Question bank
Real questions, real marking
4 real questions this paper has actually set, drawn only from genuine Pearson question papers. Each one links to its real mark scheme, its real examiner report where one has been published, and our own level-by-level breakdown of how marks are actually earned — write your own answer first, then compare.
Jun 2023 · Q3
20 marksImpact of protectionism on global businesses — firm size, input-cost retaliation, and subsidy as an advantage
Evaluate the impact of protectionism on global businesses.
Our analysis
Evaluate the impact of protectionism on global businesses.
20 marks available
Protectionism is when a government uses trade barriers — like tariffs, quotas, subsidies or regulation — to make it harder for foreign goods to enter its market. This can make things more difficult for global businesses trying to sell there.
States what protectionism is without applying it to any specific mechanism or business — exactly the pattern the real examiner report flags as the main failure on this question: writing 'all they knew about the pros and cons of protectionism from the point of view of the consumer and the economy' rather than global businesses specifically.
Oct 2022 · Q1(c)
8 marksSubsidies as protectionism — domestic benefit weighed against inefficiency, retaliation and sustainability
Discuss the benefits for the EU fishing industry from receiving subsidies.
Our analysis
Discuss the benefits for the EU fishing industry from receiving subsidies.
8 marks available
A subsidy is money the government gives to a producer to help it. If the EU gives subsidies to its fishing industry, this could help fishing businesses stay in operation.
States what a subsidy is in general terms but never applies it to the EU fishing industry specifically — no real figure, no named mechanism (price, survival, competitiveness) — matching the mark scheme's own bottom band of 'isolated elements... weak or no relevant application.'
Oct 2022 · Q2
20 marksMarketing mix adaptation as a global niche product scales — imitator risk, promotion lifecycle, and distribution barriers
Evaluate the extent to which the marketing mix may need to be adapted for a global niche product such as Halo Top.
Our analysis
Evaluate the extent to which the marketing mix may need to be adapted for a global niche product such as Halo Top.
20 marks available
The marketing mix is made up of the 4 Ps — Price, Product, Promotion and Place. Halo Top is a niche ice cream product, and businesses like it need a marketing mix that suits their product.
A generic explanation of what the 4 Ps are, with no development of what makes Halo Top a NICHE product or why that would change any single P — exactly the 'long explanation of the 4 Ps' with 'little consideration of the point of the question' the real examiner report names as the main reason candidates 'struggled to get beyond level 2.'
Jan 2022 · Q3
20 marksImpact of protectionism on global businesses — PED, exposure to the affected market, and time
Evaluate the impact on global businesses from increased protectionism.
Our analysis
Evaluate the impact on global businesses from increased protectionism.
20 marks available
Protectionism is when a government uses trade barriers, like tariffs, to make it harder or more expensive for foreign goods to enter its market. This can affect global businesses that sell into that market.
Generic protectionism reasoning with no named mechanism, no real data, and no application to global businesses specifically — exactly the 'generic or pre-prepared answer on the pros and cons of protectionism in general' the real examiner report flags as the main reason candidates lost focus.