business assignment sqa

Higher Business Management: Advice, Command Words and Resources

The SQA Higher Business Management course is divided up into five sections – understanding business, management of marketing, management of people, management of operations and management of finance. Higher Business Management is assessed by an exam lasting 2 hours and 45 minutes containing questions worth a total of 90 marks and an assignment completed in school which is worth 30 marks. The assignment involves candidates choosing a business and a topic to research and prepare a report.

This article will offer some tips for studying Higher Business Management, an overview of the command words, opportunities for further study and a list of useful resources.

• Read business news stories and think about what is happening and why. This can help you put theory into practice.
• Look at examples of real businesses. Remember including some examples in your answers may help you get your point across. 
• Practice writing answers using the different command words. Make sure you understand what they mean and how to structure your answer. 

Command Words

Describe – You must offer a detailed description of the point you are making such as mentioning features or characteristics. One word answers or a brief outline will not be accepted. 

For example: Describe the main characteristics of high quality information.

High quality information is appropriate. The information provided will be suitable for the purpose for which it is intended. There will be no irrelevant information that is not related to the decision being made as this could cause confusion during decision making.

Explain – You must offer a detailed explanation of the reason for or impact of a particular course of action. Clearly explain the reasons and consider offering an example to explain your point. 

For example: Explain why a profitable business can have cash flow problems.

A profitable business can have cash flow problems due to having too much money tied up in stock. Having a large amount of unsold stock will cause cash flow problems as the business will not be generating income from the stock. The business will also be faced with the cost of storing stock. This means that the business’s revenue will decrease.

Justify  – Give good reasons to support or explain your suggestions.

For example: Justify why strategic decisions are made by senior managers.

Senior managers making strategic decisions is beneficial as they will have a more thorough knowledge of the organisation. Senior managers are more likely to have better knowledge of the company, its aims and policies which is information that will be needed for effective decision making.

Outline – State the main features of a particular factor but do not go into great detail.

For example: Outline the main features of the Data Protection Act 1998 

Data held must be stored lawfully, securely and responsibly. 

Identify – State/list the answer. Identify is sometimes used alongside another command word such as explain or justify. 

For example: Identify a source of finance.

Bank overdraft.

Discuss – Examine the advantages and disadvantages of a particular factor and fully explain your point. You are making a case for or against the idea. 

For example: Discuss the use of just in time production. 

An advantage of just in time production is less storage space is needed as stock will not be on the premises for long. This could result in decreased rent or cost of premises. 

A disadvantage of just in time production is the business is relying greatly on suppliers. If the supplier does not deliver on time or delivers the wrong goods, the business may need to halt production meaning customer orders will not be completed on time. 

Distinguish – Identify differences between two or more factors. 

For example: Distinguish between a strategic decision and an operational decision. 

A strategic decision is made by senior management whereas an operational decision is made by lower management. 

Compare –  Show differences or similarities between two or more factors. You should point out the specific features of each to demonstrate each difference/similarity. 

For example: Compare functional grouping with product grouping. 

With functional grouping staff with similar knowledge and expertise will be working together whereas with product grouping staff are grouped together around a product or service. 

Interested in studying Business Management further?

Universities offer degrees in Business Management or a specific area of business such as Marketing, Finance, Accounting or Human Resources. If you are interested in particular area of business or know what sort of career you would like to have you can choose one of these areas of business to study. Some universities allow you to select two subjects to study as part of your degree for example Business and Marketing or Business and Human Resources.

You can also study Business courses at college or undertake a Modern Apprenticeship in an area of Business.

I remember studying Higher Business Management when I was in high school and I’m glad to say I kept all of my notes. Here they are in PDF format if anyone else feels they can get some use out of them.

Useful Resources

I have created a list of useful resources that could help you with your studying.

