Business Services 2021 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• use the first page of the answer booklet for an extended response to develop a plan to assist in the logical sequencing of information
• engage with what the question is asking rather than presenting a pre-prepared response
• relate to the question throughout the response rather than just at the beginning
• ensure each extended response answer is completed in a separate writing booklet
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the examinable units of competency from the syllabus
• communicate ideas and information using relevant workplace examples and industry terminology
• be prepared to address a range of industry issues
• demonstrate knowledge of employability skills relevant to various situations
• include relevant annotations when including a diagram
• present a logical and cohesive response that answers the question
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 16

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify and outline strategies specific to the positive working relationships within a customer service department (a)
• explain how specific strategies improve and encourage positive working environments (a)
• identify a strategy a manager could implement or apply to encourage positive staff relationships (a)
• explain in detail how feedback from staff could impact customer service practices (b)
• relate to overall objectives for the business (b)
• explain how feedback can identify areas for improvement (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• correctly identifying strategies within a customer service department, for example, employee relationships and not in relation to employee and customer relationships
• using appropriate industry specific terminology from the question, for example, explicit use of manager and customer service department
• using relevant business services examples
• linking ideas in relation to actual customer service practices
• applying specific solutions that improve customer service practices.

Question 17

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate their knowledge of petty cash records and its purpose to a business (a)
• correctly use and apply petty cash terminology (a)
• engage with the stimulus to calculate required figures accurately (b)
• demonstrate their understanding of petty cash by correctly inputting data into required columns, for example, the ‘sundry’ column (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using relevant petty cash terminology within their response rather than providing general financial information
• recognising the relevance of the word ‘necessary’ in the question
• demonstrating a clear understanding of the purpose of petty cash records to a business
• ensuring all required data was used for each entry of the question
• demonstrating an understanding of each category of petty cash, for example, sundry
• showing an ability to accurately make calculations, for example, calculating GST.

Question 18

In better responses, students were able to:

• describe in detail the features of both open-mindedness and risk-taking when implementing new technology (a)
• clearly link the features described to benefits for the business services workplace (a)
• relate the features described to employees and new technology (a).
• show a clear understanding of more than one operational and management issue (b)
• recognise that the change was a proposal (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the differences between open-mindedness and risk-taking.
• correctly outline issues rather than identifying information.

Question 19

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate their knowledge of the Clean Energy Regulator (a)
• use relevant terminology, for example, reduction of carbon emissions (a)
• demonstrate an understanding that the Regulator is an external body outside of the business (a)
• understand and address the two parts to the question and show the relationship between them, for example, measuring resource consumption and energy efficiency (b)
• use examples to show the effect of how this could be achieved (b)
• understand that the intent of the question was to link sustainable strategies to an area of waste (c)
• put forward a range of strategies linked to an area of waste in the business administration team (c)
• show how reducing waste can achieve environmental sustainability (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• having knowledge and understanding of the Clean Energy Regulator in relation to sustainability
• identifying both interrelated parts of the question; showing cause and effect between the two
• ensuring they refer to energy consumption and measurement
• understanding the difference between waste and energy efficiency.

Question 20

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly identify examples of internal sources (a)
• clearly outline the role of various internal sources relevant to a business services workplace (a)
• consistently use relevant business services workplace terminology (a)
• provide detailed explanation of both confidentiality and security measures in a remote setting (b)
• clearly identify a range of confidentiality and security workplace examples relevant to working remotely(b)
• make clear links between confidentiality and security (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying accurate examples of internal sources
• demonstrating knowledge of the role internal sources play in the business workplace
• correctly relating the question to its relevant HSC focus area
• clearly describing confidentiality and security examples when working remotely
• accurately describing measures relevant to the use of technology when working remotely
• describing how legislation plays a role in policies and procedures of confidentiality and security of customer records
• demonstrating knowledge of confidentiality and security protocols.

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the importance of safe work procedures and practices in manual handling in the business services workplace (a)
• correctly link manual handling to a safe work procedure and practice (a)
• demonstrate knowledge of emergency situations and the purpose of induction training (b)
• demonstrate knowledge of inductions as initial training for emergency situations (b)
• engage with emergency situations to show an understanding of the purpose of inductions (b).
• demonstrate an understanding of how the selection, use and maintenance of Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to achieve risk management (c)
• demonstrate knowledge of a range of workplace examples (c)
• demonstrate a clear understanding of how PPE is selected used and maintained (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding a description of manual handling
• identifying the key aspect of the question as importance, not describing safe work practices
• demonstrating a clear understanding of the importance of manual handling
• avoiding general comments on workplace procedures
• demonstrating a clear understanding of the purpose of inductions for an emergency situation
• identifying the key concept of induction over training
• having a focus on PPE risk management
• identifying the three aspects of PPE which are used to achieve risk management
• using relevant examples of PPE, its selection use and maintenance
• supporting their response with relevant workplace examples.

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate detailed knowledge of strategies and how these link to types of specific discrimination
• provide a clear definition of discrimination
• give a range of examples in a business services workplace showing how the strategies could be implemented
• provide clear and concise examples, using accurate terminology showing the relationship between strategies proposed and minimising the impact of discrimination.

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on strategies for addressing discrimination rather than listing types of discrimination that may exist in a business services workplace
• focusing examples on the business services industry and not on other industries
• linking the workplace examples to ideas in the question.