Below you will find links to new syllabus past papers from various schools as well as some tips from band 6 and state ranking students from the 2012 HSC cohort.
Advice from Band 6 achievers:
Drifting95 (Received a mark of 95):
- The case study only contributes a small amount to your overall mark so don’t spend too much time studying for it, the key is to spread your time equally for all sections of the paper. I would recommend knowing one main case study that can be linked to all syllabus dot points (e.g QANTAS) but also having a knowledge of other businesses to use for specific dot points if they pop up in the exam. I didn’t know these in depth but by simply keeping up to date with business news I was able to create a database of businesses/case studies from recent events that relate to SPECIFIC syllabus dot points. By using a range of different case studies within your essay this provides stronger and more substantial evidence of your wider business knowledge in the real world, not just theory content learnt from the textbook. Business studies is moving towards economics in that to achieve top marks you need to highlight your knowledge of the content in the real world as I said previously. Although it is possible to achieve top marks with one strong case study, including another 1-2 (even if they’re only used for one paragraph/section of the essay) greatly improves your chances of achieving top marks (if executed correctly)
- Learn the syllabus off by heart! It’s easy for business studies because the structure is the same for all 4 topics. By doing so, you’ll be able to recall your content easier and answer obscure multiple choice questions more effectively
- Don’t spent more than 10 minutes on your multiple choice (start during your reading time) and spent 1 hr max on your short answers. This was realistic for me and accordingly allowed me to spend about 1 hr on each essay. This worked very well for me as I spent 10 minutes planning my essay and would than write flat out for 50 minutes. If done correctly your arguments will be much more structured (due to your plan)
- Exam technique > content knowledge. Even if you know every bit of possible content that can be tested, not knowing how to construct a strong argument with effective and relevant evidence will consequently restrict your ability to achieve a band 6. Instead of simply learning your notes as study, apply this knowledge by answering as many past paper questions as possible. Examine has provided various new syllabus past papers, but also use previous syllabus hsc papers (ask your teacher if you’re not sure if a question is tested under the new syllabus)
- When completing section 4 try and memorize some statistics for specific dot points such as those related to finance. This was highly effective for me when the essay question asked to recommend strategies to improve objectives. I’d integrate my relevant business, how they used the strategy and use statistics to provide evidence in how the strategy adopted by the business (e.g working capital strategies) has lead to the business improving its liquidity etc
Daniel is currently offering his tutoring services in the South-Western Sydney area for Business Studies and Economics. As someone who knows Daniel personally I would highly recommend his tutoring services as he definitely knows how the HSC exam works and how to maximise your marks for these two subjects.
Tutoring thread: http://community.boredofstudies.org...oring-97-25-atar-eco-business-free-notes.html
zb123 (Received a mark of 96):
- With case studies - Start with three main businesses and try to adapt them to the major syllabus points.
- Learn the syllabus as soon as possible - The terminology is more important than the actual meaning (as definitions etc is just common sense).
- Multiple choice: Do as much practice as possible with other school trials etc, as often questions are repeated, and can be extremely vague
zb123 (Zubin) is currently offering Business Studies tutoring in the North Shore area. He obviously knows his stuff as reflected through his HSC mark of 96 and ATAR of 99.95. He also has as many past papers as me for Business Studies (30+ including term, half yearly and trial papers)
Check out his thread - http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=297530
Meshy590 (Received a mark of 97, 4th in the state)
- It's better to write on less things in more detail, as opposed to more things in detail. This mainly relevant to Sections 3 and 4 of the exam. Eg, if the business report question asks you to talk about Operations strategies, DON'T refer to all of the strategies; just pick the ones that are most relevant and elaborate on them.
- Work on your notes throughout the year, and don't leave it for the last minute.
- In the days leading up to the exam, go through a list of syllabus subheadings, and make sure you know all concepts in sufficient detail, definitions.
- DO PAST PAPERS. Do the first few while looking at your notes, then keep going until you are not looking at your notes at all. I didn't do that many papers in the days before my business exam, simply because I had 4 exams in 4 days. But try and do as many as possible, it's the best practice you can get.
