Paper 4: Business Strategy (Cambridge International A-Level Business)
Exam board Cambridge International · A-LevelUpdated 2026-03-02
What is examined in the CIE A level Business Paper 4?
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This paper is focused on A-Level syllabus content and is called 'Business Strategy'
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Knowledge of material from the AS Level subject content is assumed
- The paper’s duration is one hour 15 minutes
- The total number of marks available is 100
- It represents 50% of the A Level (and 25% of the overall qualification)
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Paper 4 is based on one strategic case study
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The paper is divided into two 20-mark compulsory essay questions, based on an unseen case study
- In both of the questions you must assess strategic options and recommend the most appropriate strategy
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The questions focus on strategic decision-making in medium- to large-sized businesses
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You are expected to apply strategic models (such as SWOT, Ansoff, Porter, investment appraisal, or organisational strategy) directly to the case study context
Content examined in this paper
| Section | AS-level topics | A-level topics |
|---|---|---|
| Business and its environment | - Enterprise - Business structure - Size of business - Business objectives - Stakeholders in a business | - External influences on business activity - Business strategy |
| Human resource management | - Human resource management - Motivation - Management | - Organisational structure - Business communication - Leadership - Human resource management strategy |
| Marketing | - The nature of marketing - Market research - The marketing mix | - Marketing analysis - Marketing strategy |
| Operations management | - The nature of operations - Inventory management - Capacity utilisation and outsourcing | - Location and scale - Quality management - Operations strategy |
| Finance and accounting | - Business finance - Sources of finance - Forecasting and managing cash flows - Costs - Budgets | - Financial statements - Analysis of published accounts - Investment appraisal - Finance and accounting strategy |
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