Question 1
A courier's business customers say they do not mind whether a parcel takes two or three days, but it must arrive on the day the courier promised. Which performance objective matters most to these customers?
HSC Business Studies: the course and the exam
Four HSC topics, each a quarter of the course, and one 3-hour paper in four sections. The current syllabus is examined in the 2027 and 2028 HSC.
26 weeks, 104 hours in all
Start with Topic 1
Operations: 24 of your hours. It is 5 of the 20 questions on our Section I practice papers, 25%.
| Topic | Your hours | Share of the checks |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 1: Operations | 24 | 25% |
| Topic 2: Marketing | 24 | 25% |
| Topic 3: Finance | 24 | 25% |
| Topic 4: Human resources | 24 | 25% |
Week by week
- Week 1Topic 1: Operations
- Week 2Topic 1: Operations
- Week 3Topic 1: Operations
- Week 4Topic 1: Operations
- Week 5Topic 1: Operations
- Week 6Topic 1: Operations
- Week 7Topic 2: Marketing
- Week 8Topic 2: Marketing
- Week 9Topic 2: Marketing
- Week 10Topic 2: Marketing
- Week 11Topic 2: Marketing
- Week 12Topic 2: Marketing
- Week 13Topic 3: Finance
- Week 14Topic 3: Finance
- Week 15Topic 3: Finance
- Week 16Topic 3: Finance
- Week 17Topic 3: Finance
- Week 18Topic 3: Finance
- Week 19Topic 4: Human resources
- Week 20Topic 4: Human resources
- Week 21Topic 4: Human resources
- Week 22Topic 4: Human resources
- Week 23Topic 4: Human resources
- Week 24Topic 4: Human resources
- Week 25A Section I practice paper, a business report and an extended response, then review every lost mark
- Week 26A Section I practice paper, a business report and an extended response, then review every lost mark
| The paper | 100 marks, 3 hours plus 5 minutes reading time |
|---|---|
| Section I | Objective-response questions, 20 marks |
| Section II | Short-answer questions, 40 marks |
| Sections III and IV | A business report and one extended response, 20 marks each |
The four HSC topics
Operations, Marketing, Finance and Human resources, each about a quarter of the HSC course. The Preliminary course (the nature of business, business management and business planning) is a prerequisite for the HSC course.
The four sections of the paper
- Section I, 20 marks: objective-response (multiple-choice) questions across the course.
- Section II, 40 marks: four to six short-answer questions, about 12 items in all, often on a short stimulus.
- Section III, 20 marks: one extended response written as a business report, drawing on topics across the HSC course, about 800 words.
Which HSC this course is for
The Business Studies Stage 6 Syllabus (2010) is examined in the 2027 and 2028 HSC. NESA's curriculum reform timeline lists a new Business Studies syllabus taught from 2028 and first examined in 2029.
Try 2 questions
Question 2
| Item | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Sales | 2 000 000 |
| Net profit | 210 000 |
| Total assets | 2 400 000 |
| Total liabilities | 1 000 000 |
| Total equity | 1 400 000 |
The table shows figures for Ironbark Engineering for last year. What is its return on equity ratio?
Next step
Questions people ask
Which HSC years does this syllabus cover?
The 2027 and 2028 HSC. NESA's timeline lists the new syllabus as first examined in 2029.
Is there a choice in the exam?
Only in Section IV: two extended-response questions on different topics, and you answer one. Every other section is compulsory.
Is the Preliminary course in the exam?
The exam is set on the HSC course, but the Preliminary course is a prerequisite and its ideas run through the four HSC topics.