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Higher Business Management SQA Assignment

Subject: Business and finance

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

1 July 2024

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This student help guide gets pupils started with the SQA Scottish Higher Business Assignment. It gives them ideas for topics and guidance with examples of how to gain full marks on this assessment.

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Higher Business Management (Course Code: C810 76)

Scqf level 6 (24 scqf credit points).

Why study Business Management?

We all rely on businesses to create wealth, prosperity, jobs and choices. Studying Business Management gives you the opportunity to develop important skills such as problem solving, communication, planning and organising. You will learn through real-life business contexts how organisations operate.

These skills are valuable in a wide range of career sectors but are particularly useful if you are interested in entering the world of business — whether as a manager, employee or self-employed person.

Career Pathways

To see what career areas this subject could lead to and the routes to get there, download and view these career pathways:

• Administration and Management
• Animals, Land and Environment
• Buying, Selling and Related Work

Communication and Media

• Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism

Housing, Property and Facilities

What do I need to get in?

Entry is at the discretion of the school or college but you would normally be expected to have:

• National 5 Business Management
• National 5 Economics

What will I study?

The course consists of  five  areas of study.

Understanding Business

• develop your understanding of how large organisations in the private, public and third sectors operate, make decisions and pursue their strategic goals
• analyse the impact that internal and external environments have on an organisation’s activity, and consider the implications of these factors.

Management of marketing

• develop your understanding of the importance of effective marketing systems to large organisations
• learn about the relevant theories, concepts and procedures used by organisations to improve competitiveness and customer satisfaction.

Management of operations

• develop your understanding of the importance of effective operations systems to large organisations
• learn about the relevant theories, concepts and procedures used by organisations to improve and/or maintain quality, and the importance of satisfying both internal and external customers’ needs.

Management of people

• develop your understanding of the issues that large organisations face when managing people
• learn about the relevant theories, concepts and procedures used by organisations when dealing with staff, including retention, training, leadership and motivation.

Management of finance

• develop your understanding of the issues that large organisations face when managing finance
• learn about the relevant theories, concepts and procedures used by organisations in financial situations.

How will I be assessed?

The course assessment has two components totalling 120 marks :

• Component 1: question paper – worth 90 marks (consisting of two sections: section 1 worth 30 marks, and section 2 worth 60 marks)
• Component 2: assignment – worth 30 marks.

For the assignment component, you will choose a topic to research, analyse information and produce a business report your findings, detailing the appropriate conclusions and/or your recommendations.

Both the question paper and the assignment are set and externally marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The grade awarded is based on the total marks achieved across course assessment.

The course assessment is graded A-D.

Study Materials

• SQA Past Papers Business Management Higher
• SQA Specimen Paper Business Management Higher
• SQA Understanding Standards Business Management 
• BBC Bitesize Business Management Higher

What can I go on to next?

If you complete the course it may lead to:

• Advanced Higher Business Management

Further study, training or employment in:

• Communications and Media
• Property and Facilities
• Transport and Distribution

Which jobs are related to this subject?

• Business Management - Related Careers

Where can my parents find out more?

Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.

They can also read the information leaflet(s):

Nationals in a Nutshell - Business Management (Higher)

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SQA Business Assignment

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A List of Requirements Prioritization Techniques You Should Know About

Software development or any other project facing multiple requirements, budgetary constraints, and tight deadlines often necessitate the need to prioritize stakeholders' requirements. At some point, it’s usually necessary to make decisions on which set of requirements need to be implemented first and which ones can be delayed till a later release.

Numerous methods on how to prioritize requirements have been developed. While some work best on a small number of requirements, others are better suited to very complex projects with many decision-makers and variables. This list of requirements prioritization techniques provides an overview of common techniques that can be used in prioritizing requirements.

When you rank requirements on an ordinal scale, you give each one a different numerical value based on its importance. For example, the number 1 can mean that the requirement is the most important and the number n can be assigned to the least important requirement, n being the total number of requirements. This method works best when you are dealing with a single stakeholder as it can be difficult to align different stakeholders’ perspectives on what the priority of a requirement should be; taking an average can however, address this problem to some extent.

