Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Cambridge International AS & A Level

Business 9609
For examination from 2023
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 v1
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Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Question 1 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Example Candidate Response – high ............................................................................................................................. 6
Example Candidate Response – middle ....................................................................................................................... 10
Example Candidate Response – low............................................................................................................................. 13

Question 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Example Candidate Response – high ........................................................................................................................... 15
Example Candidate Response – middle ....................................................................................................................... 18
Example Candidate Response – low............................................................................................................................. 22
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Introduction
The main aim of this booklet is to exemplify standards for those teaching Cambridge International AS & A Level
Business, and to show how dierent levels o candidates’ perormance (high, middle and low) relate to the syllabus
requirements. This document helps teachers to assess the standards required to achieve marks beyond the guidance
of the mark scheme.
In this booklet candidate responses have been chosen from the June 2023 exam series to exemplify a range of
answers.
For each question, the response is annotated with examiner comments about where and why marks were awarded or
omitted. This is followed by comments on how the answer could be improved. There is also a list of common mistakes
and guidance for candidates for each question.
Please refer to the June 2023 Examiner Report for further details and guidance.
The questions and mark schemes are available on the School Support Hub

9609 June 2023 Question Paper 42

9609 June 2023 Mark Scheme 42

Past exam resources and other teaching and learning resources are available on the School Support Hub

4
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

How to use this booklet

This booklet goes through the paper one question at a time, showing you a high-, middle- and low-level response for
each question. The candidate answers are set in a table. In the left-hand column are the candidate answers, and in
the right-hand column are the examiner comments.

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 The candidate gives a denition

o leadership. AO1 (knowledge and
1 understanding) can be awarded
for knowledge of leadership and
the elements of leadership and for
knowledge of strategic management.
To be awarded all o the AO1 marks,
2 candidates need to show both of
these.
2 AO2 application is awarded or
Examiner
applying comments
knowledge explain
of leadership
Responses are written by real candidates in exam where and why marks were
or strategic management to the
conditions, demonstrating the types of answers for awarded.
scenario of BV.These help to
Repeating pieces of
each level. These could be used to discuss and interpret the standard of
the data is not application.
analyse the answers with learners in the classroom to Cambridge exams to help
improve their skills. learners rene their exam
technique.

How the candidate could improve their answer

• The candidate did not attempt to analyse the overall impact o BV’s leadership strategy on BV in their answer.
Three elements o BV’s leadership were analysed well, but that was only enough or Level 2 AO3.
• In this case, it was not about analysing the impact o elements o strategy (like emotional intelligence and
organisational structure), it should be about analysing what was good and what was bad about BV’s leadership as
a whole. Candidates who did this achieved Level 3 AO3 and marks in the top level o this skill.

This section explains how the candidate could

improve each response. It helps learners to improve
their exam technique.

Common mistakes and guidance for candidates

A strategy is a combination of many elements. When candidates are asked to analyse and evaluate strategy, we
expect them to bring those elements together and develop arguments about the strategy as a whole. This is one of
the main dierences between the other papers in this suite o examinations and this one. The strategic approach
required to be successful in this paper must be recognised and candidates should be taught to widen their answers to
encompass more than just individual strands of analysis and evaluation.

This section lists common mistakes as well as helpful

guidance from the examiner. This will help your learners
to avoid these mistakes. You can use this alongside the
relevant Examiner Report to guide your learners.

5
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Question 1

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 The candidate gives a denition

o leadership. AO1 (knowledge and
1 understanding) can be awarded
for knowledge of leadership and
the elements of leadership and for
knowledge of strategic management.
To be awarded all o the AO1 marks,
2 candidates need to show both of
these.
2 AO2 application is awarded or
applying knowledge of leadership
or strategic management to the
scenario of BV. Repeating pieces
of the data is not application.
3 However, since the candidate
shows knowledge of leadership,
this application o Rohit’s emotional
intelligence can be awarded.
3 Here is the start of a chain
of analysis about the impact of
Rohit’s emotional intelligence on
4 BV. In this case the employees are
more motivated, leading to more
productivity, reducing levels of labour
turnover. This is a good example
5 of Level 2 analysis, which is a
developed chain of analysis based
on an individual element, in this case
emotional intelligence.
4 This is a judgement, but it only
has limited supporting evidence.
The question asks candidates
to evaluate the extent to which
leadership contributed to BV’s
eective strategic management
and this judgement is only about a
small part of leadership – emotional
intelligence. Therefore, it can only
be based on limited supporting
evidence.
5 The candidate applies their
knowledge of leadership to the data
about BV. In this case the candidate
chooses decision-making as an
element o leadership (although
there is no explicit knowledge of this
given by the candidate) and Rohit’s
decision to sell 45 % of the company.

