Business Management: VCE Units 3 & 4 seventh edition
Unit 3 Assessment advice (School Assessed Coursework)
Introduction
School Assessed Coursework is allocated 100 marks in Unit 3 (and a further 100 in Unit 4). It
is then combined with your end of year exam to calculate your study score. The 100 marks
for Unit 3 are allocated on the following basis.
Outcome 1: 25 marks
Outcome 2: 50 marks
Outcome 3: 25 marks
The most important thing is to maximise your result on the assessment tasks provided by
your teacher for the School Assessed Coursework. Below is some advice to assist you in
your preparation for Unit 3 assessment tasks. It is based on the VCE Business Management
Assessment Handbook 2006 published by VCAA.
Assessment task types
There is a range of assessment tasks that your teacher can use to assess your performance
on each outcome. The tasks are:
•
case study
•
structured questions
•
media (newspaper article) analysis
•
test
•
essay
•
report in written format
•
report in multimedia format.
In addition, your teacher will decide on the conditions that will apply to each task you
complete. This includes whether full test conditions apply or whether you can access your
text and/or notes. Your teacher will also specify how long you will have in class to undertake
the task.
Page vi in the Introduction of the textbook gives you a list of the sample tasks across both
Units 3 and 4. Please note:
•
the different types of tasks used
•
the use of more than one task on selected areas of study and the related
outcome.
Performance descriptors
Performance descriptors are used by VCAA to indicate the standard expected of you in your
responses to the set tasks. Your teacher will use the performance descriptors to set the tasks
for each outcome. You do not need to concern yourself too much with the performance
descriptors—you should focus on completing the questions on each tasks to the best of your
ability.
Just so you have an idea of these performance descriptors, we have reproduced the
highest one from Outcome 1 in Unit 3.
Published by Macmillan Education Australia
Copyright © Steve Barrile and Terry Cameron 2008
1
Business Management: VCE Units 3 & 4 seventh edition
In a task/s completed for Outcome 1 in Unit 3 a mark of 21–25 for the outcome would
indicate:
Very thorough explanation and analysis of a range of aspects of the context in
which large-scale organisations operate. Accurate use of management terms
and concepts throughout the response. Accurate application of knowledge and
concepts to practical and/or simulated representations. Compehensive
description and analysis well supported by consistent selection of relevant
business literature, information and data.
VCE Business Management Assessment Handbook 2006, VCAA
If you perform well on the assessment task given to you by your teacher, the above
statement describes your performance.
Assessment task advice
The following advice should be considered to maximise your performance on each
assessment task.
•
Complete the various ‘learning activities’ (discussions, note taking, text book
activities, videos, excursions etc.) set by your teacher in the period leading up to
the each assessment task.
•
The learning activities are developing the knowledge and skills to do the
assessment task.
•
Develop your ability to write clear paragraph length answers within limited time
periods-practice this with work provided by your teacher.
•
Use your own words, based on your reading and notes, as often as possible.
Undertake the sample assessment tasks provided in the textbook: Outcome 1 task on
page 43; Outcome 2 tasks on pages 62, 87 and 133; and Outcome 3 task on page 184.
Assessment task template
Print the template on the following page and fill in as your teacher provides specific advice
about your Unit 3 School Assessed Coursework program.
Examination advice
The end-of-year examination is a short answer format similar in style to many of your
assessment tasks. It covers material from across Units 3 and 4 and is two hours in duration
plus fifteen minutes reading time.
The best preparation, at this early stage, is to work through the content and learning
activities in the textbook and perform as best as you can on the assessment tasks set by
your teacher. The style of the School Assessed Coursework questions is similar to those on
the exam.
A couple of additional things you can do during Unit 3 are as follows.
•
Compile an alphabetical list of key words and terms using the ‘Developing a
glossary’ activity at the end of each section of the textbook. Keep this list as a
Word™ file so that you can progressively add to it over the year.
•
Complete the Unit 3 revision test on pages 312–13 of the textbook towards the
end of the unit (during late May).
Published by Macmillan Education Australia
Copyright © Steve Barrile and Terry Cameron 2008
2
Business Management: VCE Units 3 & 4 seventh edition
School Assessed Coursework
Business Management VCE Unit 3
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Outcome
Task type/s
Conditions
Date/s
1 Ability to describe and
analyse the context in
which large-scale
organisations operate.
Area of Study 1
2 Ability to describe and
analyse major aspects of
the internal environment
of large-scale
organisations.
Area of Study 2
3 Ability to identify and
evaluate practices and
processes related to
operations management.
Area of study 3
Published by Macmillan Education Australia
Copyright © Steve Barrile and Terry Cameron 2008
3
Business Management: VCE Units 3 & 4 seventh edition
Unit 4 Assessment advice (School Assessed Coursework)
Introduction
School Assessed Coursework is allocated 100 marks in Unit 4 (just as 100 marks were
awarded for Unit 3). It is then combined with your end of year exam to calculate your study
score. The 100 marks for Unit 4 are allocated on the following basis:

