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Business Analysis and Strategy (A2 Unit 3)

8 dot points across 8 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do businesses set objectives and develop strategy using tools like SWOT, the Ansoff Matrix and Porter's Five Forces?

Business objectives and strategy: corporate aims and objectives, SWOT analysis, the Ansoff Matrix, and Porter's Five Forces, and how these inform strategic decisions.
A focused answer to the WJEC A-Level Business Unit 3 content on business objectives and strategy, covering corporate aims and objectives, SWOT analysis, the Ansoff Matrix and Porter's Five Forces, and how they inform strategic decisions, with worked examples.
14 min answer →

How do businesses analyse market data, and how does price elasticity of demand inform pricing decisions?

Data and market analysis: interpreting business and market data, and price elasticity of demand and income elasticity of demand, including their calculation and use in decision making.
A focused answer to the WJEC A-Level Business Unit 3 content on data and market analysis, covering the interpretation of business data and price and income elasticity of demand, their calculation and their use in pricing and forecasting decisions, with worked examples.
13 min answer →

How do businesses use quantitative models like decision trees, critical path analysis and cost-benefit analysis to make decisions?

Decision-making models: decision trees and expected values, critical path analysis (CPA), and cost-benefit analysis, including their construction, use and limitations.
A focused answer to the WJEC A-Level Business Unit 3 content on decision-making models, covering decision trees and expected values, critical path analysis, and cost-benefit analysis, with their construction, use and limitations and worked calculations.
14 min answer →

How do businesses analyse their financial accounts using budgets, variances and ratios?

Financial analysis: budgets and variance analysis, the balance sheet and income statement, and ratio analysis of profitability, liquidity and efficiency.
A focused answer to the WJEC A-Level Business Unit 3 content on financial analysis, covering budgets and variance analysis, the balance sheet and income statement, and ratio analysis of profitability, liquidity and efficiency, with worked calculations.
14 min answer →

How do businesses grow, and what are the methods and consequences of expansion?

Growth and methods of expansion: organic and external growth (mergers and takeovers), franchising, outsourcing, and rationalisation, with their benefits and drawbacks.
A focused answer to the WJEC A-Level Business Unit 3 content on growth and methods of expansion, covering organic and external growth, mergers and takeovers, franchising, outsourcing and rationalisation, with their benefits and drawbacks and worked examples.
13 min answer →

How do businesses decide whether an investment is worthwhile using payback, ARR and net present value?

Investment appraisal: the payback period, the average rate of return (ARR), and net present value (NPV) using discounted cash flow, with their calculation, use and limitations.
A focused answer to the WJEC A-Level Business Unit 3 content on investment appraisal, covering the payback period, the average rate of return and net present value using discounted cash flow, with their calculation, use and limitations and worked examples.
14 min answer →

How do businesses forecast future sales using past data and identify trends?

Sales forecasting and time-series analysis: moving averages, identifying the trend, seasonal and cyclical variation, and the uses and limitations of extrapolation.
A focused answer to the WJEC A-Level Business Unit 3 content on sales forecasting and time-series analysis, covering moving averages, the trend, seasonal and cyclical variation, and the uses and limitations of extrapolation, with worked calculations.
13 min answer →

How does a business decide whether to accept a one-off special order at a price below normal?

Special order decisions: using contribution per unit to decide whether to accept a special order, including the relevant costs and the qualitative factors involved.
A focused answer to the WJEC A-Level Business Unit 3 content on special order decisions, covering the use of contribution per unit and relevant costs to decide whether to accept a one-off order below normal price, plus the qualitative factors, with worked calculations.
12 min answer →