HSC Business Studies 2024: Multiple choice questions throw ‘curveballs’ in otherwise easy exam

Year 12 business studies students have walked out of their exam rooms with their heads held high after a HSC paper that offered few surprises for well-prepared pupils. Here’s how it happened.

Year 12 business studies students have walked out of their exam rooms with their heads held high after a HSC paper that offered few surprises for well-prepared pupils.

The three-hour exam consisted of four sections – 20 marks for 20 multiple choice questions, eight pages of short response questions, a mock “business report” worth 20 marks, and an essay with two question options also worth 20 marks.

St Andrews College Marayong students Amber Kahlon, Euleila Barret, Aleina Hartono, Dominic Watson and Monark Patel agreed the paper was generally straightforward, and similar to past papers.

“It was easier than I expected,” Amber, who “smashed out” the multiple choice questions, said.

“I went into the exam knowing how to approach each question – especially how to add to the question – which I think played to my advantage,” Euleila added.

St Andrews College Marayong Year 12 Business Studies students after finishing their exam on Tuesday. (Left to right) Amber Kahlon, Monark Patel, Euleila Barret, Dominic Watson and Aleina Hartono. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Assistant HSIE co-ordinator and business studies teacher Monika Ramzy said the HSC exam was an improvement on the previous year’s paper due to the broad variety of topics it touched upon.

“(The questions) were specifically focused towards environmental sustainability and CSR (corporate social responsibility) which was really refreshing to see,” Ms Ramzy said.

HSC business studies teachers at St Andrews College Marayong Jessica Weir and Monika Ramzy. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

While there were a “couple of curveballs” in the multiple choice section, she said, teachers expect to see some challenging questions that separate out the Band 4 from the Band 6 performers.

In Section III students were asked to prepare a business report for a fictional watchmaker and given a full-page scenario with extensive detail, something Dominic said “made it easier to answer”.

Fellow business studies teacher Jessica Weir said for that section and the final essay, students should have written between 600 and 800 words to have included enough detail to be eligible for full marks.

“How much you write depends on the NESA verb – “describe” is pretty vague, whereas “discuss” for acquisition it would have to include both positives and negatives,” she said.

“Students can still use their knowledge of retail to answer it.”

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