OCR GCSE Business guide FAQ (J204)
Guide overview All 6 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
OCR GCSE Business: questions and answers
Specification J204. Two sets, because students and parents ask different things.
For students
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.
Can I do it in my head instead of writing?
Write. Business marks turn on precise definitions and on working shown for calculations. The method page sets out the evidence.
When should I start?
Any point in Year 10 or Year 11. Both papers are sat at the end of Year 11 and cover the whole course.
Do I still need past papers?
Yes. This guide handles recall. Past papers train applying it to the business on the paper and the extended answers. OCR publishes them free.
For parents
What is this, in plain terms?
A PDF of 582 exam-style questions covering the whole of OCR GCSE Business, with the answers printed after each topic.
How do I check it is the right course?
The specification code is on the exam timetable. OCR GCSE Business is J204.
How do I know if it is being used properly?
There should be handwritten answers on paper and three passes over the same questions, and two scores per session to compare.
My child revises for hours and the grades have not moved.
Rereading and highlighting are the two most common revision activities and both were rated low utility in Dunlosky and colleagues’ 2013 review of ten techniques. The method page sets out what to do instead.
How much is it compared with a textbook?
£7.00 for the whole specification. A GCSE Business revision guide is usually £6 to £10 and a textbook £20 to £30.
How much time does it take?
37 subtopics at roughly twenty minutes each is about 12 hours for a full first pass of the course.
What else does my child need?
Past papers, free from OCR, a calculator, and their own notes for anything not yet taught.
OCR GCSE Business Active Recall Guide
582 questions with their answers, 37 subtopics, one file.