A* business a-level tutorial EDEXCEL - How to get an A star
The A* structure goes like this, if you present accurate and relevant knowledge in this format you will likely get this grade. It has allowed me to score consistent 90%+ with my lowest scoring paper being 94%.
PLEASE READ IF YOU SERIOUSLY WANT AN A/A* IN EDEXCEL A-LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES. YOU WILL 100% ACHIEVE THIS IF YOU FOLLOW THE ADVICE BELOW. 😀 - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE!
4 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Define key term (Write a definition for "ethics" - if no clear term is there or you do not know how to define it, skip the definition to save time).
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Point: What is your paragraph going to argue (e.g., "RyanAir should take a legalistic approach due to its behavioural market segment." - give a hint as to what you will be arguing, but not in a way which you will repeat a point)
- Because: Start the sentence with "this is because" to explain your point (e.g., "This is because RyanAir is viewed as a 'budget airline' where customers are more likely to prioritise cost leadership [porter] over differentiation [porter] as RyanAir does not have a clear niche aside from its competitive pricing strategy.)
- Leads to: Use "leads to" somewhere at the beginning to explain the implication of your point coming to life. (e.g., "Taking this legalistic approach leads to RyanAir avoiding fines set by the government while not spending capital on projects such as 'sustainable energy' which likely play no clear interest to their customers, maximising profits by minimising costs.)
- Impact: Start the sentence with "The impact of this" to explain the ultimate result of the decision. (e.g., "The impact of this is saved finance which can go under retained profits and then be used to finance future projects which ensure that RyanAir continue to follow the law and attract their target market.")
8 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the exact same structure as the 4 marker. (i.e., Define the key terms, NEW PARAGRAPH and write the Point, Because, Leads to, Impact (PBLI).
- However: Add a short however after the impact (same paragraph) which explains why your point might not be valid, start this with "However" (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir".
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Do what was done above again (i.e., Write another PBLI paragraph with a short However)
10 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the structure of an 8 marker (i.e., 2 PBLI paragraphs with a short however attached to both)
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Decision: This is the beginning of your conclusion, state your decision with the sentence starter "My decision is that" (e.g., My decision is that RyanAir should take a legalistic approach to ethics.)
- Justify: This is where you bring a new point to life which stems from an argument you have already made. Start it with "this is justified because" (e.g., This is justified as attempting to create a unique selling point of being ethical and having low prices is difficult and theoretically lessens business performance according to Porter's strategic matrix where RyanAir would try to be both cost leadership and differentiation.)
- Depends on: Explains a scenario where your argument would be nullified and rather the opposing view would be better. Start it with "this decision depends on" (e.g., "This decision depends on whether trends change and having strong ethics becomes normalised by which RyanAir would be at a competitive disadvantage since they would not be keeping up with the dynamic demands of the budget airline industry.)
12 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- The exact same as a 10 marker, but have a longer However for both PBLIs. The best method is to write the short however of a 10 marker, then add another short however which emphasises it. (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir. With this slowed financial growth, RyanAir will likely be forced to increase their prices to attract new customers which limits their ability to use competitive pricing and also loses customer loyalty which was likely held due to the low prices.")
20 Marker:
- There will be two options for you to pick meaning 2 key terms to define.
- You should do 4 PBLI paragraphs (NO HOWEVER SENTENCES). You should write 2 arguments supporting each option, and then 2 arguments against each option. (i.e., "RyanAir should do x due to...", "RyanAir should not do x due to...", "RyanAir should do y due to...", "RyanAir should not do y due to..." - do it in this order)- Finish with a conclusion (Decision, Justify, Depends on).
TIPS (MUST READ):
- Make sure application is used throughout. This means reading the case study and quoting certain phrases or statistics. To maximise marks, use quotation marks when you use it even if it's not in the case study (i.e., The only time you should quote items not directly mentioned in the case study is if it's a calculation you worked out, or in Paper 3 where you learned statistics and quotes from relevant places).
- Use theories as much as you can, but they are only necessary for 20 Markers - it's what gets you from 15/20 to 20/20. Keep the theories concise and use the key terms mentioned and use the theorist's surname in brackets after it.
- NEVER base a point over something that is not mentioned in the specification. You can mention it briefly but your points should be focusing on concepts found within the spec.
- Write concisely and learn how much you can write. The amount I wrote here is manageable for me as I have done a lot of practice. Do not waste time writing lots for the 4 markers, rather spend the time on the 20 markers. If you struggle with spending too much time on questions, do the calculations quickly (i.e., if there is a 4 mark calculation question, answer that. If there is a 10/12 mark calculation, do the workings out but do not answer it yet) and answer the 20 markers first.
- When doing you Depends on, you must mention 1/4 MOPS for the 10-12 markers (Market, Objective, Product, Situation). This means you must have addressed why the market might affect the decision, objective of the business, the nature of their product, or the situation they are currently or might end up being in. For the 20 Marker, it is VITAL that you mention 2/4 MOPS. The way they will get recognised is if you use the words "market", "objective", "product", or "situation" - if you do not do this, it limits you from achieving top marks.
- Plan your answers always so you can navigate what you are going to write. It means that you are going to not end up writing too much or too little and that you stay on track. When planning, keep it concise and use words/symbols/slang to tell yourself what you are going to write. The examiner does not mark your plan but rather your answer, so it does not have to be formal/look complete. Usually I write key terms which I want to mention, give one word of the quote I will use, and use arrows (Up arrow to say increase, Down arrow to say decrease, Right arrow to say leads to). DO NOT SPEND LOADS OF TIME PLANNING BUT EQUALLY DO NOT SKIP!
- Familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam and do lots of past papers. Use the structure provided to help plan your answers and write them. Start by picking a past paper and do the structure under timed conditions with your workbook to help you. Your goal is to first have your teacher mark your answer highly so you can understand what works for you. Once done, attempt the same paper with the structure under timed conditions (use the book) and see how far you get - use this to see where you are writing too much/where you spend too much time on. Once you are able to finish an exam under timed conditions, do it closed book and use your own knowledge.
- Use the save my exams website for class notes, Bizcon Sesh for in-depth videos explaining concepts and Tutor2U for any notes/videos. Make sure you study EVERYTHING in the specification as any term in there could potentially be a question (i.e., Although 'emotional branding' appears to be something so small due to it only being mentioned once briefly, it ended up being a question.)
- Mention key terms AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Examiners love it when you accurately throw in words mentioned in the specification, so do it as often as you can. The one word you should never mention in an essay is 'money' because it can mean so many different things, instead you should use a term to explain what it is (i.e., revenue, profit, loan, liquidity, etc.) If you are unsure what to write instead of money, my go to is using the word "capital" instead. As probably inferred, you should be specific with what you write and avoid being vague - nuanced discussion is what you should aim for.
- Write in a 'business' lens. It can be tempting using knowledge you have gained in other A-Levels (especially economics) to write your answer. The exam gets you to act as a consultant and provide your advice and give answers to questions a business might have. In Paper 1, although you can mention finance, focus on marketing as if that was your speciality. In Paper 2, focus on finance and strategy rather than answering from the perspective of marketing (although you can technically be awarded marks on anything listed in the specification, it's safer to use content from the themes being asked). Keep your A-Levels SEPARATE!!! There can be some links, but AVOID TURNING YOUR ESSAYS INTO ANOTHER SUBJECT.
- Paper 3 often has a lot of concern as to what people should know. The exam board do not want you to spend lots of time revising the topic they give you, only an awareness is needed. For fashion as the Paper 3 2024 topic, it would mean following fashion accounts, fashion newsletters, reading reports on fashion and exploring fashion businesses. The case studies are purposely supposed to be bad, so do not worry if you cannot write as much application as you did in the previous papers, but you are allowed to input your own knowledge. This means writing statistics you might have read about online or sharing knowledge about a particular business.
