Business Studies Level 3 BST315116 course document current for 2026 and External Assessment Specifications Version 6, February 2025
The TASC external written examination is three hours, with 15 minutes of preparation time. Section A is 40 marks in about 40 minutes: answer four of eight 10-mark short-response questions, two from Unit 1 and two from Unit 2. Section B is 70 marks in about 70 minutes: answer two of three 35-mark scenario questions covering Operations, Human Resources and Marketing; use the common stimulus and complete all parts. Section C is 70 marks in about 70 minutes: answer one compulsory extended scenario response using the common stimulus and business financial data. Criterion 1–4 responses are assessed numerically; Criterion 5 uses extended alpha ratings. TASC does not report a single percentage exam mark or map these indicative practice marks directly to a course award.
Past papers on this subject span more than one course document. Papers written under an older one still work as practice, but the modules they test have changed — the index labels every paper with the course document it was set under.
BST315116 — current for 2026 (External Assessment Specifications Version 6, February 2025) · 2021–current
The modules, one by one
Each area below lists the concepts named in the course document, what the TASC exam asks of them, and the mistake that most often costs marks.
- Unit 1 — The Business Environment
- Unit 2 — Operations Management
- Unit 3 — Human Resource Management
- Unit 4 — Financial Management
- Unit 5 — Marketing Management
- Unit 6 — Business Inquiry: Feasibility Study
Area 1 of 6
Unit 1 — The Business Environment
Explain the functions and goals of Australian businesses, compare business structures and finance, and analyse internal and PESTLE influences, stakeholder interests, entrepreneurship and ethical conduct.
What the course document lists under this area · 6 points
- Economic and social roles of business; the four business functions and their interdependence
- Business goals and objectives; sectors, scale, geographical spread and legal structures
- Sources of debt and equity finance and their implications for a chosen business structure
- Internal influences and external PESTLE influences on business decisions
- Stakeholder interests and their potential conflict with business goals
- Entrepreneurship, innovation, opportunity, risk, leadership, ethics and corporate social responsibility
What the exam asks
Section A short responses assess precise business knowledge and communication. In longer scenarios, use evidence to connect an environmental influence or stakeholder interest to business objectives and performance.
Where marks go missing
Treating external factors as wholly negative, or listing PESTLE labels without explaining a specific business impact. Separate an internal influence the business can shape from an external force it must respond to.
Area 2 of 6
Unit 2 — Operations Management
Analyse how inputs are transformed into products or services, how quality and efficiency support competitive advantage, and how operational, strategic and technology decisions affect performance.
What the course document lists under this area · 5 points
- Inputs, transformation processes and outputs; efficiency, quality, productivity and competitive advantage
- Operational and strategic decisions, technology, scheduling and purchasing
- Inventory control, dispatch, maintenance and quality-control systems
- Just-in-time, total quality management and related operations practices
- Outsourcing, offshoring, deskilling, contracts and intellectual property; social, environmental, legal and ethical issues
What the exam asks
Section A includes two selected 10-mark questions on operations. Section B may offer an operations scenario; analyse the given evidence and justify recommendations against the business's stated goals.
Where marks go missing
Naming a method such as just-in-time or total quality management without checking the business's supplier reliability, scale, quality needs, risks and implementation costs.
Area 3 of 6
Unit 3 — Human Resource Management
Connect workforce planning, recruitment, training, motivation, performance and separation to business needs, while considering Australian workplace obligations, diversity and employee rights.
What the course document lists under this area · 6 points
- Purpose of HRM: attracting, motivating, developing, training and retaining a workforce
- Workforce change, resistance to change, diversity and cross-cultural awareness
- Employment contracts, National Employment Standards, Fair Work, equal opportunity and WHS obligations
- The employment cycle: staffing needs, job design, recruitment, selection, induction and training
- Performance management, agreements, restructuring, closure and separation
- Employee rights and the ethical tension between individual and business goals
What the exam asks
Section B may offer an HR scenario. Use the stimulus to identify the relevant workforce problem, assess a feasible strategy and explain its effect on employees and business performance.