2. Numerical Assignment (Grouping)

This method is based on grouping requirements into different priority groups with each group representing something stakeholders can relate to. For example, requirements can be grouped into critical priority, moderate priority and optional priority. Stakeholders may also classify requirements as compulsory, very important , rather important , not important , and does not matte r in order to describe their importance.

These groups should be clearly defined so that stakeholders do not have a different understanding of each during the prioritization exercise. To prevent stakeholders from putting all requirements in one category, the percentage of requirements that can be placed in each group should be restricted. One disadvantage to this, however, is the fact that requirements in each group will then have the same priority with no unique priority assigned per requirement.

3. MoScoW Technique

Instead of numbers, this method uses four priority groups: MUST have, SHOULD have, COULD have, and WON'T have. With this technique, stakeholders can prioritise requirements in a collaborative fashion. The acronym represents the following:

• MUST (Mandatory)
• SHOULD (Of high priority)
• COULD (Preferred but not necessary)
• WOULD (Can be postponed and suggested for future execution)

The decisions of stakeholders on requirements' priorities are categorised as shown above. See MoSCoW : Requirements Prioritization Technique  for more on this. 

4. Bubble Sort Technique

To prioritize requirements using bubble sort, you take two requirements and compare them with each other. If you find out that one requirement should have greater priority over the other, you swap them accordingly. You then continue in this fashion until the very last requirement is properly sorted. The result is a list of requirements that are ranked.

5. Hundred Dollar Method

This simple method is useful anywhere multiple stakeholders need to democratically vote on which requirements are the most important. All stakeholders get a conceptual 100 dollars, which they can distribute among the requirements. As such, the stakeholder may choose to give all 100 dollars to a single requirement, or the person may distribute the points more evenly. The higher the amount allocated to each requirement, the higher the priority of the requirement. At the end, the total is counted and the requirements are sorted based on the number of points received.

This technique should only be used when you have a small group of requirements to prioritize and when you have the same set of requirements to prevent respondents from influencing their results by assigning more dollars to their favourite requirement.

With this technique, however, it can be difficult to keep track of how much has been assigned and what amount is left to dispose of.

6. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

This famous requirement prioritization method was designed by Thomas L. Saaty. The method actually describes an entire framework for making correct decisions in fields such as business, healthcare, government, and many others. In essence, stakeholders decompose their goal into smaller sub-problems, which can easily be comprehended and analyzed (in the form of a hierarchy).

Once the hierarchy is built, decision-makers evaluate the elements by comparing pairs to each other. The total number of comparisons recommended with AHP are n × (n-1)/2 (where n is the number of requirements) at each hierarchy level. Participants make judgements (sometimes based on data) about the relative importance of each element. Numerical values (based on priorities) can then be assigned to each element of the hierarchy.

This method is not suitable for a high number of requirements as the number of requirements determine the number of comparisons that need to be made.

7. Five Whys

It often happens that stakeholders want to implement a certain feature for reasons that are not founded on logical arguments or the business interests of the company. With five whys, the analyst asks the stakeholder repeatedly (five times or less) why the requirement is necessary until the importance of the requirements is established. The answers reveal whether the requirement is really necessary or can be cancelled/postponed once the priority is determined.

So, which prioritization technique is best? The one that fits your needs the most and accomplishes your goals in the least amount of time and with a minimal amount of resources. Once you have an idea of which techniques are applicable to your project, you can evaluate them in real life to see how well they perform.

The new normal of online working is bound to introduce new habits and opportunities for new learnings for business analysts looking to navigate the tides of the post-pandemic workplace.

