the condition:
- This depends on ...
- This conclusion holds only if ...
- The argument is weaker when ...
For the final judgement:
- Therefore, ... is preferable when ...
- The policy is most effective if ...
- The case for ... is strongest when ...
Keep it short
A good conclusion is four to six sentences.
Longer is not better. A long conclusion usually means you are repeating your essay or introducing a new argument, and new arguments in the conclusion do not earn marks.
A quick test
Read your conclusion and ask:
- Does it answer the question directly?
- Does it use my strongest points?
- Does it say when my answer would change?
- Does it make a clear decision?
If any answer is no, add that part.
Practice drill
Take a question you have already answered. Write only the conclusion, using the four parts. Then check:
- Did you decide?
- Did you explain why?
- Did you name a condition?
- Did you avoid new arguments?
Do this five times and the structure becomes automatic.
EconIQ checks whether your conclusion makes a real judgement, because a summary is one of the most common reasons students lose the final marks.