Question 1
A manager makes every decision alone and tells staff what to do, with communication flowing one way from the manager. Which management style is this?
VCE Business Management Units 3 and 4: the study design and the exam
Five areas of study across Units 3 and 4, and one 2-hour examination worth 50% of your study score. The study design accredited 2023 to 2027 is the one the 2026 and 2027 exams use.
26 weeks, 104 hours in all
Start with Business foundations
Business foundations: 19.2 of your hours. It is 4 of the 20 questions on our timed knowledge checks, 20%.
| Area of study | Your hours | Share of the checks |
|---|---|---|
| Business foundations | 19.2 | 20% |
| Human resource management | 19.2 | 20% |
| Operations management | 19.2 | 20% |
| Reviewing performance: the need for change | 19.2 | 20% |
| Implementing change | 19.2 | 20% |
Week by week
- Week 1Business foundations
- Week 2Business foundations
- Week 3Business foundations
- Week 4Business foundations
- Week 5Business foundations, Human resource management
- Week 6Human resource management
- Week 7Human resource management
- Week 8Human resource management
- Week 9Human resource management
- Week 10Human resource management, Operations management
- Week 11Operations management
- Week 12Operations management
- Week 13Operations management
- Week 14Operations management
- Week 15Operations management, Reviewing performance: the need for change
- Week 16Reviewing performance: the need for change
- Week 17Reviewing performance: the need for change
- Week 18Reviewing performance: the need for change
- Week 19Reviewing performance: the need for change
- Week 20Reviewing performance: the need for change, Implementing change
- Week 21Implementing change
- Week 22Implementing change
- Week 23Implementing change
- Week 24Implementing change
- Week 25A case study, a 10-mark extended answer and a timed knowledge check, then review every point Mia flags
- Week 26A case study, a 10-mark extended answer and a timed knowledge check, then review every point Mia flags
| The examination | 75 marks: 15 minutes reading and 2 hours writing |
|---|---|
| Section A | Short-answer and extended-answer questions, 40 or 50 marks |
| Section B | Questions on one case study, 25 or 35 marks |
| Weight | 50% of the study score; Unit 3 and Unit 4 coursework 25% each |
The five areas of study
- Unit 3, Managing a business: Business foundations; Human resource management; Operations management.
- Unit 4, Transforming a business: Reviewing performance, the need for change; Implementing change.
- Every outcome in Units 3 and 4 is examinable, and so is every piece of key knowledge and every key skill behind them.
The two sections of the examination
- Section A, 40 or 50 marks: short-answer and extended-answer questions, some in several parts, often on a short business scenario.
- Section B, 25 or 35 marks: short-answer and extended-answer questions on one case study. Every answer has to use the case.
- One 10-mark extended-answer question with no parts sits in either section. Every question is compulsory, and there is no multiple choice.
Which exams this course is for
The 2026 examination is on Wednesday 4 November 2026, from 3:00 pm to 5:15 pm including reading time. For 2027, only the examination period is published so far: 26 October to 17 November 2027. Both use the same study design and the same examination specifications.
Try 2 questions
Question 2
Managers use Lewin's Force Field Analysis to
Next step
Questions people ask
Which study design do the 2026 and 2027 exams use?
The VCE Business Management Study Design accredited from 2023 to 2027, with the examination specifications published for it from 2023.
Is there a choice of questions?
No. Every question is compulsory, including the 10-mark extended answer.
Are Units 1 and 2 examined?
No. The examination covers the outcomes, key knowledge and key skills of Units 3 and 4.