- Make sure your points are coherent and can be understood by the examiner. Your teacher might have taught you acronyms, but the best option is to avoid using them in your essay. The way you can use abbreviations is if you do them like this, "unique selling point (USP)" where you provide the acronym you will be using for the rest of the question after you said the term. It makes you answer look a lot more academic compared to one where it seems you are just throwing in random letters. If your point does not make sense, chances are that it's a bad argument as there are always clear answers to the question. Saying this, there have been some mean questions where answers are not as clear so trying your best and producing a logical argument is what will score you marks.
- ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT!! The conclusion is where examiners often determine what mark your essay will get. You do not need a conclusion for 4-8 markers, but you do for 10-20 mark questions. Make sure it is detailed - it should be similar in size to a PBLI paragraph with a short however. If a 20 marker, it should be in similar size to PBLI paragraph with a long however. At the end of the day, always prioritise quality over quantity.
- To know when you are finished with a point, ask yourself "so what?" - if this is possible, you are not finished. For example, a business might be ethical... so what? They can attract customers who prioritise ethics... so what? This increase in customers should lead to an increase in revenue... so what? The revenue can be retained and used to finance future projects such as x, y and z. (This only goes for PBLI, do not use this too strictly with the however sentences as you can get carried away, but do try make it so no "so what?"s can occur.)
- Remember how to write sentences. Often people want to write super long sentences but this is not how academic essays are written. Instead, write concisely and express only one idea per sentence otherwise you risk running out of things to talk about/repeating yourself.
- Have your answer FILLED with application. There should not be a sentence within your answer that does not include something mentioned in the provided extracts. Do not waste time on trying to fill every sentence with it (you likely won't get 100%, but you should be in the 80/90% region which is enough for an A*).
Thank you for reading! This is all the advice I was given for A-Level business which meant that the subject did not feel too challenging compared to the other subjects I took. 🙂 This method is what people use so they can call business an 'easy' subject to get an A* in. It's not easy to get to the point where it becomes easy, but once you do it certainly feels like the subject was always easy.
PLEASE READ IF YOU SERIOUSLY WANT AN A/A* IN EDEXCEL A-LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES. YOU WILL 100% ACHIEVE THIS IF YOU FOLLOW THE ADVICE BELOW. 😀 - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE!
4 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Define key term (Write a definition for "ethics" - if no clear term is there or you do not know how to define it, skip the definition to save time).
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Point: What is your paragraph going to argue (e.g., "RyanAir should take a legalistic approach due to its behavioural market segment." - give a hint as to what you will be arguing, but not in a way which you will repeat a point)
- Because: Start the sentence with "this is because" to explain your point (e.g., "This is because RyanAir is viewed as a 'budget airline' where customers are more likely to prioritise cost leadership [porter] over differentiation [porter] as RyanAir does not have a clear niche aside from its competitive pricing strategy.)
- Leads to: Use "leads to" somewhere at the beginning to explain the implication of your point coming to life. (e.g., "Taking this legalistic approach leads to RyanAir avoiding fines set by the government while not spending capital on projects such as 'sustainable energy' which likely play no clear interest to their customers, maximising profits by minimising costs.)
- Impact: Start the sentence with "The impact of this" to explain the ultimate result of the decision. (e.g., "The impact of this is saved finance which can go under retained profits and then be used to finance future projects which ensure that RyanAir continue to follow the law and attract their target market.")
8 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the exact same structure as the 4 marker. (i.e., Define the key terms, NEW PARAGRAPH and write the Point, Because, Leads to, Impact (PBLI).
- However: Add a short however after the impact (same paragraph) which explains why your point might not be valid, start this with "However" (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir".
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Do what was done above again (i.e., Write another PBLI paragraph with a short However)
10 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the structure of an 8 marker (i.e., 2 PBLI paragraphs with a short however attached to both)
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Decision: This is the beginning of your conclusion, state your decision with the sentence starter "My decision is that" (e.g., My decision is that RyanAir should take a legalistic approach to ethics.)
- Justify: This is where you bring a new point to life which stems from an argument you have already made. Start it with "this is justified because" (e.g., This is justified as attempting to create a unique selling point of being ethical and having low prices is difficult and theoretically lessens business performance according to Porter's strategic matrix where RyanAir would try to be both cost leadership and differentiation.)
- Depends on: Explains a scenario where your argument would be nullified and rather the opposing view would be better. Start it with "this decision depends on" (e.g., "This decision depends on whether trends change and having strong ethics becomes normalised by which RyanAir would be at a competitive disadvantage since they would not be keeping up with the dynamic demands of the budget airline industry.)
12 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- The exact same as a 10 marker, but have a longer However for both PBLIs. The best method is to write the short however of a 10 marker, then add another short however which emphasises it. (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir. With this slowed financial growth, RyanAir will likely be forced to increase their prices to attract new customers which limits their ability to use competitive pricing and also loses customer loyalty which was likely held due to the low prices.")
20 Marker:
- There will be two options for you to pick meaning 2 key terms to define.
- You should do 4 PBLI paragraphs (NO HOWEVER SENTENCES). You should write 2 arguments supporting each option, and then 2 arguments against each option. (i.e., "RyanAir should do x due to...", "RyanAir should not do x due to...", "RyanAir should do y due to...", "RyanAir should not do y due to..." - do it in this order)- Finish with a conclusion (Decision, Justify, Depends on).
TIPS (MUST READ):
- Make sure application is used throughout. This means reading the case study and quoting certain phrases or statistics. To maximise marks, use quotation marks when you use it even if it's not in the case study (i.e., The only time you should quote items not directly mentioned in the case study is if it's a calculation you worked out, or in Paper 3 where you learned statistics and quotes from relevant places).
- Use theories as much as you can, but they are only necessary for 20 Markers - it's what gets you from 15/20 to 20/20. Keep the theories concise and use the key terms mentioned and use the theorist's surname in brackets after it.
- NEVER base a point over something that is not mentioned in the specification. You can mention it briefly but your points should be focusing on concepts found within the spec.
- Write concisely and learn how much you can write. The amount I wrote here is manageable for me as I have done a lot of practice. Do not waste time writing lots for the 4 markers, rather spend the time on the 20 markers. If you struggle with spending too much time on questions, do the calculations quickly (i.e., if there is a 4 mark calculation question, answer that. If there is a 10/12 mark calculation, do the workings out but do not answer it yet) and answer the 20 markers first.
- When doing you Depends on, you must mention 1/4 MOPS for the 10-12 markers (Market, Objective, Product, Situation). This means you must have addressed why the market might affect the decision, objective of the business, the nature of their product, or the situation they are currently or might end up being in. For the 20 Marker, it is VITAL that you mention 2/4 MOPS. The way they will get recognised is if you use the words "market", "objective", "product", or "situation" - if you do not do this, it limits you from achieving top marks.
- Plan your answers always so you can navigate what you are going to write. It means that you are going to not end up writing too much or too little and that you stay on track. When planning, keep it concise and use words/symbols/slang to tell yourself what you are going to write. The examiner does not mark your plan but rather your answer, so it does not have to be formal/look complete. Usually I write key terms which I want to mention, give one word of the quote I will use, and use arrows (Up arrow to say increase, Down arrow to say decrease, Right arrow to say leads to). DO NOT SPEND LOADS OF TIME PLANNING BUT EQUALLY DO NOT SKIP!
- Familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam and do lots of past papers. Use the structure provided to help plan your answers and write them. Start by picking a past paper and do the structure under timed conditions with your workbook to help you. Your goal is to first have your teacher mark your answer highly so you can understand what works for you. Once done, attempt the same paper with the structure under timed conditions (use the book) and see how far you get - use this to see where you are writing too much/where you spend too much time on. Once you are able to finish an exam under timed conditions, do it closed book and use your own knowledge.
- Use the save my exams website for class notes, Bizcon Sesh for in-depth videos explaining concepts and Tutor2U for any notes/videos. Make sure you study EVERYTHING in the specification as any term in there could potentially be a question (i.e., Although 'emotional branding' appears to be something so small due to it only being mentioned once briefly, it ended up being a question.)