6
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

6 The candidate starts another

chain of analysis, this time about
Rohit’s decision-making. Again
the chain of analysis develops,
6 but it is just about the one element
of leadership, so it can only be
7
awarded at Level 2 AO3.
7 To be awarded all of the
AO1 marks, the candidate needs
to demonstrate knowledge of
both leadership and strategic
management. Although the
knowledge is limited here, it
8
is awarded as the candidate
shows knowledge of strategic
management (providing a sense
o direction). It would have been
better if the candidate had given a
better denition o what strategic
9 management actually is.
8 While this is a judgement that
uses the wording of the question,
it does not have any supporting
10
evidence. It makes a simple
statement and expects the examiner
to connect this to the previous point.
Good evaluation would make this
link clear.
9 The candidate oers another
piece of knowledge about
leadership. All the AO1 marks
11
are awarded at this point in the
response.
10 The candidate gives another
chain of analysis that develops
rom leaders needing to eectively
manage change.
11 The candidate makes another
judgement about the importance
of leadership, this time with limited
supporting evidence. However, this
only reaches Level 1 AO4 because
it is a repetition of the previous
analytical point. Good evaluation
should make a judgement and
then explore how that judgement
was made, weighing up dierent
perspectives and arguments.

7
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

12 This is a good conclusion.

It starts with a judgement that
answers the question. The candidate
then explains why they made the
judgement – this is the supporting
evidence (because BV was clearly
a business motivated to grow). This
is Level 1 AO4. The candidate then
develops this further by stating that
the potential diseconomies of scale
that could have come from the
expansion merits the importance
of leadership to BV. This is Level
2 AO4. It is not the only way to
develop an evaluative comment,
but it was the method chosen by
this candidate. However, to get
12 into Level 3 the candidate must
explicitly use context within their
evaluation and this occurs when
specic reerence is made to Rohit’s
emotional intelligence. At that point
the candidate is awarded the bottom
o Level 3 AO4.
13 The candidate continues to
13 develop their evaluation and uses
another explicit piece of context
(paying workers through the
pandemic) urther showing the
importance of leadership. This
pushes the answer to the top of
Level 3 AO4.
Mark or AO1 = 3 out o 3
Mark or AO2 = 2 out o 2
Mark or AO3 = 6 out o 8
Mark or AO4 = 7 out o 7

Total mark awarded = 18 out of 20

How the candidate could improve their answer

• The candidate did not attempt to analyse the overall impact o BV’s leadership strategy on BV in their answer.
Three elements o BV’s leadership were analysed well, but that was only enough or Level 2 AO3.
• In this case, it was not about analysing the impact o elements o strategy (like emotional intelligence and
organisational structure), it should be about analysing what was good and what was bad about BV’s leadership as
a whole. Candidates who did this achieved Level 3 AO3 and marks in the top level o this skill.

8
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

• Despite being awarded all the AO4 marks in this response, the evaluation could have been improved. The best
evaluations looked at how the judgement might change depending on dierent perspectives. One such approach
would be to suggest how important leadership might be to BV in the short-term, compared to the long-term.
Another approach was to argue that dierent stakeholders may value the contribution o leadership in dierent
ways; perhaps the employees see leadership as crucial to BV’s strategic management. Whereas the customers,
who may not have any interaction with BV’s leaders, may not see it as important at all.
• Candidates should not leave all the evaluation until the end of their response. This candidate attempted to
evaluate earlier in their answer, but it was done too quickly and seemed to be perfunctory. Making judgements and
evaluative comments throughout an answer is sensible and makes for a better strategic response.

