BUSS4 - Keep Calm and Carry On...

Preparing for the BUSS4 exam involves getting yourself right mentally. Many students underestimate the influence that attitude has in determining how well they perform. They focus on learning terminology and concepts and on building a research file but don’t spend enough time getting their psychological approach right. Here are some thoughts on how you can into the right frame of mind to do your best in BUSS4.

Composure is all important in exams, especially perhaps in BUSS4 where you face the daunting task of writing two 40-mark essays. Students who are able to control their stress levels increase their chances of being able to perform effectively. Conversely, those that don’t will often underperform. A lack of composure can cause you to get stressed out and forget a key term or theory, so try not to allow it to happen.

The England team that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup used the mantra TCUP (Think Clearly Under Pressure) in training and matches as a way of staying focused in tough times. They recognised that problems would arise so tried to anticipate as many of these as they could and then rehearsed their response. This allowed them to keep difficulties, such as conceding penalties and tries, in perspective and ultimately contributed to their eventual success.

The key to staying composed is to prepare. Part of this preparation is good old fashioned revision, learning the concepts and facts. This in itself, however, is not enough and it is vital to complete practice essays in order to develop your exam technique. By writing essays- for Section A and Section B - and getting feedback from your teacher(s) you will improve your ability to apply, analyse and evaluate. This should give you the confidence that you can do it, and this will reassure you if and when things get tough in the BUSS4 exam.

You need to take it one stage further though; you will need to practice working under time pressure. Working against the clock is the cause of a lot of stress for students. Given no deadline they can produce high quality work, but introduce a time limit and they get flustered. Aim to complete at least one timed essay per week between now and the BUSS4 exam and try to do at least two complete BUSS4 papers (i.e. a Section A and a Section B question in 1hr 45) in total.

The time pressure will force you to become more efficient in your planning, writing and checking. You will swiftly work out what you do need to do and what you simply haven’t got time for.

Be careful here though; students regularly say they haven’t got time to plan and/or check their work. This is not a reason not to do it! Planning and checking may seem time consuming (and indeed may be time consuming initially) but they are essential components of effective exam technique. The more you practice, the more efficient you will become and the less time planning and checking will take.

Finally, try to banish those negative thoughts and embrace the task ahead of you. The BUSS4 exam may not be your idea of fun but that doesn’t alter the fact that you have to sit it in order to do well in your Business Studies A-level. You may dislike the research task or the length of the paper or the format it takes, but that won’t change, at least not in the final revision period! As the old adage goes, “life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we deal with it”.