- Mention key terms AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Examiners love it when you accurately throw in words mentioned in the specification, so do it as often as you can. The one word you should never mention in an essay is 'money' because it can mean so many different things, instead you should use a term to explain what it is (i.e., revenue, profit, loan, liquidity, etc.) If you are unsure what to write instead of money, my go to is using the word "capital" instead. As probably inferred, you should be specific with what you write and avoid being vague - nuanced discussion is what you should aim for.
- Write in a 'business' lens. It can be tempting using knowledge you have gained in other A-Levels (especially economics) to write your answer. The exam gets you to act as a consultant and provide your advice and give answers to questions a business might have. In Paper 1, although you can mention finance, focus on marketing as if that was your speciality. In Paper 2, focus on finance and strategy rather than answering from the perspective of marketing (although you can technically be awarded marks on anything listed in the specification, it's safer to use content from the themes being asked). Keep your A-Levels SEPARATE!!! There can be some links, but AVOID TURNING YOUR ESSAYS INTO ANOTHER SUBJECT.
- Paper 3 often has a lot of concern as to what people should know. The exam board do not want you to spend lots of time revising the topic they give you, only an awareness is needed. For fashion as the Paper 3 2024 topic, it would mean following fashion accounts, fashion newsletters, reading reports on fashion and exploring fashion businesses. The case studies are purposely supposed to be bad, so do not worry if you cannot write as much application as you did in the previous papers, but you are allowed to input your own knowledge. This means writing statistics you might have read about online or sharing knowledge about a particular business.
- Make sure your points are coherent and can be understood by the examiner. Your teacher might have taught you acronyms, but the best option is to avoid using them in your essay. The way you can use abbreviations is if you do them like this, "unique selling point (USP)" where you provide the acronym you will be using for the rest of the question after you said the term. It makes you answer look a lot more academic compared to one where it seems you are just throwing in random letters. If your point does not make sense, chances are that it's a bad argument as there are always clear answers to the question. Saying this, there have been some mean questions where answers are not as clear so trying your best and producing a logical argument is what will score you marks.
- ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT!! The conclusion is where examiners often determine what mark your essay will get. You do not need a conclusion for 4-8 markers, but you do for 10-20 mark questions. Make sure it is detailed - it should be similar in size to a PBLI paragraph with a short however. If a 20 marker, it should be in similar size to PBLI paragraph with a long however. At the end of the day, always prioritise quality over quantity.
- To know when you are finished with a point, ask yourself "so what?" - if this is possible, you are not finished. For example, a business might be ethical... so what? They can attract customers who prioritise ethics... so what? This increase in customers should lead to an increase in revenue... so what? The revenue can be retained and used to finance future projects such as x, y and z. (This only goes for PBLI, do not use this too strictly with the however sentences as you can get carried away, but do try make it so no "so what?"s can occur.)
- Remember how to write sentences. Often people want to write super long sentences but this is not how academic essays are written. Instead, write concisely and express only one idea per sentence otherwise you risk running out of things to talk about/repeating yourself.
- Have your answer FILLED with application. There should not be a sentence within your answer that does not include something mentioned in the provided extracts. Do not waste time on trying to fill every sentence with it (you likely won't get 100%, but you should be in the 80/90% region which is enough for an A*).
Thank you for reading! This is all the advice I was given for A-Level business which meant that the subject did not feel too challenging compared to the other subjects I took. 🙂 This method is what people use so they can call business an 'easy' subject to get an A* in. It's not easy to get to the point where it becomes easy, but once you do it certainly feels like the subject was always easy.
(edited 10 months ago)
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Reply 1
Original post by danisreallycool
The A* structure goes like this, if you present accurate and relevant knowledge in this format you will likely get this grade. It has allowed me to score consistent 90%+ with my lowest scoring paper being 94%.
PLEASE READ IF YOU SERIOUSLY WANT AN A/A* IN EDEXCEL A-LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES. YOU WILL 100% ACHIEVE THIS IF YOU FOLLOW THE ADVICE BELOW. 😀 - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE!
4 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Define key term (Write a definition for "ethics" - if no clear term is there or you do not know how to define it, skip the definition to save time).
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Point: What is your paragraph going to argue (e.g., "RyanAir should take a legalistic approach due to its behavioural market segment." - give a hint as to what you will be arguing, but not in a way which you will repeat a point)
- Because: Start the sentence with "this is because" to explain your point (e.g., "This is because RyanAir is viewed as a 'budget airline' where customers are more likely to prioritise cost leadership [porter] over differentiation [porter] as RyanAir does not have a clear niche aside from its competitive pricing strategy.)
- Leads to: Use "leads to" somewhere at the beginning to explain the implication of your point coming to life. (e.g., "Taking this legalistic approach leads to RyanAir avoiding fines set by the government while not spending capital on projects such as 'sustainable energy' which likely play no clear interest to their customers, maximising profits by minimising costs.)
- Impact: Start the sentence with "The impact of this" to explain the ultimate result of the decision. (e.g., "The impact of this is saved finance which can go under retained profits and then be used to finance future projects which ensure that RyanAir continue to follow the law and attract their target market.")
8 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the exact same structure as the 4 marker. (i.e., Define the key terms, NEW PARAGRAPH and write the Point, Because, Leads to, Impact (PBLI).
- However: Add a short however after the impact (same paragraph) which explains why your point might not be valid, start this with "However" (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir".
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Do what was done above again (i.e., Write another PBLI paragraph with a short However)
10 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the structure of an 8 marker (i.e., 2 PBLI paragraphs with a short however attached to both)
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Decision: This is the beginning of your conclusion, state your decision with the sentence starter "My decision is that" (e.g., My decision is that RyanAir should take a legalistic approach to ethics.)
- Justify: This is where you bring a new point to life which stems from an argument you have already made. Start it with "this is justified because" (e.g., This is justified as attempting to create a unique selling point of being ethical and having low prices is difficult and theoretically lessens business performance according to Porter's strategic matrix where RyanAir would try to be both cost leadership and differentiation.)
- Depends on: Explains a scenario where your argument would be nullified and rather the opposing view would be better. Start it with "this decision depends on" (e.g., "This decision depends on whether trends change and having strong ethics becomes normalised by which RyanAir would be at a competitive disadvantage since they would not be keeping up with the dynamic demands of the budget airline industry.)
12 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- The exact same as a 10 marker, but have a longer However for both PBLIs. The best method is to write the short however of a 10 marker, then add another short however which emphasises it. (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir. With this slowed financial growth, RyanAir will likely be forced to increase their prices to attract new customers which limits their ability to use competitive pricing and also loses customer loyalty which was likely held due to the low prices.")
20 Marker:
- There will be two options for you to pick meaning 2 key terms to define.
- You should do 4 PBLI paragraphs (NO HOWEVER SENTENCES). You should write 2 arguments supporting each option, and then 2 arguments against each option. (i.e., "RyanAir should do x due to...", "RyanAir should not do x due to...", "RyanAir should do y due to...", "RyanAir should not do y due to..." - do it in this order)- Finish with a conclusion (Decision, Justify, Depends on).
TIPS (MUST READ):
- Make sure application is used throughout. This means reading the case study and quoting certain phrases or statistics. To maximise marks, use quotation marks when you use it even if it's not in the case study (i.e., The only time you should quote items not directly mentioned in the case study is if it's a calculation you worked out, or in Paper 3 where you learned statistics and quotes from relevant places).
- Use theories as much as you can, but they are only necessary for 20 Markers - it's what gets you from 15/20 to 20/20. Keep the theories concise and use the key terms mentioned and use the theorist's surname in brackets after it.
- NEVER base a point over something that is not mentioned in the specification. You can mention it briefly but your points should be focusing on concepts found within the spec.