Business Analysts play a pertinent role in determining what functionality a system should or should not have. If you can ask these questions of every requirement, the implemented solution will have a higher possibility of acceptance:

As development practices change, so do the reasons why we write requirements and the level of detail we go into with Requirements Specification Documents. Even seasoned business analysts have at one point or the other asked themselves, “What level of detail is enough?”. The answer to this seemingly simple question is inseparably intertwined with the reason why we write requirements in the first place: so that they can be read, understood, and implemented.

This list of requirements prioritization techniques provides an overview of common techniques that can be used in prioritizing requirements.

Selecting a Requirements Management Software should be done with as much care as when selecting any other software. You should identify which features are required for your project beforehand and assess if the tools currently available to you do not already meet your needs before hunting for requirements management solutions with all the bells and whistles you don't need. 

Managing change requests is particularly important in ensuring that the business does not spend its limited resources on changes that offer no real value at the expense of projects that can deliver real value and lasting benefits. 

The Business Analysis: building better stakeholder relations through prototyping  article, published on Justinmind blog, discusses 6 tactics that can help Business Analysts create good stakeholder relationships throughout the software development lifecycle. One of them is incorporating excitement requirements to increase stakeholder satisfaction.

Picture Attribution:  Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Business Analysis Techniques

Introduction.

There are many techniques that Business Analyst's employ to do their job. With different techniques being available for different purposes in different situations.  The goal of this section of the wiki is to eventually provide:

• A fairly comprehensive list of techniques of use to Business Analysts
• A brief description for each of those techniques (the more info the better, but starting small)
• Tips for when, how, and why to use each technique
• Links to other resources on the web (blog posts, articles, papers, etc) where you can find out more about the technique

The amount of content for different entries may vary significantly, depending on whether users add to the wiki entry for that technique, and whether it is a commonly used technique.

What do I mean by Technique ?

For purposes of this wiki, I am defining a Technique as a specific action or set of actions that is used by a Business Analyst to help deal with issues of scope, elicitation, documentation, analysis, and verification.

I want to try and separate Techniques from Skills which I see as more general capabilities or knowledge sets of the Business Analyst.  As an example, I would say that facilitation is a Skill, while Brainstorming or running Joint Application Development (JAD) sessions are specific Techniques that supplement the Skill.  Because Skills are more generic to BA's in general, I have them in the Career section of the wiki.

Technique Categories and List

Each technique has it's own page, but I have attempted to group them below by usage. Any technique that is not a link below is a placeholder for a future page.

General Analysis Techniques

• Class Modelling
• Mind Mapping

Data Analysis Techniques

• Data Dictionary
• Data Flow Diagrams

Decision and Rules Techniques

• Business Rule Analysis
• Decision Models
• Decision Tables
• Decision Trees

Elicitation Techniques

• Concept Map
• Document Analysis
• Feature Tree
• Focus Groups
• Interface Analysis
• JAD Sessions
• Observation
• Problem Statements
• Prototyping
• Requirements Workshops
• Storyboarding
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Use Case Diagrams
• User Stories

Enterprise Analysis Techniques

• Benchmarking
• Context Diagrams
• Feasibility Analysis
• Force Field Analysis
• Futures Wheel
• Organizational Modeling
• PEST Analysis
• SWOT Analysis
• Value Stream Mapping
• VMOST Analysis

Features and Functional Analysis Techniques

• Decomposition - Functional and Otherwise

Prioritization Techniques

• Category Assignment Prioritization
• Cumulative Voting Prioritization
• Hierarchical Cumulative Voting Prioritization
• Hierarchical MoSCoW Prioritization
• Kano Model Prioritization
• Matrix Prioritization
• MoSCoW Prioritization

Problem Solving and Ideation Techniques

• Affinity Diagram
• Brainstorming

Process Analysis Techniques

• Activity Diagram
• Business Process Modeling
• Sequence Diagram

Project Analysis and Scoping Techniques

• In/Out List
• Investment Logic Mapping
• Scope Analysis

Root Cause Analysis

• Fishbone Diagram

Stakeholder Management Techniques

• Responsibility Matrices: RACI, RASCI, and More
• Stakeholder Communications Matrix
• Stakeholder Maps
• Stakeholder Onion Diagram
• Stakeholder Radar Diagram
• Stakeholder Role Matrix
• Stakeholder Salience Diagram

