OCR GCSE Business Active Recall Guide (J204)
OCR · GCSE
OCR GCSE Business Active Recall Guide
Every topic of specification J204 written as exam-style questions with the answers printed after them. 582 questions across 6 topics and 37 subtopics, covering both papers with no options left out.
- OCR
- GCSE
- Specification J204
- 582 questions
Guide overview All 6 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
What the exam asks of you
OCR GCSE Business is examined in two papers of 1 hour 30 minutes, each worth half the GCSE. Component 01 covers business activity, marketing and people. Component 02 covers operations, finance and influences on business, and its Section B also asks synoptic questions that draw on marketing and people.
There are no options. Every student studies all six topics, which makes the recall load fixed and known.
| Paper | Covers |
|---|---|
|
Component 01 Business 1: business activity, marketing and people |
BUSINESS ACTIVITY MARKETING PEOPLE |
|
Component 02 Business 2: operations, finance and influences on business |
OPERATIONS FINANCE INFLUENCES ON BUSINESS THE INTERDEPENDENT NATURE OF BUSINESS (taught across the topics) |
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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Enterprise and entrepreneurship
Why must an entrepreneur develop an idea before launching a business?
Show the answer
Development turns a rough idea into a product customers will buy at a price that covers its costs. A test of the idea at this stage can reveal problems before money is spent. -
The purpose of marketing
Why is informing customers especially important when a product is new?
Show the answer
Customers cannot buy a product they have never heard of. A launch campaign builds awareness so that early sales can begin. -
The role of human resources
Why does a growing business need to plan its human resources carefully?
Show the answer
New branches or products need extra staff who must be recruited and trained in advance. Too few staff can lead to poor service and lost sales. -
Production processes
What are the disadvantages of batch production?
Show the answer
Machinery stands idle while it is cleaned or reset between batches. Each batch must also be stored until it is sold, which ties up cash. -
The role of the finance function
How does the finance function influence the marketing department?
Show the answer
The finance function sets the marketing budget and checks whether campaigns are affordable. A campaign may be cut back if it does not pay for itself. -
Ethical and environmental considerations
What is Fairtrade, and why do some businesses sell Fairtrade products?
Show the answer
Fairtrade guarantees producers in developing countries a minimum price and an extra premium for community projects. Fairtrade products show customers that a business sources ethically.
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 Activity95
- Marketing110
- People110
- Operations109
- Finance97
- Influences on Business61
- What is marketing?
- Why must a business identify who its customers are?
- Why is understanding customer needs important to a business?
- What is the difference between a customer need and a customer want?
- How does marketing inform customers?
- Why is informing customers especially important when a product is new?
- How does marketing help a business increase its sales?
- What is a target market?
- What is a unique selling point (USP)?
- Marketing is the process of identifying what customers want and making sure a business meets those wants profitably.
- A business needs to know who its customers are before it can design products they will buy. A clear picture of its customers allows the business to aim promotion at the right people.
- Customer needs change with fashion, technology and income. A business that understands these changes can adapt its products before rivals do.
- A need is something a customer must have, such as food or shelter. A want is something a customer would like but can live without.
- Marketing tells customers that a product exists, what it does and where to buy it. Clear information helps customers choose between products.
- Customers cannot buy a product they have never heard of. A launch campaign builds awareness so that early sales can begin.
- Marketing can attract new customers and persuade existing ones to buy more often. Higher sales can lead to higher revenue and profit.
- A target market is the particular group of customers a business aims its products and marketing at.
- A USP is a feature that makes a product different from its rivals and gives customers a reason to choose it.
questions
Scroll sideways to turn through the pages.
Questions students ask first
Which topics are on which paper?
Component 01 is Business Activity, Marketing and People. Component 02 is Operations, Finance and Influences on Business.
Component 02 Section B also asks synoptic questions drawing on marketing and people, so the first paper’s content is not finished with once it is sat. The 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, profit margins, market share and percentage change.
Do I need real business examples?
The papers set questions in the context of a named business on the paper itself, so you are not expected to bring your own case studies. What you are expected to bring 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 61 to 110 questions.
OCR GCSE Business Active Recall Guide
Every question paired with its answer, grouped by topic and subtopic, ready to work in three passes.