Personal Skills Questionnaire (Secondary)

(for a printable PDF version, click here)

Name:_______________________________  Date:________________________________

School:______________________________  Grade:____________  Age:_______________

Rate your degree of confidence to explain the following concepts to someone not in your class.

Not at all confident Moderately confident Highly confident
1 My personal standard of living and the nation’s standard of living are defined in the same way. 0 1 2 3 4
2 It is important that laws be enforced to keep the economy strong. 0 1 2 3 4
3 The consequences of a choice can happen immediately. 0 1 2 3 4
4 Incentives can be both monetary and non-monetary. 0 1 2 3 4
5 A cost is what I must give up in order to get something else. 0 1 2 3 4
6 To change behavior, start with incentives. 0 1 2 3 4
7 Some examples of cost include, time, labor, and safety. 0 1 2 3 4
8 It makes sense to study for another hour if the benefit exceeds the cost. 0 1 2 3 4
9 I may make a different choice than my classmate because we have different goals. 0 1 2 3 4
10 The price of an item is not the same thing as the cost. 0 1 2 3 4
11 Every choice has a consequence. 0 1 2 3 4
12 We can influence others’ actions with incentives and disincentives. 0 1 2 3 4
13 Economic systems operate in a circular movement of goods and  services between all stakeholders. 0 1 2 3 4
14 When I make a choice the consequence can be good or bad. 0 1 2 3 4
15 I may make a different choice than my classmate because we have different values. 0 1 2 3 4
16 My future choices will be influenced by my past experiences. 0 1 2 3 4
17 It is important to consider the additional cost or benefit of doing one more thing. 0 1 2 3 4
18 In any economic system, I can be a consumer and a producer. 0 1 2 3 4
19 People don’t always make choices about things based on price. 0 1 2 3 4
20 There is a difference between what I need and what I want. 0 1 2 3 4
21 The term “marginal” refers to and describes the additional cost or benefit of a given behavior. 0 1 2 3 4

Rate your degree of confidence to explain the following concepts to someone not in your class.

Not at all confident Moderately confident Highly confident
22 Specialization requires trade. 0 1 2 3 4
23 Businesses make choices about how much to produce based on how many people are buying their products. 0 1 2 3 4
24 An economic system influences my choices but does not totally control them. 0 1 2 3 4
25 Buyers and sellers have most of the power in a market economy. 0 1 2 3 4
26 The type of economy I live in affects the choices I make. 0 1 2 3 4
27 Businesses make choices about what to produce based on resources they have available. 0 1 2 3 4
28 I make choices because the things I want are greater than the resources available to me. 0 1 2 3 4
29 The cost of an item is not the same as the price. 0 1 2 3 4
30 Understanding the past will lead to sound economic thinking. 0 1 2 3 4
31 People in a traditional economy make decisions based on what has been done in the past. 0 1 2 3 4
32 It is not beneficial to dwell on past decisions. 0 1 2 3 4
33 Leaders make decisions in a command economy. 0 1 2 3 4
34 The price of an item can be compared to how much time I need to spend earning enough money to pay for it. 0 1 2 3 4
35 When we specialize in something, we increase production and consumption. 0 1 2 3 4
36 Both incentives and disincentives affect the choices we make. 0 1 2 3 4
37 The best economic choices occur when thinking about the future. 0 1 2 3 4
38 Doing what I do best means producing something at a low opportunity cost. 0 1 2 3 4
39 Trade develops relationships and provides incentives for peaceful resolution of conflict. 0 1 2 3 4
40 Consequences from a choice can be unpredictable. 0 1 2 3 4
41 Trade has greater benefits when traders are transparent, open, and honest. 0 1 2 3 4
42 It is important to think about consequences when making a choice. 0 1 2 3 4
43 Thinking about my bad choices helps me make good choices in the future. 0 1 2 3 4

Rate your degree of confidence to explain the following concepts to someone not in your class.

Not at all confident Moderately confident Highly confident
44 Trade increases my choices. 0 1 2 3 4
45 There are costs for me to paint my room even if someone gives me all the materials I need for free. 0 1 2 3 4
46 It is important to identify what helps the economy grow and stay healthy. 0 1 2 3 4
47 I can improve my standard of living by learning to do more things. 0 1 2 3 4
48 The price of one item can be compared to the price of another item that I might want, helping me make a decision. 0 1 2 3 4
49 When I do not make a choice for myself the consequence can be good or bad. 0 1 2 3 4
50 The things we give incentives to tend to increase. 0 1 2 3 4
51 There are tangible and intangible costs. 0 1 2 3 4
52 When I specialize in doing one thing well, I can trade with others for the things they do well. 0 1 2 3 4
53 Every choice has only two final options. 0 1 2 3 4
54 Identifying the costs and benefits of my options will help me make the best choice. 0 1 2 3 4
55 The lower the supply of a product or service that people want, the more likely it is that the price will go up. 0 1 2 3 4
56 A choice I make may have short-term and long-term costs and benefits. 0 1 2 3 4
57 The things we penalize tend to decrease. 0 1 2 3 4
58 I will make a better choice if I can predict the consequences of my choice. 0 1 2 3 4