- Send in Essays and reports to your teacher for marking.
- Make an essay on every dotpoint for case studies (ie. Influences, Processes, Strategies). However, I did this for my case study and the question was something completely different, but make essays just in case. This leads me to my next tip: when you have no idea what to write, just make up crap! All the case studies that I had memorised for the Extended response turned out to be irrelevant, and so I just made it up, and, with a bit of common sense, it all went well!
-DIRECTIVE TERMS!!! Probably the most important thing in this course. Many people have a thorough understanding of the concepts, but fail to answer the directive term. Make it obvious to the marker that you know what the directive terms mean. Eg. for 'analyse' say "the implications...." and for 'assess' use words like "vital, important, imperative, insignificant..."
- In the exam, get MC section done in less than 10 mins, and try to get SA section done in 50 mins. This will allow you 2hrs for Sections 3 and 4; something that I think is necessary
Meshy590 (Megh) is offering tutoring in the North West region, and coming 4th in the state, would be a great choice as a tutor shown through his vast knowledge of the subject. He also has a wide range of new syllabus papers which is beneficial when revising. Additionally, Megh is selling his notes, which he has obviously consolidated throughout the HSC period and have assisted him on receiving his excellent mark.
Business Studies Notes - http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=298051
Business Studies Tutoring - http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=298052
Daniel Sokol (Received a mark of 97, 10th in the state)
- My main tip is to know the board of studies command words (explain, analyse etc). The short answers section is worth 40 marks - this is the equivalent of the report and essay put together and you ONLY spend half the time on short answers relative to section 3/4. So, if you can nail close to full marks in short answers, you will nail the exam.
- Plus, it is very difficult to get the 19/20's or 20/20s in reports/essays, making the marks in short answers the easiest to get and the most valuable!!
- Another tip is to consistently make notes throughout the year and keep looking over them - if your not a note taker, be sure to purchase/get somebody else's notes and constantly look over all topics throughout the year! That way, when it comes to revising previous topics for exams, you already remember them.
- Probably the best business studies tool is the CRAM apps. They helped me the most! 'like' this facebook page, and download the apps, they explain all the content really well and are beneficial http://www.facebook.com/HscBusinessStudiesCramApps
- Case studies are important, but not as much as people make them out to be. Rather concentrate your time on content, and have case studies that you can draw upon in exams. Or if ever in doubt, just make them up.
- Lastly, DO write practice essays/reports and let your teacher mark them and give you feedback.
- Do the same with short answers to make sure you get full marks for those 5 or 6 markers.
Daniel too is offering his tutoring services. Located in the Sydney Eastern Suburbs, Daniel has acquired an ATAR of 99.85 doing the subjects Business Studies (state rank 97), Legal Studies (96), Economics (97), Mathematics (97) and Maths Extension 1 (48). As with others he too has access to a wide variety of new syllabus papers and has obviously demonstrated his wide knowledge of the subject.
Email: sokoldaniel@hotmail.com
Mitchell Wright (Received a HSC mark of 93, exam mark of 94)
Case Studies
Case studies seem to the the bane of many Business Studies students' existence. Remember, you ONLY use case studies in one of the two extended responses, meaning that case studies only account for 20% of your HSC exam, and as such they should NOT dominate your study time.
I recommend having a different case study for each KBF (ie one for operations, one for finance etc.). ALWAYS use large, known businesses, unless the business is absolutely perfect for the syllabus point you are explaining. Below I've listed some examples of good case study businesses:
Operations - manufacturing businesses are always good eg Apple, Toyota
Marketing - businesses with good, well-known advertising eg Coca-Cola, Woolworths/Coles, clothing brands, Apple
Finance - any case study used MUST have an annual report so that you have access to financial statements eg any of the big 4 banks, supermarkets etc.
