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BUSINESS-MANAGEMENT · IB Diploma Programme

BUSINESS-MANAGEMENT/22

Paper 2

Business Management · 2023 · Variant 2

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 3.5/5

Analysis source: International Baccalaureate Organization

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.5 / 5

Total marks

90

Duration

180 min

Most tested topic

Multinational companies (MNCs)

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

90

Duration

180 min

Session difficulty

3.5 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

A significant portion of marks resided in Section A of both papers.

2

In Paper 2, candidates who could construct a fully balanced, correctly formatted balance sheet for Lusanka Company secured an easy 5 marks.

3

On the flip side, many candidates lost marks in Section B of both papers by failing to define terms with appropriate operational characteristics.

4

For example, defining e-commerce as simply "selling on the internet" failed to gain full credit without detailing its features, such as global reach or 24/7 availability.

5

Compare difficulty across recent years. Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.

Question difficulty map

How candidates performed on each question in this series

No data available in official reports

Assessment objectives

Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary

Quantitative5
Critical Evaluation4
Analysis3
Application2
Evaluation1

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

QuantitativeQuantitativeCritical EvaluationCriticalEvaluationAnalysisAnalysisApplicationApplicationEvaluationEvaluation
SkillWeightShare
  • Quantitative

    Weight: 5100%
  • Critical Evaluation

    Weight: 480%
  • Analysis

    Weight: 360%
  • Application

    Weight: 240%
  • Evaluation

    Weight: 120%

Method marks watchlist

Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost

No data available in official reports

Recurring mistakes across years

Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject

No data available in official reports

Question choice intelligence

Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)

No data available in official reports

Level exemplars

What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like

No data available in official reports

Grade & admission context

How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards

Report type

IB subject report — grade distributions, IA weighting, and HL/SL distinctions

Level 7

Excellent — top band for competitive university offers

Level 6

Very good — strong HL performance

Level 5

Good — solid pass at higher level

Level 4

Satisfactory — minimum for many university credits

Level 3

Mediocre

Level 2

Poor

Level 1

Very poor

Deep insights

What top candidates did

Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series

No data available in official reports

Command word playbook

How to match each command word to the expected response style

OutlineFrequency: 4

Match the expected response style for “Outline” questions.

ExplainFrequency: 12

Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.

StateFrequency: 5

Match the expected response style for “State” questions.

CalculateFrequency: 6

Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.

ConstructFrequency: 1

Match the expected response style for “Construct” questions.

DiscussFrequency: 5

Present multiple perspectives with evidence; balance breadth and depth.

ExamineFrequency: 1

Match the expected response style for “Examine” questions.

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

Paper 1 Section B40m / 20 marks

Min per mark: 2

Paper 2 Section A20m / 10 marks

Min per mark: 2

Paper 2 Section C40m / 20 marks

Min per mark: 2

Paper 1 Section A35m / 20 marks

Min per mark: 1.8

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Multinational companies (MNCs)

20 marks this session

The seven Ps of the marketing mix

10 marks this session

Final accounts

8 marks this session

MCQ trap analytics

Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Topic heatmap across years

Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject

Mark intensity

LowHigh
Topic
2023
2024
2025
Σ

Growth and evolution

10
24
22
56

The seven Ps of the marketing mix

22
8
30

Marketing planning

22
22

Location

20
20

Motivation and demotivation

8
8

Leadership and management

8
8

Break-even analysis

6
6

Final accounts

6
6

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

Paper 1 (Standard Level):

40 marks75 min

Paper 2 (Standard Level):

50 marks105 min

Marks you can still earn

Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit

No data available in official reports

Practise what examiners flagged

Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    A significant portion of marks resided in Section A of both papers.

  • 2Message

    In Paper 2, candidates who could construct a fully balanced, correctly formatted balance sheet for Lusanka Company secured an easy 5 marks.

  • 3Message

    On the flip side, many candidates lost marks in Section B of both papers by failing to define terms with appropriate operational characteristics.

  • 4Message

    For example, defining e-commerce as simply "selling on the internet" failed to gain full credit without detailing its features, such as global reach or 24/7 availability.

  • 5Message

    Compare difficulty across recent years. Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

2023 2023

Business Management

A significant portion of marks resided in Section A of both papers. In Paper 2, candidates who could construct a fully balanced, correctly formatted balance sheet for Lusanka Company secured an easy 5 marks. On the flip side, many candidates lost marks in Section B of both papers

  • A significant portion of marks resided in Section A of both papers.

  • In Paper 2, candidates who could construct a fully balanced, correctly formatted balance sheet for Lusanka Company secured an easy 5 marks.

  • On the flip side, many candidates lost marks in Section B of both papers by failing to define terms with appropriate operational characteristics.

Total marks
90
Duration
180 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5

Session analysis

A significant portion of marks resided in Section A of both papers. In Paper 2, candidates who could construct a fully balanced, correctly formatted balance sheet for Lusanka Company secured an easy 5 marks. On the flip side, many candidates lost marks in Section B of both papers by failing to define terms with appropriate operational characteristics. For example, defining e-commerce as simply "selling on the internet" failed to gain full credit without detailing its features, such as global reach or 24/7 availability.

Updated Jun 14, 2026

Paper breakdown

Paper 1 (Standard Level):

40 marks75 min

Paper 2 (Standard Level):

50 marks105 min

Top chapters

Multinational companies (MNCs)20 marks
The seven Ps of the marketing mix10 marks
Final accounts8 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

Stakeholders4 marks
The seven Ps of the marketing m10 marks
Final accounts8 marks
Break-even analysis8 marks
Growth and evolution6 marks
Marketing planning8 marks
Leadership and management6 marks
Operations methods6 marks

Mark accessibility

Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.

80% within easy or medium reach

30
42
18
Easy: 30 marksMedium: 42 marksHard: 18 marks

Command word frequency

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Outline4 times
Explain12 times
State5 times
Calculate6 times
Construct1 times
Discuss5 times
Examine1 times

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

100Marks
  • AO2 Explain / Outline

    40·12·40%

  • AO3 Discuss / Essay

    30·2·30%

  • AO2 Calculate / Construct

    20·7·20%

  • AO1 State / Define

    10·5·10%

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

DifficultyRecurrence %Break-even analysisFinal accountsThe seven Ps of th…Marketing planning

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

3.82020420213.420223.52023

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

MarksMinutesMarks / min

Paper 1 Section A

0.57 m/min
20
35

Paper 1 Section B

0.50 m/min
20
40

Paper 2 Section A

0.50 m/min
10
20

Paper 2 Section C

0.50 m/min
20
40

Total marks

70

Total time

135 min

Avg pace

0.52

Cumulative marks ladder

The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.

0234568907 estimated6 estimated5 estimated4 estimated3 estimated2 estimated1 estimated102040507090

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Budgets (HL only)

5%

5%

Cash flow

4%

4%

Examiner notes & key calculations

  • Unit Omissions: In quantitative questions, candidates frequently left out currency symbols or unit indicators (e.g., writing "50" instead of "50 rugs" or "35" instead of "35%").
  • One-Sided Discussions: On 10-mark discuss questions, a lack of balanced evaluation restricted scores to a maximum of 5 or 6 marks.
  • Weak Conceptual Application: In Section C, many students referenced the case study or fictitious firms, resulting in severe marking penalties under Criterion B.

Exam tips

Paper format

Duration
1h 45min
Total marks
50

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

BUSINESS-MANAGEMENT/22 — IB Diploma Programme Business Management (2023) | Revui