This year’s higher-level business paper was largely approachable and fair, but the applied business question was relatively tough, teachers have said.
Vincent Murray, ASTI subject representative and a teacher at CBC Cork, said that there was plenty of opportunity for students to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their knowledge.
“Students who regularly do past papers will be rewarded, and it was a good, balanced paper allowing students to display their knowledge,” Murray said.
But the applied business question (ABQ), which is compulsory, was tricky, Murray said.
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“It addressed very specific areas of the course, such as price discrimination, rewarding staff and alternative sales promotion techniques. There was a case study on a mobile coffee van, and while this would be familiar, the questions themselves were tricky.”
Keith Hannigan, a business teacher at the Institute of Education, also felt the ABQ was tough.
“The paper deviated from the norm, particularly in the ABQ,” he said.
“This is a compulsory question, so they had no way to avoid it and thus any shocks became amplified.”
Hannigan had a less positive view of the paper overall.
“In an unprecedented move, topics questioned last year were repeated,” he said.
“Human resources management and control are topics that students will not have expected in this context.”
Naomi Keenan, studyclix.ie subject expert for business and a teacher at De La Salle College, said that the exam rewarded diligent past paper revision.
“Section one short questions were predictable, offering accessible baseline marks with the usual acronyms, calculation and theory questions,” she said.
Murray agreed with Keenan on the short questions, although he added that some of them, particularly around mass production, organic and inorganic growth and breakeven analysis, posed a challenge for the stronger students.
Katie Jones, head of business at thetuitioncentre.ie, said that the longer questions in section three followed a familiar structure and drew widely from core syllabus areas.
“Contract law, stakeholder relationships, consumer protection, environmental responsibility, international trade, human resource management, taxation and the product life cycle were among the areas questioned,” she said.
Murray said that students who have followed the news would be well-placed to apply their insights and learning.
“Some students may have paused at the wording of part C in question one, on contract law, stakeholder relationships and consumer protection,” Jones said.
“They were asked to evaluate the powers of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and this is different from what they might be used to,” she said.
On the ordinary level paper, Murray said that it was very fair and along familiar lines.
“Students were asked accessible questions. VAT cuts in hospitality, the use of artificial intelligence in business, online shopping and tariffs were familiar topics that would have been well discussed in class,” he said.
TRY THIS ONE AT HOME: LEAVING CERT BUSINESS, HIGHER LEVEL
q3(c) “Ireland should remain in the EU”
Irish Examiner headline
(C) Do you agree with this statement?
Justify reasons for your answer, from the point of view of business owners.
