9708 · May/June 2025 · examinable unit

9708/23 Question 3

Cambridge Economics · 20 marks. This page is the question object — what is being tested — not the mark scheme.

Stem preview

(a) Explain what is meant by a merit good and why governments provide merit goods such as healthcare free of charge and consider why such provision may not…

Full stem stays in the official paper. We show a short excerpt so you can identify the item, then attempt your own answer.

What the examiner is asking

This 9708/23 item (20 marks, May/June 2025) is testing whether you can apply the linked topic under timed exam conditions — not whether you can recall a textbook paragraph. Read the command word, identify the quantity or argument required, and plan the mark-earning steps before you write.

Prerequisite concepts

Core definitions and relationships for the linked topic
Command-word literacy (state / describe / explain / calculate / deduce)
Showing method lines examiners can credit even if the final answer slips

Similar practice

After you attempt this question, mark it, then take another 9708 past-paper item on the same topic so the weakness becomes a habit fix — not a one-off score.

Try it yourself — mark my answer How marks are awarded (assessment page)