- Write concisely and learn how much you can write. The amount I wrote here is manageable for me as I have done a lot of practice. Do not waste time writing lots for the 4 markers, rather spend the time on the 20 markers. If you struggle with spending too much time on questions, do the calculations quickly (i.e., if there is a 4 mark calculation question, answer that. If there is a 10/12 mark calculation, do the workings out but do not answer it yet) and answer the 20 markers first.
- When doing you Depends on, you must mention 1/4 MOPS for the 10-12 markers (Market, Objective, Product, Situation). This means you must have addressed why the market might affect the decision, objective of the business, the nature of their product, or the situation they are currently or might end up being in. For the 20 Marker, it is VITAL that you mention 2/4 MOPS. The way they will get recognised is if you use the words "market", "objective", "product", or "situation" - if you do not do this, it limits you from achieving top marks.
- Plan your answers always so you can navigate what you are going to write. It means that you are going to not end up writing too much or too little and that you stay on track. When planning, keep it concise and use words/symbols/slang to tell yourself what you are going to write. The examiner does not mark your plan but rather your answer, so it does not have to be formal/look complete. Usually I write key terms which I want to mention, give one word of the quote I will use, and use arrows (Up arrow to say increase, Down arrow to say decrease, Right arrow to say leads to). DO NOT SPEND LOADS OF TIME PLANNING BUT EQUALLY DO NOT SKIP!
- Familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam and do lots of past papers. Use the structure provided to help plan your answers and write them. Start by picking a past paper and do the structure under timed conditions with your workbook to help you. Your goal is to first have your teacher mark your answer highly so you can understand what works for you. Once done, attempt the same paper with the structure under timed conditions (use the book) and see how far you get - use this to see where you are writing too much/where you spend too much time on. Once you are able to finish an exam under timed conditions, do it closed book and use your own knowledge.
- Use the save my exams website for class notes, Bizcon Sesh for in-depth videos explaining concepts and Tutor2U for any notes/videos. Make sure you study EVERYTHING in the specification as any term in there could potentially be a question (i.e., Although 'emotional branding' appears to be something so small due to it only being mentioned once briefly, it ended up being a question.)
- Mention key terms AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Examiners love it when you accurately throw in words mentioned in the specification, so do it as often as you can. The one word you should never mention in an essay is 'money' because it can mean so many different things, instead you should use a term to explain what it is (i.e., revenue, profit, loan, liquidity, etc.) If you are unsure what to write instead of money, my go to is using the word "capital" instead. As probably inferred, you should be specific with what you write and avoid being vague - nuanced discussion is what you should aim for.
- Write in a 'business' lens. It can be tempting using knowledge you have gained in other A-Levels (especially economics) to write your answer. The exam gets you to act as a consultant and provide your advice and give answers to questions a business might have. In Paper 1, although you can mention finance, focus on marketing as if that was your speciality. In Paper 2, focus on finance and strategy rather than answering from the perspective of marketing (although you can technically be awarded marks on anything listed in the specification, it's safer to use content from the themes being asked). Keep your A-Levels SEPARATE!!! There can be some links, but AVOID TURNING YOUR ESSAYS INTO ANOTHER SUBJECT.
- Paper 3 often has a lot of concern as to what people should know. The exam board do not want you to spend lots of time revising the topic they give you, only an awareness is needed. For fashion as the Paper 3 2024 topic, it would mean following fashion accounts, fashion newsletters, reading reports on fashion and exploring fashion businesses. The case studies are purposely supposed to be bad, so do not worry if you cannot write as much application as you did in the previous papers, but you are allowed to input your own knowledge. This means writing statistics you might have read about online or sharing knowledge about a particular business.
- Make sure your points are coherent and can be understood by the examiner. Your teacher might have taught you acronyms, but the best option is to avoid using them in your essay. The way you can use abbreviations is if you do them like this, "unique selling point (USP)" where you provide the acronym you will be using for the rest of the question after you said the term. It makes you answer look a lot more academic compared to one where it seems you are just throwing in random letters. If your point does not make sense, chances are that it's a bad argument as there are always clear answers to the question. Saying this, there have been some mean questions where answers are not as clear so trying your best and producing a logical argument is what will score you marks.
- ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT!! The conclusion is where examiners often determine what mark your essay will get. You do not need a conclusion for 4-8 markers, but you do for 10-20 mark questions. Make sure it is detailed - it should be similar in size to a PBLI paragraph with a short however. If a 20 marker, it should be in similar size to PBLI paragraph with a long however. At the end of the day, always prioritise quality over quantity.
- To know when you are finished with a point, ask yourself "so what?" - if this is possible, you are not finished. For example, a business might be ethical... so what? They can attract customers who prioritise ethics... so what? This increase in customers should lead to an increase in revenue... so what? The revenue can be retained and used to finance future projects such as x, y and z. (This only goes for PBLI, do not use this too strictly with the however sentences as you can get carried away, but do try make it so no "so what?"s can occur.)
- Remember how to write sentences. Often people want to write super long sentences but this is not how academic essays are written. Instead, write concisely and express only one idea per sentence otherwise you risk running out of things to talk about/repeating yourself.
- Have your answer FILLED with application. There should not be a sentence within your answer that does not include something mentioned in the provided extracts. Do not waste time on trying to fill every sentence with it (you likely won't get 100%, but you should be in the 80/90% region which is enough for an A*).
Thank you for reading! This is all the advice I was given for A-Level business which meant that the subject did not feel too challenging compared to the other subjects I took. 🙂 This method is what people use so they can call business an 'easy' subject to get an A* in. It's not easy to get to the point where it becomes easy, but once you do it certainly feels like the subject was always easy.
PLEASE READ IF YOU SERIOUSLY WANT AN A/A* IN EDEXCEL A-LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES. YOU WILL 100% ACHIEVE THIS IF YOU FOLLOW THE ADVICE BELOW. 😀 - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE!
4 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Define key term (Write a definition for "ethics" - if no clear term is there or you do not know how to define it, skip the definition to save time).
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Point: What is your paragraph going to argue (e.g., "RyanAir should take a legalistic approach due to its behavioural market segment." - give a hint as to what you will be arguing, but not in a way which you will repeat a point)
- Because: Start the sentence with "this is because" to explain your point (e.g., "This is because RyanAir is viewed as a 'budget airline' where customers are more likely to prioritise cost leadership [porter] over differentiation [porter] as RyanAir does not have a clear niche aside from its competitive pricing strategy.)
- Leads to: Use "leads to" somewhere at the beginning to explain the implication of your point coming to life. (e.g., "Taking this legalistic approach leads to RyanAir avoiding fines set by the government while not spending capital on projects such as 'sustainable energy' which likely play no clear interest to their customers, maximising profits by minimising costs.)
- Impact: Start the sentence with "The impact of this" to explain the ultimate result of the decision. (e.g., "The impact of this is saved finance which can go under retained profits and then be used to finance future projects which ensure that RyanAir continue to follow the law and attract their target market.")
8 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the exact same structure as the 4 marker. (i.e., Define the key terms, NEW PARAGRAPH and write the Point, Because, Leads to, Impact (PBLI).
- However: Add a short however after the impact (same paragraph) which explains why your point might not be valid, start this with "However" (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir".
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Do what was done above again (i.e., Write another PBLI paragraph with a short However)
10 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the structure of an 8 marker (i.e., 2 PBLI paragraphs with a short however attached to both)
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Decision: This is the beginning of your conclusion, state your decision with the sentence starter "My decision is that" (e.g., My decision is that RyanAir should take a legalistic approach to ethics.)
- Justify: This is where you bring a new point to life which stems from an argument you have already made. Start it with "this is justified because" (e.g., This is justified as attempting to create a unique selling point of being ethical and having low prices is difficult and theoretically lessens business performance according to Porter's strategic matrix where RyanAir would try to be both cost leadership and differentiation.)
- Depends on: Explains a scenario where your argument would be nullified and rather the opposing view would be better. Start it with "this decision depends on" (e.g., "This decision depends on whether trends change and having strong ethics becomes normalised by which RyanAir would be at a competitive disadvantage since they would not be keeping up with the dynamic demands of the budget airline industry.)
