Paper 1: MCQ, Short & Medium Responses (OCR GCSE Business)

OCR GCSE Business Paper 1

• Paper 1 focuses on three areas of content:

  • Business activity

  • Marketing

  • People

• The total marks available in this exam paper is 80, which equates to 50% of the overall qualification

• The exam paper is split into two sections:

  • Section A consists of fifteen multiple-choice questions

    • Each question is worth one mark

  • Section B consists of short, medium and extended response questions

    • A series of case studies that draw on real business contexts provide the framework for these questions

    • Questions in this section total 65 marks

Paper 1 Multiple Choice Questions

• Each question provides four possible responses

• You are required to select one correct answer in each of the fifteen multiple choice questions

• Multiple choice questions mostly test your knowledge and understanding of business concepts, including:

  • Definitions of key terms

  • Selection of a correct option

  • Identification of a benefit or drawback

  • Interpretation of data

• Some questions require you to carry out a calculation, testing your skills of application

OCR GCSE Business Paper 1: Short Answer Questions

• Short-answer questions are worth one or two marks and usually contain the command terms identify, state or explain

  • Identify and state questions require you to demonstrate knowledge

    • A very brief response, usually a single phrase or sentence, is sufficient

• Explain questions require you to demonstrate knowledge and apply your response

  • Your answer should be a developed sentence that refers to the specific context

OCR GCSE Business Paper 1: Medium Response Questions

Analyse questions

• Medium-response analysis questions are worth three or six marks

  • Analyse questions require you to demonstrate skills of knowledge, application and analysis

  • Your answer should be a series of developed sentences that refer to the specific context and include logical chains of reasoning

• In three-mark analyse questions, you are required to consider one reason, impact or factor

  • One mark is available for knowledge, one for application and one for analysis

• Six-mark analyse questions require you to consider two reasons, impacts or factors

  • Two marks are available for knowledge, two for application and two for analysis

Evaluate and recommend questions

• Medium-response evaluate and recommend questions are worth three marks

  • These questions assess your ability to make a justified decision, using the given context

  • Your answer should be a series of developed sentences that refer to the specific context and include comparison with alternatives

• You are awarded:

  • One mark for a decision

  • One further mark if the decision is within context

  • One further mark if you justify your decision