9625 · Oxford AQA International AS Level
9625/11
Paper 1
Business · 2023 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Oxford AQA
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.5 / 5
160
180 min
The Marketing Mix & Sources of Finance
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
160
Duration
180 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The January 2023 series for Oxford AQA International AS Business (Unit 1 & Unit 2) presented a fair but challenging set of papers, earning a solid 4-star difficulty rating.
Unit 1 tested students’ capability to navigate a diverse landscape of markets and qualitative marketing metrics, whilst Unit 2 demanded deep analytical mastery of internal business functions including cash flow, operations, and motivational strategies.
Overall, the papers rewarded candidates who could move past generic textbook definitions and apply their knowledge directly to the specific scenarios presented.
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
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Knowledge andAO2
Weight: 5100%Contextual Application
Weight: 480%ApAO3
Weight: 360%Analysis and AO4
Weight: 240%Strategic
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
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Level A
Approx. 80% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 70% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 60% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 50% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 40% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
Executive Summary and Difficulty Verdict
The January 2023 series for Oxford AQA International AS Business (Unit 1 & Unit 2) presented a fair but challenging set of papers, earning a solid 4-star difficulty rating. Unit 1 tested students’ capability to navigate a diverse landscape of markets and qualitative marketing metrics, whilst Unit 2 demanded deep analytical mastery of internal business functions including cash flow, operations, and
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.
Break into parts and explain how each contributes to the whole question focus.
Match the expected response style for “Assess” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Choose” questions.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.2
Min per mark: 1.1
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
The marketing mix
21 marks this session
Sources of finance
21 marks this session
Marketing data
18 marks this session
Organisational design and managing human resources
18 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
The marketing mix
Organisational design and managing human resources
Operations and competitiveness
Marketing data
The external environment
Sources of finance
Types of business ownership
Marketing objectives and plans
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
BU01: Business and Markets: BU02: Managing Operations, Human Resources and Finance:
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
The marketing mix
21 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSources of finance
21 marks this session
Practise in RevuiMarketing data
18 marks this session
Practise in RevuiOrganisational design and managing human resources
18 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The January 2023 series for Oxford AQA International AS Business (Unit 1 & Unit 2) presented a fair but challenging set of papers, earning a solid 4-star difficulty rating.
- 2Message
Unit 1 tested students’ capability to navigate a diverse landscape of markets and qualitative marketing metrics, whilst Unit 2 demanded deep analytical mastery of internal business functions including cash flow, operations, and motivational strategies.
- 3Message
Overall, the papers rewarded candidates who could move past generic textbook definitions and apply their knowledge directly to the specific scenarios presented.
- 4Strength
Executive Summary and Difficulty Verdict: The January 2023 series for Oxford AQA International AS Business (Unit 1 & Unit 2) presented a fair
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
2023 2023
Business
The January 2023 series for Oxford AQA International AS Business (Unit 1 & Unit 2) presented a fair but challenging set of papers, earning a solid 4-star difficulty rating. Unit 1 tested students’ capability to navigate a diverse landscape of markets and qualitative marketing met
The January 2023 series for Oxford AQA International AS Business (Unit 1 & Unit 2) presented a fair but challenging set of papers, earning a solid 4-star difficulty rating.
Unit 1 tested students’ capability to navigate a diverse landscape of markets and qualitative marketing metrics, whilst Unit 2 demanded deep analytical mastery of internal business functions including cash flow, operations, and motivational strategies.
Overall, the papers rewarded candidates who could move past generic textbook definitions and apply their knowledge directly to the specific scenarios presented.
- Total marks
- 160
- Duration
- 180 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.5 / 5
Session analysis
The January 2023 series for Oxford AQA International AS Business (Unit 1 & Unit 2) presented a fair but challenging set of papers, earning a solid 4-star difficulty rating. Unit 1 tested students’ capability to navigate a diverse landscape of markets and qualitative marketing metrics, whilst Unit 2 demanded deep analytical mastery of internal business functions including cash flow, operations, and motivational strategies. Overall, the papers rewarded candidates who could move past generic textbook definitions and apply their knowledge directly to the specific scenarios presented.
Updated Jun 12, 2026
Paper breakdown
BU01: Business and Markets: BU02: Managing Operations, Human Resources and Finance:
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
63% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Extended Essays
(Evaluative)
72·6·45%
Medium Essays
(Analytical)
54·6·34%
Short Explanations
24·8·15%
Multiple Choice
(MCQ)
6·6·4%
Calculations
4·2·3%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Section A (Short-an
0.85 m/minSection B (Analytic
0.90 m/minTotal marks
88
Total time
100 min
Avg pace
0.88
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.
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Inventory and supply chain management
85%85%
Employer-employee relations
80%80%
Analysing strategic options: investment appraisal
75%75%
Executive Summary and Difficulty Verdict
The January 2023 series for Oxford AQA International AS Business (Unit 1 & Unit 2) presented a fair but challenging set of papers, earning a solid 4-star difficulty rating. Unit 1 tested students’ capability to navigate a diverse landscape of markets and qualitative marketing metrics, whilst Unit 2 demanded deep analytical mastery of internal business functions including cash flow, operations, and motivational strategies. Overall, the papers rewarded candidates who could move past generic textbook definitions and apply their knowledge directly to the specific scenarios presented.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.