Assessing the Marketing Environment Roger Collier Senior Examiner Assignment briefing December 2013 / March 2014

Presentation title Objectives of the briefing 1.Advise tutors and students on exam technique prior to the December 2013 and March 2014 examination diets. 2.Prepare students appropriately for the examination. 3.Prepare tutors to support students through the examination process.

Presentation title At the end of the briefing you should be able to… A.Successfully prepare for the examination. B. Understand the nature of the examination. C. Have a clear understanding of what is required of you in the examination itself – key points for successful exam technique.

Presentation title A.Successfully preparing for the examination 1.Know the syllabus. 2. Read the case study. 3. Prepare your SWOT and PESTLE analysis. 4. Look through past papers and mark schemes on the Learning Zone. 5. Read Senior Examiner’s reports on Learning Zone.

Presentation title B. Understand the nature of the examination 1.How is the examination laid out? - You will have 3 hours to complete the exam. -There are Part A and Part B questions. -Part A questions account for 40% of the exam. -Part B questions account for 60% of the exam. -ALL questions will ask you to apply your answers to the case study. -See this for yourself - look through past papers on Learning Zone – the layout is always the same.

Presentation title B. Understand the nature of the examination 2. Why are the Part A and Part B questions different? -They are assessing different skills of yours. -Part A 40% questions mainly testing your knowledge and understanding of the syllabus and its application to the case study. -Part B 60% questions are asking you to analyse/ justify/evaluate/give more detail in your answers that’s why they account for 60% of the marks.

Presentation title B. Understand the nature of the examination 3.How do the key words guide me in writing my answers to Part A questions? Look through past papers and you will see that Part A questions will typically ask you to; “Define” “Illustrate” “Briefly Explain” “Briefly Describe” Sample question from June “Define the term cause related marketing and explain how this could benefit Compton Verney ”.

Presentation title B. Understand the nature of the examination 3.How do the key words guide me in my answers to Part B questions? Look through past papers and you will see that; Part B questions will typically ask you to; “Analyse” “Explain” “How” “Justify” “Evaluate” Sample question from June “Identify and describe three sources of secondary information that Compton Verney could use to monitor economic trends”.

Presentation title B. Understand the nature of the examination 4. How will my SWOT and PESTLE analysis help me in the exam? Look through past papers and mark schemes and you will see that: - You can use the SWOT and PESTLE analysis in answers. - The analysis is there to help you in the exam. - Do not just attach it and forget it. Sample question in Part B from March 2012, “Describe the technological macro environment and analyse how it may have influenced customer’s actions as the crisis developed”.

Presentation title C. What is required in the exam – key points for successful exam technique 1.Allocate your time before you start Part A represents 40% of the marks so spend 40% of the three hours on Part A. Each of the three Part B questions represent 20% of the marks so spend 20% of the three hours on each. 2. Start with Part A questions The examination has been designed to help you – starting with Part A will ease you in to the examination and avoid spending too much time on Part B answers as some candidates have done in the past. 3. Use the PESTLE / SWOT analysis in the exam

Presentation title C. What is required in the exam – key points for successful exam technique 4. Answer each element of the question -Marks will be awarded for each element of a question. -For example, a question which asks you to, “define the term globalisation and its impact on an organisation ” for example, will have marks available for both defining the term globalisation AND its impact on an organisation.

Presentation title C. What is required in the exam – key points for successful exam technique 5. Starting Part B questions - The Report 6. Using theoretical models in the exam

Presentation title As a result of this briefing 1.Both tutors and students should feel more confident on the exam technique required for the December 2013 and March 2014 examination diets. 2. Students should be appropriately prepared for the examination. 3.Both tutors and students should feel more confident on the examination process for this unit.