Business Studies 2014
Sample assessment instrument
Project: Stop theft, fraud, errors!
This sample has been compiled by the QCAA to help teachers plan and develop assessment
instruments for individual school settings. It demonstrates the following dimensions, which are
highlighted to show where opportunities are provided in the task:
• Knowing and understanding
• Analysing and applying
• Planning and evaluating
Assessment instrument
Comments
Context
This instrument is from a unit
called Financial
administration and is
designed to be implemented
in Year 11. The focus is
internal cash and inventory
control.
Retail businesses use their assets to generate income. It is critical a
business implements appropriate financial policies and procedures to
protect assets, prevent fraud and theft, prevent and detect errors, and
increase the efficiency and profitability of the business.
The core business function
is Working in finance.
At least two business
practices must be covered
within each project (Syllabus
p. 26). The core Business
practices covered in this
instrument include: BF2,
FL1, FL2, BC2 BT2 and
BT3.
A project includes at least
two different assessable
components (Syllabus
p. 26).
You will participate in a field trip to a local small retail business where
the owner/manager will provide you with a tour. You will observe the
financial policies and procedures the business uses to record, process
and internally control cash and inventories.
You are required to complete three components for this task:
1.
Write a short report (400–700 words) for the owner/manager on
the effectiveness of the business’ financial policies and
procedures.
2.
Create a new financial policies and procedures manual for
recording, processing and internally controlling the business’ cash
and inventories.
3.
Prepare a 1½–3½ minute spoken presentation evaluating the
impact the new financial policies and procedures (documented in
the manual) will have on the internal control of cash and
inventories for the business. You will present your evaluation to
your peers.
150296
The elective business
context is Retail.
Task
Comments
Component 1: Written — Report
The task provides
opportunities to
demonstrate:
• description of concepts
and ideas related to
business functions
You are required to write a short report (400–700 words) that will:
• explanation of concepts
and ideas related to
business functions
• processes, procedures
and skills related to
business functions to
complete tasks
• analysis of business
information in business
functions and contexts
• use of language
conventions and features
to communicate ideas and
information
•
describe and explain the current financial policies and procedures
being implemented by the business which are effective and
appropriate for the internal control of cash and inventories. Provide
examples from the business to support your discussion
•
analyse the weaknesses with the current financial policies and
procedures for the internal control of cash and inventories
•
make and justify decisions for three solutions to improve the internal
control of cash and inventories in the business.
The report will be prepared using Microsoft Word. Write in sentences
and paragraphs and use business language. It will include report
headings, paragraph headings, headers and footers. You may insert
objects (pictures, diagrams, spreadsheets, etc.) to support your
discussion and analysis. Use captions where appropriate.
Component 2: Practical — Policies and procedures manual
You will be provided with an electronic copy of the Australian Taxation
Office (ATO) template financial policies and procedures manual.
You will apply your knowledge, understanding and skills to plan and
prepare a new financial policies and procedures manual for the
business by editing the ATO template using Microsoft Word.
• application of business
information in business
functions and contexts
The manual will include:
•
policies and procedures used by the business to internally control
cash and inventories
• decisions with justification
for business solutions and
outcomes
•
the integration of the solutions recommended in the report
•
examples of existing and new financial documents and records to
record cash and inventories (Use Microsoft Excel to prepare these
documents).
• planning and organisation
of business solutions and
outcomes
• evaluation of business
decisions, solutions and
outcomes.
Component 3: Spoken — Evaluation
Prepare a 1½–3½ minute spoken presentation evaluating the
effectiveness of the new financial policies and procedures (documented
in the manual) using the following criteria:
•
protects assets (cash and inventories)
•
prevents fraud and theft of cash and inventories
•
prevents and detects errors in the recording and processing of cash
and inventories
•
increases efficiency
•
increases profitability.
A decision-making tool may be used to plan and organise your evaluation.
Business Studies 2014
Sample assessment instrument
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
April 2015
Page 2 of 5
Conditions
Assessment conditions
Semesters 1–2
Written component
400–700 words
Spoken component
1½–3½ minutes
Practical component
One week of class time will be provided to complete this task.
Authentication strategies
Initial discussion: Discuss your plan (ideas) for the report, manual and evaluation with your
teacher.