Human Resources - any business where you can write about AT LEAST three of the HR indicators AND a workplace dispute, eg QANTAS, Toyota, Schweppes
Syllabus
Every HSC subject relies upon a syllabus, but Business Studies is more syllabus-focused than any other subject. The sooner you can learn the syllabus (particularly the learn to's), the sooner you will be on your way to success. I came up with acronyms for each sub-section of the syllabus, all of which are posted in the BOS Business Studies Acronyms thread here http://community.boredofstudies.org/21/business-studies/293800/acronym-dump.html
Past Papers
Again, this is key. Approximately 75% of your business studies mark will come from exams (the entire external component and roughly half of the internal component), so mastering the Business Studies exam structure is an essential skill. The paper is written in its order for a reason - that is the best order to do it in! Ignore what every teacher in every subject tells you, try and knock over the multiple choice in 10 minutes. This will allow you time to plan in sections III and IV.
Again, there are plenty of past papers available on BOS, just hit up Examine or zb123 and they will be happy to help you out.
Report Writing
I recommend using a report for both of the extended response sections, however it is only mandatory for section III. Learn to use headings, sub-headings, and force some sort of diagram or table out of whatever it is you are writing about. Accentuate your use of report structure by highlighting all headings/sub-headings or even writing them in a different colour pen.
Report writing is not nearly as difficult as it is made out to be. Proper report writing will be C.R.A.P.:
Concise - get to the point. This is not an English essay, there is no reason to stretch what it is you are trying to say over a greater amount of space.
Relevant - this is where your syllabus comes into it. Figure out which syllabus point(s) the question is hinting at, and keep referring to them, using the proper terminology. I know it can seem tacky to keep repeating the same words over and over, but if those words are the proper business studies terminology you will benefit from doing so.
Accurate - make sure what you are writing is actually true and makes sense (eg don't say that a christmas decoration store is not susceptible to seasonal influences)
Precise - not to be confused with concise, precise again relates to the syllabus. If the question is asking about only ONE syllabus point, don't try to lengthen your response by including other similar points, just write about what you need to.
Mitchell is currently offering his tutoring services for Business Studies at the Penrith Library. He has contributed greatly to the community by supplying his notes and thus has proven his overall understanding of the subject. He is very affordable and highly recommended.
Email: mitchellwright69@gmail.com
New Syllabus Exam Papers:
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/4d2trra4cci60//Papers
Advice from Band 6 achievers:
Drifting95 (Received a mark of 95):
- The case study only contributes a small amount to your overall mark so don’t spend too much time studying for it, the key is to spread your time equally for all sections of the paper. I would recommend knowing one main case study that can be linked to all syllabus dot points (e.g QANTAS) but also having a knowledge of other businesses to use for specific dot points if they pop up in the exam. I didn’t know these in depth but by simply keeping up to date with business news I was able to create a database of businesses/case studies from recent events that relate to SPECIFIC syllabus dot points. By using a range of different case studies within your essay this provides stronger and more substantial evidence of your wider business knowledge in the real world, not just theory content learnt from the textbook. Business studies is moving towards economics in that to achieve top marks you need to highlight your knowledge of the content in the real world as I said previously. Although it is possible to achieve top marks with one strong case study, including another 1-2 (even if they’re only used for one paragraph/section of the essay) greatly improves your chances of achieving top marks (if executed correctly)
- Learn the syllabus off by heart! It’s easy for business studies because the structure is the same for all 4 topics. By doing so, you’ll be able to recall your content easier and answer obscure multiple choice questions more effectively
- Don’t spent more than 10 minutes on your multiple choice (start during your reading time) and spent 1 hr max on your short answers. This was realistic for me and accordingly allowed me to spend about 1 hr on each essay. This worked very well for me as I spent 10 minutes planning my essay and would than write flat out for 50 minutes. If done correctly your arguments will be much more structured (due to your plan)
- Exam technique > content knowledge. Even if you know every bit of possible content that can be tested, not knowing how to construct a strong argument with effective and relevant evidence will consequently restrict your ability to achieve a band 6. Instead of simply learning your notes as study, apply this knowledge by answering as many past paper questions as possible. Examine has provided various new syllabus past papers, but also use previous syllabus hsc papers (ask your teacher if you’re not sure if a question is tested under the new syllabus)
- When completing section 4 try and memorize some statistics for specific dot points such as those related to finance. This was highly effective for me when the essay question asked to recommend strategies to improve objectives. I’d integrate my relevant business, how they used the strategy and use statistics to provide evidence in how the strategy adopted by the business (e.g working capital strategies) has lead to the business improving its liquidity etc
Daniel is currently offering his tutoring services in the South-Western Sydney area for Business Studies and Economics. As someone who knows Daniel personally I would highly recommend his tutoring services as he definitely knows how the HSC exam works and how to maximise your marks for these two subjects.
