Developing Exam Skills: AQA GCSE Business Studies: Definitions and Accessing the Higher Marks

I wrote a blog recently based on ways for students to tackle the 9 mark questions in the AQA GCSE Business Exam. My blog was based around information from the Unit 1 Examiners report.

However, I have just been reading the examiner’s report from the Unit 2 exam last June and it makes fascinating reading.

There is a section on common practices that prevented students from accessing the higher marks and one of these common practices involves the use of starting answers with definitions.

The examiner’s report states clearly that many students are starting their responses by defining the terms used in the question and that this approach merely distracts students and uses up valuable time. It cited the following question:

How does having an objective help Fine Tune Arial’s Ltd? (4 marks)

The examiner’s report states that some students began their answer explaining what an objective was, what SMART means and how an objective differs from an aim and this approach is unnecessary as it does not address the question being asked.

It is worth looking at the mark scheme for this question. 1 and 2 marks can be awarded for a candidate who identifies how objectives help a business with 3 and 4 being awarded for describing how objectives help Fine Tune Arial’s Ltd.

It appears that the use of definitions to start questions (other than questions where only a definition is required) is simply hindering rather than helping our students…........