IB Business Management SLTopic 7 — Exam Skills and AssessmentPaper 1Exam skill~9 min read
What Paper 1 Asks For
Paper 1 is the case study paper. You meet the company months early through the pre-released statement, then get the full story on exam day. Thirty marks, ninety minutes, and a very predictable shape — which means you can walk in knowing exactly how long to spend on each answer.
What you need to know
Paper 1 lasts 1 hour 30 minutes, is worth 30 marks, and counts for 35% of your SL grade.
It is the same paper for SL and HL, so it can never contain HL-only material.
Every question is based on an extended case study handed to you on the day.
A pre-released statement appears about three months earlier with the topic, a terminology list and the opening paragraphs.
Section A is 20 marks of structured questions and you answer all of them.
Section B is one discuss question chosen from two, worth 10 marks.
Questions can come from any part of the syllabus, not just the topics the case study seems to be about.
The shape of the paper
Section A has more questions, but Section B has the highest marks per question. Protect the time for it.
Where the case study comes from
About three months before the exam your teacher hands you the pre-released statement. It tells you the broad topic, gives a list of key terminology, and prints the opening paragraphs of the case study. The number of paragraphs varies by session — some years four, some years five.
The IB advises spending a maximum of five hours researching. The rest of the case study, including all the financial data, arrives only on exam day.
Common false comfort. Because you have seen the opening, students assume they know what the questions will be about. You do not. The pre-release gives you context, not content. The marks come from the material printed on the paper in front of you.
Section A: the structured questions
Twenty marks split across several short questions. All compulsory. The command word tells you exactly what shape the answer takes.
Command word
Marks
What the answer looks like
Define
2
Two separate statements giving the meaning of a term. No case study application needed. Two sentences and stop.
Explain
2
One business point, then one sentence applying it to the case study company. Point plus application.
Explain
4
Two points, each developed in context. Usually one advantage and one disadvantage, or two reasons.
Describe
4
Two items set out clearly, each with detail drawn from the case study. Less argument than explain, more detail.
If a 4-mark question gives you two things to do — one advantage and one disadvantage — the marks are almost always 1 for each point and 1 for each application. Four sentences. Do not write a page.
Section B: the discuss question
You choose one of two questions and write an extended response for ten marks. This is not marked point by point. The examiner makes a judgement about how well your answer shows four things: knowledge, application, analysis and evaluation.
A ten-mark answer that hits every criterion
Define the key terms from the question in the opening paragraph. Short, no waffle.
Build the case one way. Two developed points, each tied back to the company by name.
Build the case the other way. Two counter-points. A one-sided answer cannot reach the top band.
Use a toolkit tool by name where it fits — SWOT, STEEPLE, Ansoff, a circular business model.
Finish with a judgement. Not a summary. An actual decision, justified, and a sentence on what it depends on.
How to spend the ninety minutes
Roughly three minutes per mark. If a 2-mark question is taking five minutes, you have misread it.
WORKED EXAMPLE
Explain one advantage and one disadvantage for a manufacturer of moving into a second, unrelated industry. [4]
Advantage: the point
Operating in two industries spreads risk, so the firm is less dependent on one market [1]
Advantage: the applicationIf demand in its original market is cyclical and falls during a recession, income from the second business helps keep revenue and cash flow steadier [1]Disadvantage: the point
The new industry needs different skills, suppliers and equipment from the ones the firm already has [1]
Disadvantage: the applicationManagers may be stretched across two very different businesses, and the firm faces set-up costs and a learning curve before the new operation makes any profit [1]4 marks in four sentencesPoint, apply, point, apply. That rhythm gets you full marks on every 4-mark explain.
Exam tip
Read the questions before the case study. You then read the case looking for something, instead of just reading.
Use roughly three minutes per mark. It is the simplest timing rule and it works.
Name the company constantly. Application marks are handed out for using the case, not for general business knowledge.
Quote line numbers where you can. It is the fastest way to prove you are using the text.
Choose your Section B question on evidence, not interest. Pick the one where you can find more from the case study, not the one that sounds nicer.
Spend five minutes planning Section B. A plan is the difference between a mid-band and a top-band answer.
Remember it is a shared SL and HL paper. Nothing HL-only can appear, so do not panic about extension topics.
Common mix-up
Writing a paragraph for a 2-mark question. Two marks means two statements. The extra words earn nothing and cost you Section B.
Answering from the pre-release instead of the paper. Marks come from the case study in front of you.
Assuming the questions match the topic of the case. A case about a factory can still ask about marketing or finance.
Giving a one-sided discuss answer. Without a counter-argument you cannot reach the top evaluation band.
Ending Section B with a summary. A judgement takes a position. A summary just repeats.
Answering both Section B questions. Only one is marked, and you have wasted half your time.
Up next: What Paper 2 Asks For — the unseen paper, the one with the numbers in it.
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