9
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle Examiner comments

1 The rst two sentences in this

response do not add to the quality
1 of the response at all. They merely
reword the question which should be
avoided.
2 2 This is a good example
of tautology as the candidate
uses the same words to try and
3 dene something. By stating that
‘leadership is how the manager
leads the company’, the candidate
shows no knowledge and wastes
4 time.
3 The candidate simply states that
5 leadership is linked with these other
areas o the specication.
6 4 There is some knowledge in
this statement and in this case it is
knowledge of emotional intelligence.
7 This is an element of leadership and
can be awarded a knowledge mark.
8 Many candidates choose to start
their answer with a denition.
5 The candidate attempts analysis
here. However, increasing the
employees’ support or the business
is not a good enough impact to
award any analysis marks yet.
6 The candidate applies their
knowledge to the organisation chart
and shows that they understand
what it is showing. This is the skill of
application (AO2).
7 The candidate demonstrates
knowledge (AO1) about types o
culture.
8 A very simple piece of Level 1
AO3, showing that this may make
employees less resistant to change.
The candidate could develop this
through a chain of analysis by
looking at how this may have
eected BV.

10
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

9 9 The candidate oers another

piece of application by relating this
to Rohit paying employees through
the pandemic. As long as it is
relevant, and knowledge has been
demonstrated, candidates can gain
their AO2 marks using any o the
data given in the context. At this
point in the response, all o the AO2
10
marks are awarded.
10 The candidate attempts to dene
what strategic management is, and
is awarded with AO1 marks. To gain
all o the AO1 marks in this question,
knowledge about both leadership
and strategic management has to be
demonstrated. This candidate does
11 this, so all o the AO1 marks are
awarded.
11 The candidate’s response
loses focus on the question. The
12 fact that BV sold 45 % to a venture
capitalist and became a public
limited company (PLC) may be
relevant, but the candidate has not
made the relevance clear. In fact,
the candidate states ‘all this is not
about employees or being a good
leader’. Perhaps they mean that
therefore this shows that leadership
did not contribute to the strategic
management of BV, but this is not
clear.
12 The question asks about
the extent to which leadership
contributed to the eective strategic
management of BV. The candidate
may have been trying to argue that
it did not, because other things were
more important. However, because
they do not state this, their answer
does not answer the question.

11
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

13 13 The candidate states what they

are doing. ‘To evaluate’ is a perectly
reasonable way to start a piece of
evaluation and makes it very clear
what skill the candidate is attempting
to demonstrate.
14 14 This paragraph achieves
Level 2 AO4. It contains a
judgement with better than limited
supporting evidence. There is some
development, bringing together
some of the arguments that were
attempted earlier in the response.
Although good evaluation often does
follow on from good analysis, we are
assessing each skill separately in
this examination. Therefore, despite
the relatively weak attempts at
analysis earlier in the response, this
conclusion is awarded Level 2 AO4.
Mark or AO1 = 3 out o 3
Mark or AO2 = 2 out o 2
Mark or AO3 = 2 out o 8
Mark or AO4 = 3 out o 7

Total mark awarded = 10 out of 20

How the candidate could improve their answer

• Marks could only be awarded or what the candidate wrote, there can be no ‘reading between the lines’ or attempts
to interpret what they may have meant. It was essential that every sentence the candidate wrote in answer to a
question was linked to answering that question. Sometimes this might make an answer sound repetitive, but it
keeps the candidate on track and it is not unreasonable to continuously refer back to the wording of that question
to make sure it is being answered. Candidates must be very careful to keep their answer relevant.
• The skills of analysis and evaluation are separate and, in this examination, did not depend on each other. Too
oten, candidates mixed up their analysis and evaluation and did not really know where one nished and the other
started. Teaching the clear distinction between analysis and evaluation would help candidates be more successful
in this examination.

12
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low Examiner comments

1 1 This is not linked to answering

the question and the candidate
cannot be awarded marks for any of
the skill areas.
2 The candidate shows some
knowledge of decision-making as an
aspect of leadership.
3 The candidate shows knowledge
about a leader needing a strong
2 work ethic.
4 The candidate applies their
knowledge of the data about
BV and Rohit’s decision to pay
3
his employees throughout the
pandemic. However, they do not
analyse why this is important, or the
eect this has on BV.