Where marks go missing
Recommending a staffing change without considering the job, employment arrangement, legal obligations, implementation and possible effect on retention or service quality.
Area 4 of 6
Unit 4 — Financial Management
Read income statements, balance sheets and cash budgets; calculate and interpret profitability, liquidity, gearing and efficiency ratios; and use cost-volume-profit and break-even analysis to test decisions.
What the course document lists under this area · 6 points
- Balance sheets and income statements; assets, liabilities, equity, sales, cost of goods sold and expenses
- Profitability ratios: gross profit ratio, net profit ratio and return on owner's equity
- Gearing, current ratio and debtor collection period
- Cash budgets as a planning tool: receipts, payments, cash flow and financing
- Fixed and variable costs, contribution margin and cost-volume-profit (break-even) analysis
- Fraud, disclosure, financial-stakeholder rights and ethical financial management
What the exam asks
Section C is a compulsory extended scenario response. Calculate accurately, compare relevant periods or benchmarks, explain what each result indicates and recommend actions consistent with the business evidence.
Where marks go missing
Confusing profit with cash, comparing ratios without a suitable benchmark, or stating a calculation without interpreting what it means for the decision.
Area 5 of 6
Unit 5 — Marketing Management
Use market research, SWOT, target-market selection, product life cycle and the marketing mix to form and evaluate a coherent strategy, using financial and non-financial performance indicators.
What the course document lists under this area · 6 points
- Marketing's role and planning process; SWOT analysis and marketing objectives
- Target-market identification using demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioural factors
- Primary and secondary market research
- The marketing mix: product, price, promotion and place; segmentation, differentiation, positioning and branding
- Pricing methods and strategies; promotion, distribution and web-based marketing
- Financial and non-financial marketing KPIs; consumer law and ethical or environmental questions in marketing
What the exam asks
Section B may offer a marketing scenario; link the selected segment, positioning and marketing-mix choices to the evidence and the business's objectives. Section C data can require marketing-related recommendations.
Where marks go missing
Listing the four Ps as disconnected tactics or choosing a promotion channel before defining the target market, desired positioning, price logic and measurable objective.
Area 6 of 6
Unit 6 — Business Inquiry: Feasibility Study
Plan and conduct an inquiry into a business opportunity by defining a question, gathering and evaluating reliable information, analysing feasibility and reflecting on evidence and process.
What the exam asks
The written examination assesses specified Units 1–5 and may draw on business reasoning relevant to inquiry. The Unit 6 feasibility study is a course work requirement; this practice-exam hub does not replace or simulate that project.
Where marks go missing
Presenting an attractive idea as proven viable. Distinguish evidence, assumptions, research limitations, financial feasibility and ethical or environmental implications.
Common questions
Does the TASC Business Studies exam have 180 marks?
No. TASC specifies three sections with 40, 70 and 70 marks in the current exam design, while Criterion 5 is assessed using extended alpha ratings. The resulting TASC course award is based on criterion ratings, not a single percentage exam total.
How many Section A questions do I answer?
Answer four of eight 10-mark questions: two from Unit 1, The Business Environment, and two from Unit 2, Operations Management.
Can I choose any two Section B questions?
Yes. The current specifications offer three 35-mark scenario questions, on Operations, Human Resources and Marketing, and require two. Use the shared stimulus and answer every part of each selected question.
What is the difference between profit and cash flow?
Profit is measured from revenues and expenses over a period. Cash flow tracks actual receipts and payments and their timing. A business can report a profit while facing a cash shortfall, so use the statement or budget that answers the question.
Does this hub assess my feasibility study?
No. Unit 6 requires a business inquiry and feasibility study as part of the course. This hub provides exam-style practice and does not replace the project or its provider assessment.