Country A and Country B produce two goods, Wheat and Corn, using equal amounts of resources. The table below shows the maximum daily output of each good for each country if they devote all their resources to the production of that good. Assume constant opportunity costs for both countries.
Maximum Daily Output
Country
Wheat (bushels)
Corn (bushels)
Country A
60
30
Country B
20
40
A.
Which country has the absolute advantage in the production of Wheat? Explain.
B.
Calculate the opportunity cost of producing one bushel of Corn in Country A. Show your work.
C.
Which country has the comparative advantage in the production of Corn? Explain using numbers.
D.
Assume the countries agree to trade 1 bushel of Corn for 1 bushel of Wheat. Would this trade be beneficial for Country A? Explain.
E.
Suppose Country A decides to produce 40 bushels of Wheat. Calculate the maximum number of bushels of Corn it can produce with the remaining resources. Show your work.
What the Question 3 Short FRQ asks
FRQ 3 is the second short question on the AP Microeconomics exam. Like FRQ 2, it focuses on one model and asks you to calculate, identify, and explain one result at a time.
Identify or calculate what happens when the scenario changes
1 pt
E
Part E: Explanation
Explain why a result happens, using economic reasoning
1 pt
How Question 3 Short FRQ practice works
Each question follows the exam’s format, from the full prompt to a score on every part.
1
Read the full question
The scenario, any data or tables, and every part, laid out the way the exam shows them.
2
Write on a 12-minute timer
The time to plan for on exam day. Pause it or turn it off, and your response saves as you go.
3
Submit for a score out of 5
Your response is scored against the scoring guidelines written for that question. Your first score is included.
Feedback on every part
A summary at the top tells you what to work on next. Below it, each part shows whether you earned the point and what the scoring guidelines were looking for.
Correct. The student correctly identifies the market equilibrium by finding where MPB = MPC, arriving at a price of $8 and quantity of 4. Full credit earned.
Part B: 1/1 point
Correct. The student correctly identifies the socially optimal quantity as 3 where MPB = MSC = $10, and provides valid marginal analysis using numbers from the table to explain why quantity 4 is inefficient. Full credit earned.
Part C: 0/1 point
Incorrect. The deadweight loss is a triangle, not just the difference at one unit. Since the market produces at Q=4 and the optimum is Q=3, the DWL triangle has a base of 1 unit and a height of 4(thedifferencebetweenMSCandMPBatQ=4),givingDWL=0.5×1×4 = $2. The student calculated only the net loss at the marginal unit ($4) without applying the triangle formula, earning no credit.
Detailed feedback on a practice Question 3 Short FRQ
Questions about the Question 3 Short FRQ
How many responses can I get scored?
You can read every question without a plan. Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
What does FRQ 3 usually cover?
One model, such as costs and profit, elasticity, a price control, an externality, or game theory. Most parts ask for one result each.
How is FRQ 3 different from FRQ 2?
On the exam both short questions are worth 5 points, with about 12 to 15 minutes suggested for each. Most of our FRQ 3 questions have five 1-point parts, and our FRQ 2 questions end with a 3-point part C.
Is every FRQ 3 split the same way?
Most have five parts worth 1 point each. Some have four parts, with one of them worth 2 points.
Do I need to show my work?
Yes, on any part that says calculate. Write the setup first, then the numbers. A four-function calculator is built into the writing screen.
