AQA GCSE Business Active Recall Guide (8132)
AQA · GCSE
AQA GCSE Business Active Recall Guide
Every topic of specification 8132 written as exam-style questions with the answers printed after them. 659 questions across 6 topics and 41 subtopics, covering both papers with no options left out.
- AQA
- GCSE
- Specification 8132
- 659 questions
Guide overview All 6 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
What the exam asks of you
AQA GCSE Business is examined in two papers of 1 hour 45 minutes, each worth half the GCSE. Paper 1 is the influences of operations and human resources on business activity. Paper 2 is the influences of marketing and finance.
Two topics sit on both papers. Business in the Real World and Influences on Business are examined twice, which makes them the highest-value content on the course and the last thing that should be left to the week before.
| Paper | Covers |
|---|---|
|
Paper 1 Influences of operations and HRM on business activity |
BUSINESS IN THE REAL WORLD INFLUENCES ON BUSINESS BUSINESS OPERATIONS HUMAN RESOURCES |
|
Paper 2 Influences of marketing and finance on business activity |
BUSINESS IN THE REAL WORLD INFLUENCES ON BUSINESS MARKETING FINANCE |
What is in the guide
All 6 topics
Every topic has its own page with its subtopics, what it covers and sample questions.
Sample questions
Taken from the guide. Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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What a business is and why people start one
What is a business opportunity?
Show the answer
A business opportunity is a gap in the market that a new business could fill. An example is a product customers want but cannot easily buy. -
E-commerce and digital communication
Why has e-commerce increased the competition faced by high-street shops?
Show the answer
Online sellers often have lower costs and can charge lower prices. Shoppers can compare prices on their phones before buying in a shop. -
Job, flow and lean production
What are the disadvantages of flow production?
Show the answer
A production line needs a large investment in machinery at the start. Repetitive work can bore staff, and one breakdown can halt the whole line. -
Organisational structures, span of control and delegation
What is a tall organisational structure?
Show the answer
A tall structure has many layers of management and narrow spans of control. Each manager supervises only a few staff. -
Identifying and satisfying customer needs
Why does satisfying customer needs help a business to be competitive?
Show the answer
Customers choose the business that best meets their needs. A business that meets needs better than its rivals will win customers from them. -
Sources of finance
What is a bank loan?
Show the answer
A bank loan is a fixed sum borrowed from a bank and repaid with interest over an agreed period. The repayments must be made whatever the business's profit.
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Look inside
Questions for a subtopic print together and the answers for that section print after them.
- Business in the Real World151
- Influences on Business96
- Business Operations79
- Human Resources64
- Marketing164
- Finance105
- What is e-commerce?
- How does e-commerce let a business reach a wider market?
- How has digital technology created new products and changed old markets?
- What are the benefits of e-commerce for a retailer?
- What are the drawbacks of e-commerce for a business?
- Why has e-commerce increased the competition faced by high-street shops?
- Why might a local takeaway join an online food delivery app?
- What is digital communication?
- Give three examples of digital communication a business might use.
- E-commerce is buying and selling goods or services over the internet. Customers can order through a website or an app.
- A website can be visited by customers anywhere in the country or the world. A small business can sell nationally or abroad without opening new premises.
- Digital technology has created products such as streaming services, apps and online banking. Businesses selling older versions, such as DVD shops and travel agents, have lost sales.
- An online retailer can trade 24 hours a day and reach far more customers. An online retailer may also save on the cost of running shops.
- A business must pay to build and maintain a secure website. Online customers can compare prices instantly, which makes competition fiercer.
- Online sellers often have lower costs and can charge lower prices. Shoppers can compare prices on their phones before buying in a shop.
- A delivery app puts the takeaway in front of many customers who would not otherwise find it. The app charges a commission on each order, which cuts the takeaway's profit margin.
- Digital communication is sending information electronically, such as by email, social media, text message or video call. Digital communication is fast and cheap.
- A business might use email, social media and video conferencing.
questions
Scroll sideways to turn through the pages.
Questions students ask first
Which topics are on which paper?
Paper 1 is Business in the Real World, Influences on Business, Business Operations and Human Resources. Paper 2 is Business in the Real World, Influences on Business, Marketing and Finance.
The first two appear on both. The full breakdown is here.
Are the calculations covered?
Yes. Revenue, fixed and variable costs, total costs and profit, break-even point and margin of safety, cash flow forecasts, gross and net profit margins, average rate of return, and market share and percentage change.
Do I need real business examples?
The papers set questions around a business described on the paper itself, so you do not need your own case studies. What you need is the concept, the definition and the calculation, which is what the guide drills.
How long does one session take?
About twenty minutes for one subtopic, all three steps. Topics here run from 64 to 164 questions.
AQA GCSE Business Active Recall Guide
Every question paired with its answer, grouped by topic and subtopic, ready to work in three passes.