Summer 2024
Pearson Edexcel GCSE
In Business (1BS0)
Paper 01 Investigating small business
,General Marking Guidance
• All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark the first
candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the last.
• Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be rewarded for what
they have shown they can do rather than penalised for omissions.
• Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not according to their
perception of where the grade boundaries may lie.
• There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark scheme should be used
appropriately.
• All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded. Examiners should
always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the answer matches the mark scheme.
Examiners should also be prepared to award zero marks if the candidate’s response is
not worthy of credit according to the mark scheme.
• Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide the principles by which
marks will be awarded and exemplification may be limited.
• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark scheme to a
candidate’s response, the team leader must be consulted.
• Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate has replaced it with an
alternative response.
• Mark schemes will indicate within the table where, and which strands of QWC, are
being assessed. The strands are as follows:
i) ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate
so that meaning is clear
ii) elect and use a form and style of writing appropriate to purpose and to complex
subject matter
iii) organise information clearly and coherently, using specialist vocabulary when
appropriate.
, Section A
Question Answer Mark
number
1(a) The only correct answer is B – Income (1)
A is not correct because it is not a way of segmenting a market
C is not correct because it is not a way of segmenting a market
D is not correct because it is not a way of segmenting a market
Question Answer Mark
number
1(b) The only correct answer is A – Business failure due to (1)
unpaid debts
B is not correct because it is a definition of trade credit
C is not correct because it is a definition of interest
D is not correct because it is a definition of a merger
Question Answer Mark
number
1(c) Award 1 mark for identification of a disadvantage, plus 2 further (3)
marks for explaining this disadvantage up to a total of 3 marks.
There may be disagreements between partners (1). This means it
can be difficult for decisions to be made (1). Therefore, the
business will take longer to respond to the needs of customers (1).
Decisions made by one partner can affect all partners (1). If this
leads to financial loss, then all partners are liable for the debts (1).
This may lead to partners losing the money that they invested in
the business (1).
Accept any other appropriate response. Answers that list more
than one disadvantage with no explanation will be awarded a
maximum of 1 mark.