Live reaction: Leaving Cert business paper gets thumbs-up from teachers and students
Leaving Cert: Business (9.30-12.20) and Art, Visual Studies (2-4.30pm)
Junior Cycle: German (9.30-11.30) and Wood Technology (1.30-3pm)
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Leaving Cert business: great choice and topical questions
The early reaction to the Leaving Cert business exam, which ends shortly, is positive.
Textbook author and former teacher
Gavin Duffy
says students continued to have great choice in the short questions section, being able to answer eight from 12.
However, he says this section stood out as 'the most challenging part of the paper for students' given its focus on questions from units six and seven, which are areas many students may not have focused on too much in their revision.
'That said, the level of choice available still gave most students a solid chance to get off the mark well early on in their paper,' he says.
READ MORE
'The ABQ had no real surprises for students and should have been approachable for them – the examiner looked for content that we've seen in recent years so a student well prepared would have been able to handle it well.'
In part B, students were asked to evaluate areas where 'Inis Bia' lacked control – specifically credit, stock, quality, and financial control – which was a @fair ask for those familiar with the topic'. Duffy says the ABQ text provided good clear links to each area for students.
'The long questions were well-balanced and offered students a broad range of options,' he says.
Overall, Duffy feels most students will have been very satisfied with the questions and the topics covered.
'The examiner tied in plenty of current issues, such as the benefits and challenges of high employment and barriers to free trade,' he says.
'Stimulus materials were accessible and relevant, including a hotel that hosts Debs events and Glanbia's acquisition of the whey protein brand Optimum Nutrition.'
The application-based questions were also well-designed, he says, with students asked to apply the global marketing mix and complete a SWOT analysis for a product of their own choice.
'This gave them a strong opportunity to apply what they've learned using real business examples, and to demonstrate a solid understanding of the course content,' he says.
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