Scholarship Examinations

Overview

The College-wide Foundation Scholarship exams take place in January, just before the start of Semester 2. Senior Fresh (second-year) students must apply to sit these exams. Achieving the title of Trinity Scholar is a prestigious distinction and brings several benefits, including free accommodation and meals, remission of student charges, and a modest financial award.

While the academic rewards are significant, many students also highlight the sense of focus and camaraderie that builds among those preparing for the exams.

Economics Scholarship Examinations

The Department of Economics offers five papers as part of the Foundation Scholarship examinations:

• Economics Paper 1 – Intermediate Economics A
• Economics Paper 2 – The Economy of Ireland A
• Economics Paper 3 – Introduction to Economics
• Economics Paper 4 – Quantitative Methods- Mathematical and Statistical Methods A
• Economics Paper 5 – Economic Issues A

The papers a student should take depend on their programme and pathway.

Exam Format

All Economics Scholarship examination papers:

• Are 2 hours and 15 minutes in length.
• Contain general questions that go beyond lecture content and reading lists.
• May require students to draw on material from across multiple modules and years.

Students are encouraged to engage critically and independently with the material, and to go beyond the standard reading lists in their preparation.

Preparing for Schol

The Scholarship exams are designed to test depth of understanding, analytical thinking, and the ability to make connections across topics. Students are encouraged to supplement their preparation with material beyond the core syllabus, including:

• The Economist (external website)
• VoxEU (external website)
• ESRI reports and commentary (external website)
• Economist’s View blog aggregator (external website)

Want to Learn More?

Slides from the 2024/2025 Economics Foundation Scholarship Information Session are available to view here