2015 Notes from the Marking Centre – Business Studies
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Business Studies course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2015 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the Business Studies Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2015 Higher School Certificate Business Studies examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Business Studies in Stage 6.
Section II
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- showing the link between the type of product and its distribution channel (Q21)
- understanding how specific packaging can attract customers and therefore maximise sales (Q21)
- demonstrating some understanding of how government can affect employment contracts, such as through the National Employment Standards (Q22)
- understanding how technology can affect the transformation process and influence the process layout (Q23)
- interpreting financial statements; in particular balance sheets and their limitations (Q24)
- calculating the gearing ratio and the issues that arise from low gearing (Q24)
- interpreting data (Q25)
- understanding how the data demonstrates the interdependence between human resources management and profitability management (Q25).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the logistical issues associated with the distribution of a product requiring specific needs (Q21)
- better understanding of the common law specific to employees and employment contracts in general (Q22)
- engaging with the stimulus in the question as it relates to the stimulus (Q23)
- understanding financial statements and providing relevant points with respect to the calculated gearing ratio (Q24)
- linking the data to human resources and profitability management and following the directive verb in the question (Q25).
Section III
Question 26
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- describing the relevant consumer laws appropriate to the stimulus
- demonstrating knowledge of a variety of human resource strategies
- using the report format and incorporating business terminology throughout the report.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- recommending appropriate human resources strategies
- applying appropriate strategies to the stimulus
- explaining the interdependence of human resources and marketing, rather than discussing the role of the separate functions.
Section IV
Question 27
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- using relevant business terminology
- demonstrating knowledge of a variety of operations strategies
- understanding performance objectives
- effectively using case studies to support the response
- providing a sustained, logical response with a wide variety of case studies.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing a judgement based on criteria
- detailing how operations strategies lead to a competitive advantage
- providing clear links to competitive advantage
- maintaining focus on operations strategies rather than other aspects of operations, such as influences.
Section IV
Question 28
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- using relevant business terminology with reference to finance
- providing features and characteristics of financial management strategies
- clearly identifying financial strategies and showing links to improved business performance, with reference to financial objectives and case studies
- providing a sound judgement with reference to financial management strategies
- presenting a sustained and logical response and integrating a wide variety of case study examples.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- correctly identifying financial strategies rather than providing a general description of financial management or tools, without any link to improved business performance
- referencing or integrating case studies rather than providing background information or irrelevant facts about the business.
NSW Government