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• Sample Student Projects

MOC Student Projects on Country & Cluster Competitiveness

The competitive assessments listed on this page have been prepared by teams of graduate students mostly from Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and other universities as part of the requirements for the Microeconomics of Competitiveness.  Each study focuses on the competitiveness of a specific cluster in a country or region and includes specific action recommendations.

These studies represent a valuable resource for researchers, government officials, and other leaders.  Students have given permission to publish their work here; the copyright for each report is retained by the student authors.  References to the reports should include a full list of the authors.

Student Projects by Country

• Argentina Soy Cluster  (2016)
• Armenia IT Services Cluster  (2006)
• Australia Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Cluster  (2016)
• South Australia Wine Cluster  (2010)
• Australia Renewable Energy  (2008)
• Belgium Chocolate Cluster  (2016)
• Wallonia Aeronautic Cluster  (2013)
• Belgium Pharmaceuticals  (2011)
• The Botswana Textiles Cluster  (2007)
• Brazilian Petrochemical Cluster  (2017)
• Sao Paulo Plastics  (2013)
• Leather Footwear in Brazil  (2012)
• Brazil Aviation  (2011)
• Bio-ethanol Cluster in Brazil  (2009)
• Brazil Biotech Cluster: Minas Gerais  (2009)
• The Poultry Cluster in Brazil  (2006)
• Bulgaria's Apparel Cluster  (2007)
• Alberta Energy Cluster  (2010)
• Ontario Financial Services  (2008)
• Transportation and Logistics Cluster in Northeast China  (2017)
• Wind Turbine Cluster in Inner Mongolia  (2009)
• The Chinese Apparel Cluster in Guangdong  (2006)
• Bogota Software Cluster  (2013)
• The Sugar Cane Cluster in Colombia  (2007)
• Colombia Shrimp Aquaculture  (2008)
• Costa Rica Data Centers  (2016)
• Costa Rica Medical Tourism  (2016)
• Ship & Boatbuilding in Croatia  (2009)
• The Danish Wind Cluster  (2017)
• The Danish Design Cluster  (2007)