Progress
• Show your teacher planning documents for the report, Excel spreadsheets and manual, and
adjust responses based on feedback.
• Discuss the spoken evaluation with your teacher prior to your class presentation. Provide a
copy of the decision-making tool or other planning documents used to make evaluations.
Adjust responses based on feedback.
Drafting
A draft:
• report is required two weeks after the field trip
• manual is required three weeks after the field trip.
Further advice regarding authentication strategies is available in the document Advice about
strategies for authenticating student work for learning and assessment (available at
www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/senior/snr_tla_strat_auth_stud_work.docx) and in video clips in
the series Implementing teaching, learning and assessment (available via the Senior assessment
hub at https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/31164.html).
Business Studies 2014
Sample assessment instrument
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
April 2015
Page 3 of 5
Analysing and applying
Knowing and understanding
Instrument-specific standards matrix
Standard A
Standard B
Standard C
Standard D
Standard E
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
•
comprehensive description
of concepts and ideas
related to working in
finance
•
thorough description of
concepts and ideas
related to working in
finance
•
description of concepts
and ideas related to
working in finance
•
simple description of
concepts and ideas
related to working in
finance
•
partial description of
business concepts and
ideas
•
comprehensive
explanation of concepts
and ideas related to
working in finance, using
relevant examples
•
thorough explanation of
concepts and ideas
related to working in
finance, using examples
•
explanation of concepts
and ideas related to
working in finance
•
simple explanation of
concepts and ideas
related to working in
finance
•
partial explanation of
concepts and/or ideas
•
precise and efficient
demonstration of
processes, procedures and
skills related to working in
finance to complete tasks.
•
precise demonstration of
processes, procedures
and skills related to
working in finance to
complete tasks.
•
demonstration of
processes, procedures
and skills related to
working in finance to
complete tasks.
•
demonstration of simple
processes, procedures
and skills to complete
obvious tasks.
•
demonstration of basic
business skills.
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
•
considered analysis of a
wide range of business
information in working in
finance and retail
•
informed analysis of a
range of business
information in working in
finance and retail
•
analysis of business
information in working in
finance and retail
•
identification of obvious
relationships between
business information in
working in finance and
retail
•
identification of aspects
of business information
•
discerning and efficient
application of knowledge,
understandings and skills
related to working in
finance and retail
•
systematic application of
knowledge,
understandings and skills
related to working in
finance and retail
•
application of knowledge,
understandings and skills
related to working in
finance and retail
•
simple application of
knowledge,
understanding and skills
related to working in
finance and retail
•
partial application of
knowledge,
understanding and skills
Business Studies 2014
Sample assessment instrument
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
April 2015
Page 4 of 5
Planning and evaluating
Standard A
Standard B
Standard C
Standard D
Standard E
•
•
•
•
•
proficient use of language
conventions and features
to effectively communicate
ideas and information.
controlled use of
language conventions
and features to clearly
communicate ideas and
information.
use of language
conventions and features
to communicate ideas
and information.
inconsistent use of
simple language
conventions and features
to communicate ideas
and information.
use of basic language
conventions and features
for partial communication
of information.
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
•
discerning decisions with
well-reasoned justification
for financial administration
solutions and outcomes
•
informed decisions with
valid justification for
financial administration
solutions and outcomes
•
plausible decisions, with
justification for financial
administration solutions
and outcomes
•
decisions for financial
administration solutions
and outcomes
•
statement of opinion
about solutions or
outcomes
•
comprehensive planning
and efficient organisation
of financial administration
solutions and outcomes
•
detailed planning and
logical organisation of
financial administration
solutions and outcomes
•
planning and
organisation of financial
administration solutions
and outcomes
•
simple planning and
organisation relating to
aspects of financial
administration solutions
and outcomes
•
collection of information
related to planning
•
considered and
comprehensive evaluation
of financial administration
decisions, solutions and
outcomes.
•
informed evaluation of
financial administration
decisions, solutions and
outcomes.
•
evaluation of financial
administration decisions,
solutions and outcomes.
•
simple evaluation of
financial administration
decisions, solutions and
outcomes.
•
statement about
decisions, solutions or
outcomes.
This standards matrix has been made instrument-specific by
specifying the context.
Business Studies 2014
Sample assessment instrument
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
April 2015
Page 5 of 5