The Cambridge Economics Tripos 1903-55 and the Training of Economists (original) (raw)

The performance of students during the ¢rst 50 years of the Cambridge Economics Tripos is examined. Students are grouped according to the Parts completed, and an assessment is made of the relative performance. A general comparison of college performance is also made. Students of Part I only are shown to achieve poor results; students taking both Parts do not consistently perform better than those taking only Part II. The results are placed in the context of Marshall's intention that the Tripos should be a three-year training in economics, and also in the context of Harry Johnson's critique of Cambridge economics, which the results generally support.