4 5 Stating that his decision

was a ‘smart choice’ lacks the
sophistication required as it does not
explain why it was a smart choice or
how it helped the business to have
a motivated and loyal workforce that
reduced labour turnover. Candidates
5 should understand what leadership
is and also how good and bad
leadership can eect a business.
6 This is the skill of analysis that is
being examined here.
6 The candidate shows more
7 knowledge of leadership. However,
as they already show two pieces
of knowledge about leadership,
the only way to improve their AO1
mark is to show knowledge of the
other part of the question which is
strategic management. Every aspect
of a question must be covered to be
awarded all o the marks or AO1.
7 The candidate oers a second
piece o application. All o the AO2
marks were awarded by this point.

13
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low, continued Examiner comments

8 This is a common-sense
approach to this question and
8 suggests that the candidate is not
using the skills required at this level
to answer it.
9 The candidate does not oer a
real impact on the business at the
expected level. ‘For the better of the
company’ is too vague as an impact
of leadership.
9
10 The nal sentence is awarded
Level 1 AO4 or 1 mark. It is a
judgement and there is a touch
of limited supporting evidence,
however, it is very limited.
10
Mark or AO1 = 2 out o 3
Mark or AO2 = 2 out o 2
Mark or AO3 = 0 out o 8
Mark or AO4 = 1 out o 7

Total mark awarded = 5 out of 20

How the candidate could improve their answer

• Candidates sometimes nd it difcult to start answers to questions such as these. There was no one optimal way,
but a denition would be a good way to start an answer. It could help the candidate think about the right area o the
syllabus and, as long as it is relevant and correct, should guarantee some AO1 marks are awarded. Each sentence
of a response should add to the marks awarded.
• It was expected that candidates who have studied A Level Business develop an appropriate vocabulary. This does
not just mean using the words from the syllabus, but also a vocabulary that can analyse and evaluate. The average
person who has not studied this subject will oten say that a business is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but International A Level
Business candidates should be able to delve deeper. Chains of analysis should be built using concepts such as
revenue, prot, motivation, success, and many others.

Common mistakes and guidance for candidates

A strategy is a combination of many elements. When candidates are asked to analyse and evaluate strategy, we
expect them to bring those elements together and develop arguments about the strategy as a whole. This is one of
the main dierences between the other papers in this suite o examinations and this one. The strategic approach
required to be successful in this paper must be recognised and candidates should be taught to widen their answers to
encompass more than just individual strands of analysis and evaluation.

14
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Question 2

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 1 The majority of this introduction

repeats the question and data.
However, the candidate shows
some AO1 knowledge at the end o
the paragraph when they assert that
the local-globalisation strategy may
2 be suitable where there are dierent
external inuences.
2 Selectively using appropriate
gures rom the data can be AO2
application and, on this occasion
the data shows that the pan global
strategy would be more cost
eective.

3 3 The candidate oers a chain o

analysis about the impact a more
cost-eective strategy would have
on BV.

4 4 Level 3 AO3 requires not just

the analysis of one piece of data,
but of the entire strategy. The
candidate brings together the higher
prot margin with the cost-eective
element to give a wider piece of
analysis and reaches Level 3.

15
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

5 5 The question asks for

candidates to ‘advise’ the Board
of Directors. In this case, the
candidate states that a strategy
adapted to local tastes would be
‘more appropriate’. This is a clear
judgement and a valid route into
AO4. What ollows is discussion
over the validity of this argument
which brings this into Level 2 AO4.
This could be improved by more
explicit use of context within the
evaluation.

6 6 The candidate oers another

piece o AO4 Evaluation, giving a
specic judgement and advice or
BV’s Board o Directors. The use o
numbers gives this Level 3 AO4 and
justies the judgement made by the
candidate.

16
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

Mark or AO1 = 3 out o 3

Mark or AO2 = 2 out o 2
Mark or AO3 = 7 out o 8
Mark or AO4 = 6 out o 7

Total mark awarded = 18 out of 20

How the candidate could improve their answer

This response only had one piece o Level 3 AO3 Analysis which showed that the quality o the skill was more
important than the quantity. Although the candidate did not use the majority of the data, or the full range of possible
points, it was assumed that the candidate had been selective and chosen the arguments that best supported the
conclusions made. This allowed the candidate to ocus on a judgement that could be justied within the time given or
this examination.