12 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- The exact same as a 10 marker, but have a longer However for both PBLIs. The best method is to write the short however of a 10 marker, then add another short however which emphasises it. (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir. With this slowed financial growth, RyanAir will likely be forced to increase their prices to attract new customers which limits their ability to use competitive pricing and also loses customer loyalty which was likely held due to the low prices.")
20 Marker:
- There will be two options for you to pick meaning 2 key terms to define.
- You should do 4 PBLI paragraphs (NO HOWEVER SENTENCES). You should write 2 arguments supporting each option, and then 2 arguments against each option. (i.e., "RyanAir should do x due to...", "RyanAir should not do x due to...", "RyanAir should do y due to...", "RyanAir should not do y due to..." - do it in this order)- Finish with a conclusion (Decision, Justify, Depends on).
TIPS (MUST READ):
- Make sure application is used throughout. This means reading the case study and quoting certain phrases or statistics. To maximise marks, use quotation marks when you use it even if it's not in the case study (i.e., The only time you should quote items not directly mentioned in the case study is if it's a calculation you worked out, or in Paper 3 where you learned statistics and quotes from relevant places).
- Use theories as much as you can, but they are only necessary for 20 Markers - it's what gets you from 15/20 to 20/20. Keep the theories concise and use the key terms mentioned and use the theorist's surname in brackets after it.
- NEVER base a point over something that is not mentioned in the specification. You can mention it briefly but your points should be focusing on concepts found within the spec.
- Write concisely and learn how much you can write. The amount I wrote here is manageable for me as I have done a lot of practice. Do not waste time writing lots for the 4 markers, rather spend the time on the 20 markers. If you struggle with spending too much time on questions, do the calculations quickly (i.e., if there is a 4 mark calculation question, answer that. If there is a 10/12 mark calculation, do the workings out but do not answer it yet) and answer the 20 markers first.
- When doing you Depends on, you must mention 1/4 MOPS for the 10-12 markers (Market, Objective, Product, Situation). This means you must have addressed why the market might affect the decision, objective of the business, the nature of their product, or the situation they are currently or might end up being in. For the 20 Marker, it is VITAL that you mention 2/4 MOPS. The way they will get recognised is if you use the words "market", "objective", "product", or "situation" - if you do not do this, it limits you from achieving top marks.
- Plan your answers always so you can navigate what you are going to write. It means that you are going to not end up writing too much or too little and that you stay on track. When planning, keep it concise and use words/symbols/slang to tell yourself what you are going to write. The examiner does not mark your plan but rather your answer, so it does not have to be formal/look complete. Usually I write key terms which I want to mention, give one word of the quote I will use, and use arrows (Up arrow to say increase, Down arrow to say decrease, Right arrow to say leads to). DO NOT SPEND LOADS OF TIME PLANNING BUT EQUALLY DO NOT SKIP!
- Familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam and do lots of past papers. Use the structure provided to help plan your answers and write them. Start by picking a past paper and do the structure under timed conditions with your workbook to help you. Your goal is to first have your teacher mark your answer highly so you can understand what works for you. Once done, attempt the same paper with the structure under timed conditions (use the book) and see how far you get - use this to see where you are writing too much/where you spend too much time on. Once you are able to finish an exam under timed conditions, do it closed book and use your own knowledge.
- Use the save my exams website for class notes, Bizcon Sesh for in-depth videos explaining concepts and Tutor2U for any notes/videos. Make sure you study EVERYTHING in the specification as any term in there could potentially be a question (i.e., Although 'emotional branding' appears to be something so small due to it only being mentioned once briefly, it ended up being a question.)
- Mention key terms AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Examiners love it when you accurately throw in words mentioned in the specification, so do it as often as you can. The one word you should never mention in an essay is 'money' because it can mean so many different things, instead you should use a term to explain what it is (i.e., revenue, profit, loan, liquidity, etc.) If you are unsure what to write instead of money, my go to is using the word "capital" instead. As probably inferred, you should be specific with what you write and avoid being vague - nuanced discussion is what you should aim for.
- Write in a 'business' lens. It can be tempting using knowledge you have gained in other A-Levels (especially economics) to write your answer. The exam gets you to act as a consultant and provide your advice and give answers to questions a business might have. In Paper 1, although you can mention finance, focus on marketing as if that was your speciality. In Paper 2, focus on finance and strategy rather than answering from the perspective of marketing (although you can technically be awarded marks on anything listed in the specification, it's safer to use content from the themes being asked). Keep your A-Levels SEPARATE!!! There can be some links, but AVOID TURNING YOUR ESSAYS INTO ANOTHER SUBJECT.
- Paper 3 often has a lot of concern as to what people should know. The exam board do not want you to spend lots of time revising the topic they give you, only an awareness is needed. For fashion as the Paper 3 2024 topic, it would mean following fashion accounts, fashion newsletters, reading reports on fashion and exploring fashion businesses. The case studies are purposely supposed to be bad, so do not worry if you cannot write as much application as you did in the previous papers, but you are allowed to input your own knowledge. This means writing statistics you might have read about online or sharing knowledge about a particular business.
- Make sure your points are coherent and can be understood by the examiner. Your teacher might have taught you acronyms, but the best option is to avoid using them in your essay. The way you can use abbreviations is if you do them like this, "unique selling point (USP)" where you provide the acronym you will be using for the rest of the question after you said the term. It makes you answer look a lot more academic compared to one where it seems you are just throwing in random letters. If your point does not make sense, chances are that it's a bad argument as there are always clear answers to the question. Saying this, there have been some mean questions where answers are not as clear so trying your best and producing a logical argument is what will score you marks.
- ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT!! The conclusion is where examiners often determine what mark your essay will get. You do not need a conclusion for 4-8 markers, but you do for 10-20 mark questions. Make sure it is detailed - it should be similar in size to a PBLI paragraph with a short however. If a 20 marker, it should be in similar size to PBLI paragraph with a long however. At the end of the day, always prioritise quality over quantity.
- To know when you are finished with a point, ask yourself "so what?" - if this is possible, you are not finished. For example, a business might be ethical... so what? They can attract customers who prioritise ethics... so what? This increase in customers should lead to an increase in revenue... so what? The revenue can be retained and used to finance future projects such as x, y and z. (This only goes for PBLI, do not use this too strictly with the however sentences as you can get carried away, but do try make it so no "so what?"s can occur.)
- Remember how to write sentences. Often people want to write super long sentences but this is not how academic essays are written. Instead, write concisely and express only one idea per sentence otherwise you risk running out of things to talk about/repeating yourself.
- Have your answer FILLED with application. There should not be a sentence within your answer that does not include something mentioned in the provided extracts. Do not waste time on trying to fill every sentence with it (you likely won't get 100%, but you should be in the 80/90% region which is enough for an A*).
Thank you for reading! This is all the advice I was given for A-Level business which meant that the subject did not feel too challenging compared to the other subjects I took. 🙂 This method is what people use so they can call business an 'easy' subject to get an A* in. It's not easy to get to the point where it becomes easy, but once you do it certainly feels like the subject was always easy.
i dont take business but this advice seems amazing and thank you for taking the time to write all of your advice down for us ! well done on your scores i will definitely share with my classmates that take business
Reply 2
Wow thank you so much for this advice, this is more than my teacher taught me in this whole school year, I am always stuck at 50 marks and im sure this will push me up in my next test. Just one thing what does PBLI stand for? Did I miss it?
Reply 3
Original post by quirky-modulatio
Wow thank you so much for this advice, this is more than my teacher taught me in this whole school year, I am always stuck at 50 marks and im sure this will push me up in my next test. Just one thing what does PBLI stand for? Did I miss it?
P: Point
B: Because
L: Leads to
I: Impact
Reply 5
Original post by 🐼PANDA🐼
Oh ma lord this is very comprehensive, thanks to you for writing all of this. Btw what text books do you recommend? There’s so many and I’m not sure what ones actually have the info which will allow me to get an A/A*.
