Difficulty Verdict

This paper is of moderately high difficulty (3.5/5). While Section A features highly accessible definitional and numerical marks, Section B dramatically steps up the cognitive load, demanding that students link theoretical enterprise concepts to two distinct contexts: the pre-released case study (Luna's EFPS enterprise) and their own school-based enterprise project.

Where the Marks Are

The major mark reserves are concentrated in Section B, which carries 50% of the overall paper marks split across two 10-mark analysis questions and two 15-mark evaluation essays. Within Section A, the 8 marks dedicated to the SWOT analysis matrix and the 4 marks for the cost-saving calculation represent excellent return-on-investment opportunities for well-prepared students.

Examiner Pitfalls & Lost Marks

  • The Context Trap: In Q1(d), Q4(a), and Q7, many candidates failed to describe their actual project activities, offering purely generic business theory instead. In these applied questions, zero context equals zero progress past Level 1.
  • One-Sided Evaluations: On the 15-mark questions, examiners repeatedly flagged that candidates wrote extensively about the benefits of a source of help or marketing, but neglected the downsides or limitations, capping their scores at 7 out of 15.
  • Calculation Workings: In the paving stones saving calculation, some candidates simply wrote down a final figure. When this figure was incorrect due to minor math errors, they missed out on the partial formula marks.

Preparation Strategy

To maximize scores, students should master the distinction between Trade Payables and Trade Receivables, which remains a source of persistent confusion. Furthermore, active practice writing balanced evaluations (exploring both benefits and limitations before proposing a justified judgment) is critical for scoring Level 4 marks in Section B.

Next-Series Predictions

As this series heavily focused on Marketing, Legal Obligations, and Sources of Help, upcoming exams are highly likely to test the overdue areas of The Negotiation Process, Action Plans, and detailed Business Plan construction, which were relatively underrepresented in this paper.