17
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle Examiner comments

1 1 The candidate gives two

pieces o AO1 knowledge in
this introductory paragraph; the
knowledge of the contents of a
marketing plan and what is involved
in orce eld analysis.

2 2 The question asks candidates

to advise the Board of Directors
on a marketing strategy, not to
analyse and evaluate approaches
to developing a business strategy.
This candidate does not follow this
instruction and spends a signicant
amount of time answering the wrong
question.

18
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

3 3 Despite the majority of this

point being focused on the wrong
question, there is some knowledge
(AO1) and application (AO2) that is
relevant to this question.

4 4 The candidate uses the data in

the orce eld analysis to analyse
which strategy is likely to be more
successful. This is just one element
of the decision and the analysis
does show development, but only of
this one piece of evidence and not
the strategy as whole. This is why
the candidate’s answer does not
reach Level 2 AO3.

19
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

5 5 This analysis contains some

good potential impacts on BV but,
as it is only about one individual
strategic element, it cannot get
into Level 3 AO3 regardless o the
6 amount of detail involved.
6 ‘Depends upon’ is a useul
way to show that the dierent
elements and perspectives of a
judgement have been thought about
in coming to a judgement. Although
the analysis is not as focused on
a strategy as it should be, the
candidate is given the benet o the
doubt (BOD) that their judgement
depends upon the skills of the
manager and this will impact the
eectiveness o the chosen strategy.

20
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

7 The candidate makes it clear

what their recommendation is.
7 However, it is not focused on a
marketing strategy. Using core
competencies is an approach or
a tool, not a strategy by itself. It is
vital that candidates answer the
question.
Mark or AO1 = 3 out o 3
Mark or AO2 = 2 out o 2
Mark or AO3 = 4 out o 8
Mark or AO4 = 3 out o 7

Total mark awarded = 12 out of 20

How the candidate could improve their answer

Many candidates did not fully read and understand the question. In this example, this led to an unfocused answer
that did not provide a coherent strategy or BV. Benet o the doubt marks were awarded where possible. Candidates
needed to understand what each question was asking and to target their analysis and evaluation to answer this
question set. It can help to break each question down so that it is clear who is being advised and about what. A plan
or the answer can also help candidates avoid going o on a tangent and answering the wrong question.

21
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low Examiner comments

1 1 Marketing strategy includes

many dierent elements and, as
the question is open, any marketing
knowledge shown can be awarded.
This knowledge about advertising is
2 relevant and correct.
2 The candidate moves away
from marketing knowledge and
shows irrelevant knowledge about
mission statements, SMART
objectives, and PEST. This seems
to be a case of a candidate stating
things they know and not focussing
their knowledge on what is most
relevant to answering the question.

3 3 The candidate shows some

more marketing knowledge (AO1)
involving USP and market research.

22
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low, continued Examiner comments

4 4 The candidate gives a brief

analysis about the benet o market
research. There is no chain of
5 analysis and this does not build into
a coherent argument for or against a
marketing strategy.
5 The candidate chooses two
pieces of context and is awarded
both AO2 application marks.
Mark or AO1 = 3 out o 3
Mark or AO2 = 2 out o 2
Mark or AO3 = 1 out o 8
Mark or AO4 = 0 out o 7

Total mark awarded = 6 out of 20

How the candidate could improve their answer

This answer was unfocused and did not present a marketing strategy in answer to the question. While there was a
reasonable base of knowledge and some use of the given context, the candidate did not pull it together to argue for or
against a specic strategy. I the candidate had organised their data to do this, then they may have had more success
with their response.

Common mistakes and guidance for candidates

• Many candidates answered this question as if it had asked for an approach to develop a strategy. This hindered
many answers and did not allow candidates to answer the question set. As with any examination, a range of
questions could be asked and candidates must be prepared or whatever question, within the connes o the
examination structure and syllabus, is asked.
• When candidates are asked to advise on something (in this case a strategy) there is no need to cover every
possible outcome. Candidates, in the time given for this examination, needed to be selective and focus on what
they believed to be most relevant. Choosing what to include and what not to include is an essential skill and one
that can be seen in a good evaluative answer.

23
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