I did not use a textbook, but instead I used a mixture of save my exams and Tutor2U. I would go through the specification and make notes using both of these resources. For complicated topics which I did not understand, I watched BizCon sesh on YouTube, but the Tutor2U videos are also really good.
Original post by danisreallycool
I did not use a textbook, but instead I used a mixture of save my exams and Tutor2U. I would go through the specification and make notes using both of these resources. For complicated topics which I did not understand, I watched BizCon sesh on YouTube, but the Tutor2U videos are also really good.
Is there any reason why you did not use textbooks? Like were they just not that good or just worst than the videos
Reply 7
Original post by 🐼PANDA🐼
Is there any reason why you did not use textbooks? Like were they just not that good or just worst than the videos
I used textbooks in my other A-Level subjects and found them to be helpful. However, I felt the concepts were easier to understand when explained through video-format as some aspects can be quite visual.
It's all personal preference tbh
Reply 8
How would you include MOPS in your 12 marker? How much detail would you go into? Could you give an example.
Reply 9
Original post by quick-smear
How would you include MOPS in your 12 marker? How much detail would you go into? Could you give an example.
Also is MOPS really necessary for the 10 marker as well?
Original post by quick-smear
Also is MOPS really necessary for the 10 marker as well?
Anything with a conclusion needs MOPS
Reply 11
Original post by quick-smear
Also is MOPS really necessary for the 10 marker as well?
MOPS is only mandatory for the 20 markers, but if you have time to use it in your other answers, it doesn't hurt to go back on your paper and add it. The main goal is to perfect the 20 markers/high scoring answers and get the quick and easy 4 markers out the way as you're super time short
Original post by danisreallycool
MOPS is only mandatory for the 20 markers, but if you have time to use it in your other answers, it doesn't hurt to go back on your paper and add it. The main goal is to perfect the 20 markers/high scoring answers and get the quick and easy 4 markers out the way as you're super time short
For 12 and 10 markers do you need to answer assess the importance, assess the consequences or assess the benefits in a different structure. For example in an assess the importance question, does one paragraph need to show the importance and another show competing factors or that it isn’t important.
(edited 4 months ago)
Reply 13
Original post by 🐼PANDA🐼
For 12 and 10 markers do you need to answer assess the importance, assess the consequences or assess the benefits in a different structure. For example in an assess the importance question, does one paragraph need to show the importance and another show competing factors or that it isn’t important.
It depends on the question whether you should do both paragraphs for/against or 2 different. I can't remember what the key words are, so it might be worth asking your teacher. For the assess the importance question, you would do one paragraph saying why it's important and then another saying why it's not
Original post by danisreallycool
It depends on the question whether you should do both paragraphs for/against or 2 different. I can't remember what the key words are, so it might be worth asking your teacher. For the assess the importance question, you would do one paragraph saying why it's important and then another saying why it's not
Okay, btw do you have any advice to prepare for a the exam? I have an important mock in 3 weeks but I’m sure not how to make a sure I’m really for it, since it’s so application based it’s hard to revise things
Reply 15
Original post by 🐼PANDA🐼
Okay, btw do you have any advice to prepare for a the exam? I have an important mock in 3 weeks but I’m sure not how to make a sure I’m really for it, since it’s so application based it’s hard to revise things
hey, I've just done my mocks and above all make sure you know your content. Virtually anything could come up. Also try to practice your timings correctly so you have long enough to do a good 20 marker. Quote the extract in all paragraphs.
Original post by quick-smear
hey, I've just done my mocks and above all make sure you know your content. Virtually anything could come up. Also try to practice your timings correctly so you have long enough to do a good 20 marker. Quote the extract in all paragraphs.
Thx for the advice, also could you set me know what sort of resources your using ? Btw I’ve found this thing that sorts all past exam questions by topic, you might find it useful: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/Business%20Studies/2015/teaching-and-learning-materials/pearson-edexcel-alevel-business-question-mapping.pdf#page5f
Original post by danisreallycool
The A* structure goes like this, if you present accurate and relevant knowledge in this format you will likely get this grade. It has allowed me to score consistent 90%+ with my lowest scoring paper being 94%.
PLEASE READ IF YOU SERIOUSLY WANT AN A/A* IN EDEXCEL A-LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES. YOU WILL 100% ACHIEVE THIS IF YOU FOLLOW THE ADVICE BELOW. 😀 - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE!
4 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Define key term (Write a definition for "ethics" - if no clear term is there or you do not know how to define it, skip the definition to save time).
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Point: What is your paragraph going to argue (e.g., "RyanAir should take a legalistic approach due to its behavioural market segment." - give a hint as to what you will be arguing, but not in a way which you will repeat a point)
- Because: Start the sentence with "this is because" to explain your point (e.g., "This is because RyanAir is viewed as a 'budget airline' where customers are more likely to prioritise cost leadership [porter] over differentiation [porter] as RyanAir does not have a clear niche aside from its competitive pricing strategy.)
- Leads to: Use "leads to" somewhere at the beginning to explain the implication of your point coming to life. (e.g., "Taking this legalistic approach leads to RyanAir avoiding fines set by the government while not spending capital on projects such as 'sustainable energy' which likely play no clear interest to their customers, maximising profits by minimising costs.)
- Impact: Start the sentence with "The impact of this" to explain the ultimate result of the decision. (e.g., "The impact of this is saved finance which can go under retained profits and then be used to finance future projects which ensure that RyanAir continue to follow the law and attract their target market.")
8 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the exact same structure as the 4 marker. (i.e., Define the key terms, NEW PARAGRAPH and write the Point, Because, Leads to, Impact (PBLI).
- However: Add a short however after the impact (same paragraph) which explains why your point might not be valid, start this with "However" (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir".
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Do what was done above again (i.e., Write another PBLI paragraph with a short However)
10 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the structure of an 8 marker (i.e., 2 PBLI paragraphs with a short however attached to both)
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Decision: This is the beginning of your conclusion, state your decision with the sentence starter "My decision is that" (e.g., My decision is that RyanAir should take a legalistic approach to ethics.)
- Justify: This is where you bring a new point to life which stems from an argument you have already made. Start it with "this is justified because" (e.g., This is justified as attempting to create a unique selling point of being ethical and having low prices is difficult and theoretically lessens business performance according to Porter's strategic matrix where RyanAir would try to be both cost leadership and differentiation.)
- Depends on: Explains a scenario where your argument would be nullified and rather the opposing view would be better. Start it with "this decision depends on" (e.g., "This decision depends on whether trends change and having strong ethics becomes normalised by which RyanAir would be at a competitive disadvantage since they would not be keeping up with the dynamic demands of the budget airline industry.)
12 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- The exact same as a 10 marker, but have a longer However for both PBLIs. The best method is to write the short however of a 10 marker, then add another short however which emphasises it. (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir. With this slowed financial growth, RyanAir will likely be forced to increase their prices to attract new customers which limits their ability to use competitive pricing and also loses customer loyalty which was likely held due to the low prices.")
20 Marker:
- There will be two options for you to pick meaning 2 key terms to define.
- You should do 4 PBLI paragraphs (NO HOWEVER SENTENCES). You should write 2 arguments supporting each option, and then 2 arguments against each option. (i.e., "RyanAir should do x due to...", "RyanAir should not do x due to...", "RyanAir should do y due to...", "RyanAir should not do y due to..." - do it in this order)- Finish with a conclusion (Decision, Justify, Depends on).
TIPS (MUST READ):
- Make sure application is used throughout. This means reading the case study and quoting certain phrases or statistics. To maximise marks, use quotation marks when you use it even if it's not in the case study (i.e., The only time you should quote items not directly mentioned in the case study is if it's a calculation you worked out, or in Paper 3 where you learned statistics and quotes from relevant places).
- Use theories as much as you can, but they are only necessary for 20 Markers - it's what gets you from 15/20 to 20/20. Keep the theories concise and use the key terms mentioned and use the theorist's surname in brackets after it.