Tutoring thread: http://community.boredofstudies.org...oring-97-25-atar-eco-business-free-notes.html
zb123 (Received a mark of 96):
- With case studies - Start with three main businesses and try to adapt them to the major syllabus points.
- Learn the syllabus as soon as possible - The terminology is more important than the actual meaning (as definitions etc is just common sense).
- Multiple choice: Do as much practice as possible with other school trials etc, as often questions are repeated, and can be extremely vague
zb123 (Zubin) is currently offering Business Studies tutoring in the North Shore area. He obviously knows his stuff as reflected through his HSC mark of 96 and ATAR of 99.95. He also has as many past papers as me for Business Studies (30+ including term, half yearly and trial papers)
Check out his thread - http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=297530
Meshy590 (Received a mark of 97, 4th in the state)
- It's better to write on less things in more detail, as opposed to more things in detail. This mainly relevant to Sections 3 and 4 of the exam. Eg, if the business report question asks you to talk about Operations strategies, DON'T refer to all of the strategies; just pick the ones that are most relevant and elaborate on them.
- Work on your notes throughout the year, and don't leave it for the last minute.
- In the days leading up to the exam, go through a list of syllabus subheadings, and make sure you know all concepts in sufficient detail, definitions.
- DO PAST PAPERS. Do the first few while looking at your notes, then keep going until you are not looking at your notes at all. I didn't do that many papers in the days before my business exam, simply because I had 4 exams in 4 days. But try and do as many as possible, it's the best practice you can get.
- Send in Essays and reports to your teacher for marking.
- Make an essay on every dotpoint for case studies (ie. Influences, Processes, Strategies). However, I did this for my case study and the question was something completely different, but make essays just in case. This leads me to my next tip: when you have no idea what to write, just make up crap! All the case studies that I had memorised for the Extended response turned out to be irrelevant, and so I just made it up, and, with a bit of common sense, it all went well!
-DIRECTIVE TERMS!!! Probably the most important thing in this course. Many people have a thorough understanding of the concepts, but fail to answer the directive term. Make it obvious to the marker that you know what the directive terms mean. Eg. for 'analyse' say "the implications...." and for 'assess' use words like "vital, important, imperative, insignificant..."
- In the exam, get MC section done in less than 10 mins, and try to get SA section done in 50 mins. This will allow you 2hrs for Sections 3 and 4; something that I think is necessary
Meshy590 (Megh) is offering tutoring in the North West region, and coming 4th in the state, would be a great choice as a tutor shown through his vast knowledge of the subject. He also has a wide range of new syllabus papers which is beneficial when revising. Additionally, Megh is selling his notes, which he has obviously consolidated throughout the HSC period and have assisted him on receiving his excellent mark.
Business Studies Notes - http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=298051
Business Studies Tutoring - http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=298052
Daniel Sokol (Received a mark of 97, 10th in the state)
- My main tip is to know the board of studies command words (explain, analyse etc). The short answers section is worth 40 marks - this is the equivalent of the report and essay put together and you ONLY spend half the time on short answers relative to section 3/4. So, if you can nail close to full marks in short answers, you will nail the exam.
- Plus, it is very difficult to get the 19/20's or 20/20s in reports/essays, making the marks in short answers the easiest to get and the most valuable!!
- Another tip is to consistently make notes throughout the year and keep looking over them - if your not a note taker, be sure to purchase/get somebody else's notes and constantly look over all topics throughout the year! That way, when it comes to revising previous topics for exams, you already remember them.