Dominican Republic

• The Dominican Republic Tourism Cluster  (2012)
• Tourism in the Dominican Republic  (2007)
• The Textile Cluster in Egypt  (2012)
• The Offshoring Cluster in Egypt  (2009)
• France's Competitiveness in AI  (2017)
• Toulouse Aerospace Cluster  (2013)
• France Wine Cluster  (2013)
• Baden-Wuerttemberg Automobile Cluster  (2015)
• Germany Wind Power Cluster  (2010)
• Germany’s Photovoltaic Cluster  (2009)
• Hamburg Aviation Cluster  (2009)
• Biotechnology and Life Sciences in Munich  (2007)
• Ghana Cocoa Sector  (2017)
• Greece Shipping Cluster  (2010)
• The Fresh Produce Cluster in Guatemala  (2009)
• The Apparel Cluster in Honduras  (2007)
• Hong Kong Financial Services  (2008)
• Iceland Financial Services  (2008)
• The Antiretroviral Drug Cluster in India  (2017)
• Andhra Pradesh Pharmaceutical Cluster  (2013)
• Tamil Nadu (India) Automotive Cluster  (2012)
• Tirupur (India) Knitwear  (2011)
• India (Maharashtra) Automotive Cluster  (2010)
• Maharashtra Biopharmaceutical Cluster  (2009)
• Bangalore Biotechnology  (2008)
• Gujarat Diamonds  (2008)
• Bollywood — Maharashtra and India’s Film Cluster  (2008)
• Karnataka Offshore IT and Business Process Outsourcing Services Cluster  (2006)
• Bali Tourism Cluster  (2013)
• Ireland Financial Services Cluster  (2017)
• Ireland Internet Cluster  (2013)
• Ireland ICT Cluster  (2010)
• The Dublin International Financial Services Cluster  (2006)
• Israel Aerospace Cluster  (2015)
• Jerusalem Tourism Cluster  (2013)
• Israeli Biotechnology Cluster  (2006)
• Italy Tourism  (2011)
• The Italian Sports Car Cluster  (2006)
• Japan Automobile Cluster  (2016)
• Japan Skin Care Cluster  (2013)
• The Japanese Gaming Cluster  (2012)
• Japan Flat Panel Displays  (2011)
• The Video Games Cluster in Japan  (2009)
• Jordan Tourism Cluster  (2009)
• Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Cluster  (2010)
• Kazakhstan Energy Cluster  (2007)
• Kenya ITC Services Cluster  (2016)
• Kenya Tourism Cluster  (2016)
• Kenya Business Process Offshoring  (2011)
• Kenya Tea  (2009)
• Kenya Coffee  (2008)
• Kenya's Cut-Flower Cluster  (2007)
• Korea Showbiz Cluster  (2013)
• Korea Shipbuilding Cluster  (2010)
• Korea Online Game Cluster  (2006)
• Textile and Apparel Cluster in Kyrgyzstan  (2012)
• The Macedonian Wine Cluster  (2006)
• The Shrimp Cluster in Madagascar  (2006)
• Malaysia Semiconductor Cluster  (2015)
• Malaysia Palm Oil  (2011)
• Malaysia Financial Services  (2008)
• Queretaro Aerospace Cluster  (2015)
• Mexico Central Region Automotive Cluster  (2013)
• Mexico Chocolate Cluster  (2010)
• Electronics Cluster in Guadalajara Mexico  (2009)
• Baja California Sur Tourism  (2008)
• Monaco Tourism  (2011)
• Mongolia Mining Services Cluster  (2010)
• Morocco Automotive Cluster  (2015)
• Morocco Aeronautics Cluster  (2013)
• Morocco Tourism  (2008)
• Nepal Tourism Cluster  (2015)
• Nepal Tourism  (2011)

Netherlands

• Netherlands Medical Devices Cluster  (2013)
• Netherlands Dairy  (2011)

New Zealand

• New Zealand's Marine Cluster  (2009)
• The Nicaraguan Coffee Cluster  (2006)
• Lagos ICT Services Cluster  (2017)
• Nollywood —  The Nigerian Film Industry  (2008)
• Nigeria Financial Services  (2008)
• Norway’s Fish and Fish Products Cluster  (2017)
• Textiles Cluster in Pakistan  (2007)
• Lima Financial Services Cluster  (2016)
• Asparagus Cluster in Peru  (2012)
• Peru Tourism Cluster  (2010)

Philippines

• The Philippines Electronics Components Manufacturing  (2017)
• Medical Tourism in the Philippines  (2008)
• The Philippines Contact Center Cluster  (2007)
• The Tourism Cluster in Lisbon  (2017)
• The Automotive Cluster in Portugal  (2007)
• Romania Apparel Cluster  (2010)
• The Moscow Financial Services Cluster  (2012)
• Moscow Transportation  (2006)

Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia Chemicals Cluster  (2016)
• Singapore Higher Education  (2016)
• Slovakia Automobile Cluster  (2016)

South Africa

• The Johannesburg Software Cluster  (2017)
• South Africa Iron Ore Cluster  (2013)
• South Africa Automotive Cluster  (2012)
• The South African Wine Cluster  (2009)
• Textiles & Apparel Cluster in South Africa  (2009)
• The South African Wine Cluster  (2006)
• Andalucia (Spain) Tourism  (2011)
• Apparel Cluster in Galicia Spain  (2009)
• The Spanish Wind Power Cluster  (2007)