- NEVER base a point over something that is not mentioned in the specification. You can mention it briefly but your points should be focusing on concepts found within the spec.
- Write concisely and learn how much you can write. The amount I wrote here is manageable for me as I have done a lot of practice. Do not waste time writing lots for the 4 markers, rather spend the time on the 20 markers. If you struggle with spending too much time on questions, do the calculations quickly (i.e., if there is a 4 mark calculation question, answer that. If there is a 10/12 mark calculation, do the workings out but do not answer it yet) and answer the 20 markers first.
- When doing you Depends on, you must mention 1/4 MOPS for the 10-12 markers (Market, Objective, Product, Situation). This means you must have addressed why the market might affect the decision, objective of the business, the nature of their product, or the situation they are currently or might end up being in. For the 20 Marker, it is VITAL that you mention 2/4 MOPS. The way they will get recognised is if you use the words "market", "objective", "product", or "situation" - if you do not do this, it limits you from achieving top marks.
- Plan your answers always so you can navigate what you are going to write. It means that you are going to not end up writing too much or too little and that you stay on track. When planning, keep it concise and use words/symbols/slang to tell yourself what you are going to write. The examiner does not mark your plan but rather your answer, so it does not have to be formal/look complete. Usually I write key terms which I want to mention, give one word of the quote I will use, and use arrows (Up arrow to say increase, Down arrow to say decrease, Right arrow to say leads to). DO NOT SPEND LOADS OF TIME PLANNING BUT EQUALLY DO NOT SKIP!
- Familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam and do lots of past papers. Use the structure provided to help plan your answers and write them. Start by picking a past paper and do the structure under timed conditions with your workbook to help you. Your goal is to first have your teacher mark your answer highly so you can understand what works for you. Once done, attempt the same paper with the structure under timed conditions (use the book) and see how far you get - use this to see where you are writing too much/where you spend too much time on. Once you are able to finish an exam under timed conditions, do it closed book and use your own knowledge.
- Use the save my exams website for class notes, Bizcon Sesh for in-depth videos explaining concepts and Tutor2U for any notes/videos. Make sure you study EVERYTHING in the specification as any term in there could potentially be a question (i.e., Although 'emotional branding' appears to be something so small due to it only being mentioned once briefly, it ended up being a question.)
- Mention key terms AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Examiners love it when you accurately throw in words mentioned in the specification, so do it as often as you can. The one word you should never mention in an essay is 'money' because it can mean so many different things, instead you should use a term to explain what it is (i.e., revenue, profit, loan, liquidity, etc.) If you are unsure what to write instead of money, my go to is using the word "capital" instead. As probably inferred, you should be specific with what you write and avoid being vague - nuanced discussion is what you should aim for.
- Write in a 'business' lens. It can be tempting using knowledge you have gained in other A-Levels (especially economics) to write your answer. The exam gets you to act as a consultant and provide your advice and give answers to questions a business might have. In Paper 1, although you can mention finance, focus on marketing as if that was your speciality. In Paper 2, focus on finance and strategy rather than answering from the perspective of marketing (although you can technically be awarded marks on anything listed in the specification, it's safer to use content from the themes being asked). Keep your A-Levels SEPARATE!!! There can be some links, but AVOID TURNING YOUR ESSAYS INTO ANOTHER SUBJECT.
- Paper 3 often has a lot of concern as to what people should know. The exam board do not want you to spend lots of time revising the topic they give you, only an awareness is needed. For fashion as the Paper 3 2024 topic, it would mean following fashion accounts, fashion newsletters, reading reports on fashion and exploring fashion businesses. The case studies are purposely supposed to be bad, so do not worry if you cannot write as much application as you did in the previous papers, but you are allowed to input your own knowledge. This means writing statistics you might have read about online or sharing knowledge about a particular business.
- Make sure your points are coherent and can be understood by the examiner. Your teacher might have taught you acronyms, but the best option is to avoid using them in your essay. The way you can use abbreviations is if you do them like this, "unique selling point (USP)" where you provide the acronym you will be using for the rest of the question after you said the term. It makes you answer look a lot more academic compared to one where it seems you are just throwing in random letters. If your point does not make sense, chances are that it's a bad argument as there are always clear answers to the question. Saying this, there have been some mean questions where answers are not as clear so trying your best and producing a logical argument is what will score you marks.
- ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT!! The conclusion is where examiners often determine what mark your essay will get. You do not need a conclusion for 4-8 markers, but you do for 10-20 mark questions. Make sure it is detailed - it should be similar in size to a PBLI paragraph with a short however. If a 20 marker, it should be in similar size to PBLI paragraph with a long however. At the end of the day, always prioritise quality over quantity.
- To know when you are finished with a point, ask yourself "so what?" - if this is possible, you are not finished. For example, a business might be ethical... so what? They can attract customers who prioritise ethics... so what? This increase in customers should lead to an increase in revenue... so what? The revenue can be retained and used to finance future projects such as x, y and z. (This only goes for PBLI, do not use this too strictly with the however sentences as you can get carried away, but do try make it so no "so what?"s can occur.)
- Remember how to write sentences. Often people want to write super long sentences but this is not how academic essays are written. Instead, write concisely and express only one idea per sentence otherwise you risk running out of things to talk about/repeating yourself.
- Have your answer FILLED with application. There should not be a sentence within your answer that does not include something mentioned in the provided extracts. Do not waste time on trying to fill every sentence with it (you likely won't get 100%, but you should be in the 80/90% region which is enough for an A*).
Thank you for reading! This is all the advice I was given for A-Level business which meant that the subject did not feel too challenging compared to the other subjects I took. 🙂 This method is what people use so they can call business an 'easy' subject to get an A* in. It's not easy to get to the point where it becomes easy, but once you do it certainly feels like the subject was always easy.
PLEASE READ IF YOU SERIOUSLY WANT AN A/A* IN EDEXCEL A-LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES. YOU WILL 100% ACHIEVE THIS IF YOU FOLLOW THE ADVICE BELOW. 😀 - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE!
4 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Define key term (Write a definition for "ethics" - if no clear term is there or you do not know how to define it, skip the definition to save time).
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Point: What is your paragraph going to argue (e.g., "RyanAir should take a legalistic approach due to its behavioural market segment." - give a hint as to what you will be arguing, but not in a way which you will repeat a point)
- Because: Start the sentence with "this is because" to explain your point (e.g., "This is because RyanAir is viewed as a 'budget airline' where customers are more likely to prioritise cost leadership [porter] over differentiation [porter] as RyanAir does not have a clear niche aside from its competitive pricing strategy.)
- Leads to: Use "leads to" somewhere at the beginning to explain the implication of your point coming to life. (e.g., "Taking this legalistic approach leads to RyanAir avoiding fines set by the government while not spending capital on projects such as 'sustainable energy' which likely play no clear interest to their customers, maximising profits by minimising costs.)
- Impact: Start the sentence with "The impact of this" to explain the ultimate result of the decision. (e.g., "The impact of this is saved finance which can go under retained profits and then be used to finance future projects which ensure that RyanAir continue to follow the law and attract their target market.")
8 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the exact same structure as the 4 marker. (i.e., Define the key terms, NEW PARAGRAPH and write the Point, Because, Leads to, Impact (PBLI).
- However: Add a short however after the impact (same paragraph) which explains why your point might not be valid, start this with "However" (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir".
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Do what was done above again (i.e., Write another PBLI paragraph with a short However)
10 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- Follow the structure of an 8 marker (i.e., 2 PBLI paragraphs with a short however attached to both)
- NEW PARAGRAPH -
- Decision: This is the beginning of your conclusion, state your decision with the sentence starter "My decision is that" (e.g., My decision is that RyanAir should take a legalistic approach to ethics.)
- Justify: This is where you bring a new point to life which stems from an argument you have already made. Start it with "this is justified because" (e.g., This is justified as attempting to create a unique selling point of being ethical and having low prices is difficult and theoretically lessens business performance according to Porter's strategic matrix where RyanAir would try to be both cost leadership and differentiation.)