- Probably the best business studies tool is the CRAM apps. They helped me the most! 'like' this facebook page, and download the apps, they explain all the content really well and are beneficial http://www.facebook.com/HscBusinessStudiesCramApps
- Case studies are important, but not as much as people make them out to be. Rather concentrate your time on content, and have case studies that you can draw upon in exams. Or if ever in doubt, just make them up.
- Lastly, DO write practice essays/reports and let your teacher mark them and give you feedback.
- Do the same with short answers to make sure you get full marks for those 5 or 6 markers.
Daniel too is offering his tutoring services. Located in the Sydney Eastern Suburbs, Daniel has acquired an ATAR of 99.85 doing the subjects Business Studies (state rank 97), Legal Studies (96), Economics (97), Mathematics (97) and Maths Extension 1 (48). As with others he too has access to a wide variety of new syllabus papers and has obviously demonstrated his wide knowledge of the subject.
Email: sokoldaniel@hotmail.com
Mitchell Wright (Received a HSC mark of 93, exam mark of 94)
Case Studies
Case studies seem to the the bane of many Business Studies students' existence. Remember, you ONLY use case studies in one of the two extended responses, meaning that case studies only account for 20% of your HSC exam, and as such they should NOT dominate your study time.
I recommend having a different case study for each KBF (ie one for operations, one for finance etc.). ALWAYS use large, known businesses, unless the business is absolutely perfect for the syllabus point you are explaining. Below I've listed some examples of good case study businesses:
Operations - manufacturing businesses are always good eg Apple, Toyota
Marketing - businesses with good, well-known advertising eg Coca-Cola, Woolworths/Coles, clothing brands, Apple
Finance - any case study used MUST have an annual report so that you have access to financial statements eg any of the big 4 banks, supermarkets etc.
Human Resources - any business where you can write about AT LEAST three of the HR indicators AND a workplace dispute, eg QANTAS, Toyota, Schweppes
Syllabus
Every HSC subject relies upon a syllabus, but Business Studies is more syllabus-focused than any other subject. The sooner you can learn the syllabus (particularly the learn to's), the sooner you will be on your way to success. I came up with acronyms for each sub-section of the syllabus, all of which are posted in the BOS Business Studies Acronyms thread here http://community.boredofstudies.org/21/business-studies/293800/acronym-dump.html
Past Papers
Again, this is key. Approximately 75% of your business studies mark will come from exams (the entire external component and roughly half of the internal component), so mastering the Business Studies exam structure is an essential skill. The paper is written in its order for a reason - that is the best order to do it in! Ignore what every teacher in every subject tells you, try and knock over the multiple choice in 10 minutes. This will allow you time to plan in sections III and IV.
Again, there are plenty of past papers available on BOS, just hit up Examine or zb123 and they will be happy to help you out.
Report Writing
I recommend using a report for both of the extended response sections, however it is only mandatory for section III. Learn to use headings, sub-headings, and force some sort of diagram or table out of whatever it is you are writing about. Accentuate your use of report structure by highlighting all headings/sub-headings or even writing them in a different colour pen.
Report writing is not nearly as difficult as it is made out to be. Proper report writing will be C.R.A.P.:
Concise - get to the point. This is not an English essay, there is no reason to stretch what it is you are trying to say over a greater amount of space.
Relevant - this is where your syllabus comes into it. Figure out which syllabus point(s) the question is hinting at, and keep referring to them, using the proper terminology. I know it can seem tacky to keep repeating the same words over and over, but if those words are the proper business studies terminology you will benefit from doing so.
Accurate - make sure what you are writing is actually true and makes sense (eg don't say that a christmas decoration store is not susceptible to seasonal influences)
Precise - not to be confused with concise, precise again relates to the syllabus. If the question is asking about only ONE syllabus point, don't try to lengthen your response by including other similar points, just write about what you need to.
Mitchell is currently offering his tutoring services for Business Studies at the Penrith Library. He has contributed greatly to the community by supplying his notes and thus has proven his overall understanding of the subject. He is very affordable and highly recommended.
Email: mitchellwright69@gmail.com
New Syllabus Exam Papers:
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/4d2trra4cci60//Papers
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