Switzerland

• Banking in Switzerland  (2017)
• Switzerland Private Banking Cluster  (2010)
• Switzerland Watchmaking  (2010)
• Taiwan: Semiconductor Cluster  (2007)
• Tanzania Horticulture Cluster  (2010)
• Tanzania’s Tourism Cluster  (2006)
• Thailand Automotive  (2011)
• Thailand Automotive Cluster  (2007)
• Thailand Medical Tourism Cluster  (2006)

Trinidad & Tobago

• Tourism in Trinidad and Tobago  (2006)
• Tourism Cluster in Tunisia  (2012)
• Tunisian Tourism Cluster  (2008)
• Turkey Textiles and Apparel Cluster  (2012)
• Turkey Automotive  (2011)
• Turkey & The Construction Services Cluster  (2007)
• Uganda Fishing Cluster  (2010)

United Arab Emirates

• Dubai Logistics Cluster  (2015)
• Abu Dhabi (UAE) Petrochemical Cluster  (2012)
• Dubai (UAE) Tourism  (2011)
• The Transport and Logistics Cluster in UAE (2007)
• Dubai Financial Services Cluster  (2006)

United Kingdom

• The Future of the UK Midlands Automotive Cluster  (2017)
• London FinTech Cluster  (2016)
• IT Hardware Cluster in Cambridge, UK  (2012)
• UK Competitiveness and the International Financial Services Cluster in London   (2007)

United States

• Massachusetts Clean Energy Cluster  (2017)
• Ohio Automotive Cluster  (2017)
• Chicago Biotech Cluster  (2016)
• San Diego Craft Beer Cluster  (2016)
• Kentucky Bourbon Cluster  (2015)
• New York City Apparel Cluster  (2015)
• Pennsylvania Natural Gas Cluster  (2013)
• New York Motion Picture Cluster  (2013)
• Massachusetts Robotics Cluster  (2012)
• Miami, Florida Marine Transportation Cluster  (2012)
• South Carolina Automotive Sector  (2012)
• Tennessee Music Cluster  (2012)
• California Solar Energy  (2011)
• Silicon Valley (California) Internet-Based Services  (2011)
• Minnesota Medical Devices  (2011)
• Massachusetts Higher Education and Knowledge Cluster (2010)
• The North Carolina Furniture Cluster  (2009)
• Automotive Cluster in Michigan USA  (2009)
• Washington D.C. Information Technology and Services Cluster  (2008)
• The Chicago Processed Food Cluster  (2006)
• The Los Angeles Motion Picture Industry Cluster  (2006)

Student Projects by Cluster

Aerospace vehicles & defense, agricultural products.

• Asparagus in Peru  (2012)
• Textiles and Apparel Cluster in Turkey  (2012)
• Bulgaria's Apparel Cluster   (2007)
• South African Automotive Cluster  (2012)
• South Carolina (USA) Automotive Cluster  (2012)

Biopharmaceuticals

• Bangalore (India) Biotechnology  (2008)

Business Services

• Karnataka (India) Offshore IT and Business Process Outsourcing Services Cluster  (2006)

Construction Services

Education & knowledge creation.

• Massachusetts Higher Education and Knowledge Cluster  (2010)

Entertainment

• Nollywood The Nigerian Film Industry  (2008)

Financial Services

• The Moscow (Russia) Financial Services Cluster  (2012)
• Ontario (Canada) Financial Services  (2008)
• UK Competitiveness and the International Financial Services Cluster in London  (2007)

Fishing & Fishing Products

Health services, hospitality & tourism.

• Baja California Sur (Mexico) Tourism  (2008)

Information Technology

• The Johannesburg Software Cluster  (2017)

Jewelry & Precious Metals

• Gujarat (India) Diamonds  (2008)

Marine Equipment

Medical devices, metal manufacturing, metal mining, oil & gas products & services.