Outcome 1: 60 marks

Outcome 2: 40 marks.
The most important thing is to maximise your result on the assessment tasks provided by
your teacher for the School Assessed Coursework. Below is some advice to assist you in
your preparation for Unit 4 assessment tasks. It is based on the Assessment Handbook for
VCE Business Management 2006 published by VCAA.
Assessment task types
There is a range of assessment tasks that your teacher can use to assess your performance
on each outcome. The tasks are:

case study

structured questions

media (newspaper article) analysis

test

essay

report in written format

report in multimedia format.
In addition your teacher will decide on the conditions that will apply to each task you
complete. This includes whether full test conditions apply or whether you can access your
text and/or notes. Your teacher will also specify how long you will have in class to undertake
the task.
Page vi in the introduction section of the textbook gives you a list of the sample
assessment tasks across both Units 3 and 4. Please note:

the different types of tasks used

the use of more than one task on selected Areas of study and the related
outcome.
Performance descriptors
Performance descriptors are used by VCAA to indicate the standard expected of you in your
responses to the set tasks. Your teacher will use the performance descriptors to set the tasks
for each outcome. You do not need to concern yourself too much with the performance
descriptors—you should focus on completing the questions on each task to the best of your
ability.
Just so you have an idea of these performance descriptors, we have reproduced the highest
one from Outcome 1 in Unit 4.
Published by Macmillan Education Australia
Copyright © Steve Barrile and Terry Cameron 2008
4
Business Management: VCE Units 3 & 4 seventh edition
In a task/s completed for Outcome 1 in Unit 4, a mark of 21–25 for the outcome would
indicate:
Very thorough explanation and evaluation of human resource management
practices and processes with consideration, as appropriate, of the contexts of
workplace attitudes, ethical and socially responsible management,
developments in technology and legislation. Accurate and comprehensive
application of knowledge and specific human resource management strategies
to practical and/or simulated representations. Precise use of human resource
management terms and concepts in the response. Highly developed problem
solving, planning and ethical and socially responsible decision makink based
on business literature, information and data.
VCCA Assessment Handbook: VCE Business Management 2006
If you perform well on the assessment task given to you by your teacher, the above
statement describes your performance.
Assessment task advice
The following advice should be considered to maximise your performance on each
assessment task:

The pattern and style of assessment will be similar to Unit 3.

Complete the various learning activities (discussions, note taking, text book
activities, videos, excursions etc.) set by your teacher in the period leading up to
the each assessment task.

The learning activities are developing the knowledge and skills to do the
assessment task.

Develop your ability to write clear paragraph-length answers within limited time
periods—practise this with work provided by your teacher.

Use your own words, based on your reading and notes, as often as possible.
Undertake the sample tasks provided in the textbook: Outcome 1 task on page 258,
Outcome 2 task on page 311.
Assessment task template
Print the template on the next page and fill it in as your teacher provides specific advice
about your Unit 4 School Assessed Coursework program.
Published by Macmillan Education Australia
Copyright © Steve Barrile and Terry Cameron 2008
5
Business Management: VCE Units 3 & 4 seventh edition
School Assessed Coursework
Business Management VCE Unit 4
Name: ____________________________________________
Outcome
Task type/s
Conditions
Date/s
1 Ability to identify and
evaluate practices and
processes related to
human resource
management
Area of Study 1
2 Ability to analyse and
evaluate the
management of change
in large-scale
organisations.
Area of Study 2
Published by Macmillan Education Australia
Copyright © Steve Barrile and Terry Cameron 2008
6
Business Management: VCE Units 3 & 4 seventh edition
Examination advice
The end-of-year examination is a short-answer format similar in style to many of your
assessment tasks. It covers material from Units 3 and 4 and is two hours in duration plus 15
minutes reading time.
As in Unit 3, the best preparation during Unit 4 is to work through the content and learning
activities in the textbook and perform as well as you can on the assessment task set by your
teacher. The style of the School Assessed Coursework questions is similar to those on the
exam.
A couple of additional things you can do during Unit 4 are:

Compile an alphabetical list of key words and terms using the ‘Developing a
glossary’ activity at the end of each section of the textbook. Keep this list as a
Word™ file so that you can progressively add to it over the year.

Complete the Unit 4 Revision test on pages 314–15 of the textbook towards the
end of the unit.
Once your class has finished Unit 4, you should immediately swing into revision for the
exam. This will involve both units. Your teacher will take you through a revision strategy.
We recommend the following activities:

use the ‘Test yourself’ questions in each section of the textbook to revise the
content

make summary notes on each section of the text, selecting key points

consolidate your glossary lists from the textbook

revise School Assessed Coursework tasks from Units 3 and 4.

undertake short, exam-style questions

undertake a practice exam using notes and text

undertake at least two practise exams under full test conditions.
Published by Macmillan Education Australia
Copyright © Steve Barrile and Terry Cameron 2008
7