Actual 2026 AQA A-level ECONOMICS 7136/1 Paper 1 Merged Question Paper + Mark Scheme

Actual 2026 AQA A-level ECONOMICS 7136/1 Paper 1 Merged Question Paper + Mark Scheme

Section A
Answer EITHER Context 1 OR Context 2.
EITHER
Context 1 Total for this context: 40 marks
The market for university accommodation
Study Extracts A, B and C and then answer all parts of Context 1 which follow.
Extract A
Table 1: Average weekly university rent,
selected UK cities, 2015 and
2021
Figure 1: Number of full-time students at UK
universities, and type of
accommodation, 2015 to 2021
Selected UK
cities
Average
weekly
university
rent, 2015
Average
weekly
university
rent, 2021
Birmingham £113.88 £157.94
Brighton £143.00 £235.93
Bristol £141.58 £184.38
Liverpool £112.97 £136.61
Manchester £120.87 £180.60
UK average £121.16 £169.35
Source: Cushman Wakefield Student Accommodation
Report, 2026
Extract B: A serious shortage of student accommodation
The number of 18-year-olds in the UK applying to university is rising. In addition, there was a
record number of 277 000 foreign students in 2026.
Universities have expanded the number of places on offer to students, but the supply of student
accommodation is highly inelastic. Providers of rental accommodation have been deterred by
stricter rules on shared houses, higher taxes and greater rights for renters. Rising construction
costs, interest rates and inflation have resulted in an insufficient number of new developments
in many university cities. Supply shortages have been particularly acute in some cities, and
certain universities have asked students to live at home.
Shortages of accommodation could mean that some students are discouraged from applying to
university. The average private sector rent outside London consumes almost three-quarters of
the maximum student loan, and most students are ineligible for this maximum. Some of the top
universities may become out of reach to poorer students who do not live locally.