• Abu Dhabi (UAE) Petrochemical Cluster  (2012)
• Norway Oil and Gas Cluster  (2012)

Processed Food

Power generation & transmission, transportation & logistics.

• The Miami Florida Marine Transportation Cluster  (2012)
• The Transport and Logistics Cluster in the United Arab Emirates  (2007)

• Past Papers
• National Qualifications  >  Subjects  >  Business Management  >  Advanced Higher  > Advanced Higher Business Management

Advanced Higher Business Management

Updates and announcements, updated course specification for session 2024-25 onwards (24/05/24).

Based on feedback from the teaching profession, and as part of our ongoing review and maintenance of National Courses, we’ve updted the ‘course content’ section of the Advanced Higher Business Management course specification.

Examples of clarifications to content topic areas include:

Global Business : Effect of the UK trading with: EU, ASEAN, China

We’ve removed or amended text relating directly to the UK or UK organisations regarding trade.

Current issues: Business ethics, environmental issues and technological developments

We’ve amended the text to better define what should be covered in relation to business ethics, environmental issues, and pressures on organisations.

Management : Roles of management and management theorists

We’ve reformatted the text and provided additional information ontheorists and theories that could be covered.

Leadership: leadership theories

We’ve provided additional information on theorists and theories that could be covered.

Equality and Diversity: improving diversity and benefits and challenges

We’ve provided additional information to help define what content could be delivered for this topic.

The updated course specification is dated May 2024 and is valid for session 2024-25 onwards.

View our online news article – update on National Courses for session 2024-25 onwards (13 March 2024).

Alternative certification model

The alternative certification model is how National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses will be resulted this year, following the cancellation of the 2021 exams. It involves five different stages.

View the alternative certification model and see what will happen at each stage.

Essential Information

Course specification ( 14/05/2024 ).

Explains the structure of the Course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.

Session 2024-25 onwards

• Advanced Higher Business Management course specification May 2024

Session 2023-24

• Advanced Higher Business Management course specification May 2019

Past Papers and Marking Instructions

Access all past papers by subject/level

Additional question papers resources

Illustrates the standard, structure and requirements of the question papers candidates will sit (includes marking instructions).

• Advanced Higher Business Management Specimen Question Paper September 2019

There were no exams in 2021. The 2020-21 question paper resources are, for most subjects, modified papers which reflect the modifications put in place for session 2020-21.

• Advanced Higher Business Management questions (255 KB)
• Advanced Higher Business Management case study (225 KB)
• Advanced Higher Business Management marking instructions (284 KB)

Coursework ( 18/1/24 )

This section provides information on marking instructions and/or the coursework assessment task(s). It includes information that centres need to administer coursework and must be read in conjunction with the course specification.

• Coursework assessment task for Advanced Higher Business Management (327 KB) July 2023

Project template

• Instructions for submitting National 5 and Higher Business Management assignments, and Advanced Higher projects  January 2024
• Advanced Higher Business Management project template (29 KB)
• Guidance on conditions of assessment
• Coursework for External Assessment

Understanding Standards ( 13/06/2023 )

• Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries

Audio presentation

• Overview of course assessment - presentation with audio (13 minutes) (19.66 MB)

Changes to Understanding Standards materials

• Changes to published Understanding Standards materials for all subjects

Please note: Understanding Standards materials are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain up to date.

Additional Resources session 2020-22

Further information can be found on the Understanding Standards Website.

Course reports ( 04/10/23 )

Course reports.

• 2023 Advanced Higher Business Management Course Report October 2023
• 2022 Advanced Higher Business Management Course Report September 2022
• 2019 Advanced Higher Business Management Course Report September 2019

Verification Reports

• Business Management Verification Key Messages Round 1 March 2017

Ushare open learning resources

Where can you take this course?

Centre Finder

Helper-buttons.