- Depends on: Explains a scenario where your argument would be nullified and rather the opposing view would be better. Start it with "this decision depends on" (e.g., "This decision depends on whether trends change and having strong ethics becomes normalised by which RyanAir would be at a competitive disadvantage since they would not be keeping up with the dynamic demands of the budget airline industry.)
12 Marker (Q: "What approach to ethics should RyanAir take?"):
- The exact same as a 10 marker, but have a longer However for both PBLIs. The best method is to write the short however of a 10 marker, then add another short however which emphasises it. (e.g., "However, it should be noted that not taking a strong approach to ethics, such as a responsive or moral one, pressure groups, namely 'Greenpeace', might push customers away slowing the financial growth of RyanAir. With this slowed financial growth, RyanAir will likely be forced to increase their prices to attract new customers which limits their ability to use competitive pricing and also loses customer loyalty which was likely held due to the low prices.")
20 Marker:
- There will be two options for you to pick meaning 2 key terms to define.
- You should do 4 PBLI paragraphs (NO HOWEVER SENTENCES). You should write 2 arguments supporting each option, and then 2 arguments against each option. (i.e., "RyanAir should do x due to...", "RyanAir should not do x due to...", "RyanAir should do y due to...", "RyanAir should not do y due to..." - do it in this order)- Finish with a conclusion (Decision, Justify, Depends on).
TIPS (MUST READ):
- Make sure application is used throughout. This means reading the case study and quoting certain phrases or statistics. To maximise marks, use quotation marks when you use it even if it's not in the case study (i.e., The only time you should quote items not directly mentioned in the case study is if it's a calculation you worked out, or in Paper 3 where you learned statistics and quotes from relevant places).
- Use theories as much as you can, but they are only necessary for 20 Markers - it's what gets you from 15/20 to 20/20. Keep the theories concise and use the key terms mentioned and use the theorist's surname in brackets after it.
- NEVER base a point over something that is not mentioned in the specification. You can mention it briefly but your points should be focusing on concepts found within the spec.
- Write concisely and learn how much you can write. The amount I wrote here is manageable for me as I have done a lot of practice. Do not waste time writing lots for the 4 markers, rather spend the time on the 20 markers. If you struggle with spending too much time on questions, do the calculations quickly (i.e., if there is a 4 mark calculation question, answer that. If there is a 10/12 mark calculation, do the workings out but do not answer it yet) and answer the 20 markers first.
- When doing you Depends on, you must mention 1/4 MOPS for the 10-12 markers (Market, Objective, Product, Situation). This means you must have addressed why the market might affect the decision, objective of the business, the nature of their product, or the situation they are currently or might end up being in. For the 20 Marker, it is VITAL that you mention 2/4 MOPS. The way they will get recognised is if you use the words "market", "objective", "product", or "situation" - if you do not do this, it limits you from achieving top marks.
- Plan your answers always so you can navigate what you are going to write. It means that you are going to not end up writing too much or too little and that you stay on track. When planning, keep it concise and use words/symbols/slang to tell yourself what you are going to write. The examiner does not mark your plan but rather your answer, so it does not have to be formal/look complete. Usually I write key terms which I want to mention, give one word of the quote I will use, and use arrows (Up arrow to say increase, Down arrow to say decrease, Right arrow to say leads to). DO NOT SPEND LOADS OF TIME PLANNING BUT EQUALLY DO NOT SKIP!
- Familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam and do lots of past papers. Use the structure provided to help plan your answers and write them. Start by picking a past paper and do the structure under timed conditions with your workbook to help you. Your goal is to first have your teacher mark your answer highly so you can understand what works for you. Once done, attempt the same paper with the structure under timed conditions (use the book) and see how far you get - use this to see where you are writing too much/where you spend too much time on. Once you are able to finish an exam under timed conditions, do it closed book and use your own knowledge.
- Use the save my exams website for class notes, Bizcon Sesh for in-depth videos explaining concepts and Tutor2U for any notes/videos. Make sure you study EVERYTHING in the specification as any term in there could potentially be a question (i.e., Although 'emotional branding' appears to be something so small due to it only being mentioned once briefly, it ended up being a question.)
- Mention key terms AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Examiners love it when you accurately throw in words mentioned in the specification, so do it as often as you can. The one word you should never mention in an essay is 'money' because it can mean so many different things, instead you should use a term to explain what it is (i.e., revenue, profit, loan, liquidity, etc.) If you are unsure what to write instead of money, my go to is using the word "capital" instead. As probably inferred, you should be specific with what you write and avoid being vague - nuanced discussion is what you should aim for.
- Write in a 'business' lens. It can be tempting using knowledge you have gained in other A-Levels (especially economics) to write your answer. The exam gets you to act as a consultant and provide your advice and give answers to questions a business might have. In Paper 1, although you can mention finance, focus on marketing as if that was your speciality. In Paper 2, focus on finance and strategy rather than answering from the perspective of marketing (although you can technically be awarded marks on anything listed in the specification, it's safer to use content from the themes being asked). Keep your A-Levels SEPARATE!!! There can be some links, but AVOID TURNING YOUR ESSAYS INTO ANOTHER SUBJECT.
- Paper 3 often has a lot of concern as to what people should know. The exam board do not want you to spend lots of time revising the topic they give you, only an awareness is needed. For fashion as the Paper 3 2024 topic, it would mean following fashion accounts, fashion newsletters, reading reports on fashion and exploring fashion businesses. The case studies are purposely supposed to be bad, so do not worry if you cannot write as much application as you did in the previous papers, but you are allowed to input your own knowledge. This means writing statistics you might have read about online or sharing knowledge about a particular business.
- Make sure your points are coherent and can be understood by the examiner. Your teacher might have taught you acronyms, but the best option is to avoid using them in your essay. The way you can use abbreviations is if you do them like this, "unique selling point (USP)" where you provide the acronym you will be using for the rest of the question after you said the term. It makes you answer look a lot more academic compared to one where it seems you are just throwing in random letters. If your point does not make sense, chances are that it's a bad argument as there are always clear answers to the question. Saying this, there have been some mean questions where answers are not as clear so trying your best and producing a logical argument is what will score you marks.
- ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT!! The conclusion is where examiners often determine what mark your essay will get. You do not need a conclusion for 4-8 markers, but you do for 10-20 mark questions. Make sure it is detailed - it should be similar in size to a PBLI paragraph with a short however. If a 20 marker, it should be in similar size to PBLI paragraph with a long however. At the end of the day, always prioritise quality over quantity.
- To know when you are finished with a point, ask yourself "so what?" - if this is possible, you are not finished. For example, a business might be ethical... so what? They can attract customers who prioritise ethics... so what? This increase in customers should lead to an increase in revenue... so what? The revenue can be retained and used to finance future projects such as x, y and z. (This only goes for PBLI, do not use this too strictly with the however sentences as you can get carried away, but do try make it so no "so what?"s can occur.)
- Remember how to write sentences. Often people want to write super long sentences but this is not how academic essays are written. Instead, write concisely and express only one idea per sentence otherwise you risk running out of things to talk about/repeating yourself.
- Have your answer FILLED with application. There should not be a sentence within your answer that does not include something mentioned in the provided extracts. Do not waste time on trying to fill every sentence with it (you likely won't get 100%, but you should be in the 80/90% region which is enough for an A*).
Thank you for reading! This is all the advice I was given for A-Level business which meant that the subject did not feel too challenging compared to the other subjects I took. 🙂 This method is what people use so they can call business an 'easy' subject to get an A* in. It's not easy to get to the point where it becomes easy, but once you do it certainly feels like the subject was always easy.
Does anyone know if this is usefull for Aqa?
Reply 19
For your conclusion in 10/12 markers, do you not use AJIM, as you are only giving the answer, justification, and it depends on. Without the Most importantly. Is the Most important part needed, or is it better to leave it out
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