VCE Business Management past exams 2016–2025, by year and topic

Business foundations · 7 mapped questions

Also in this areas of study: Types of businesses (sole trader, partnership, private limited company, public listed company, social enterprise, government business enterprise) · Business objectives (profit, market share, efficiency, effectiveness, market need, social need, shareholder expectations) · Stakeholders and their interests/potential conflicts (owners, managers, employees, customers, suppliers, general community) · Management styles (autocratic, persuasive, consultative, participative, laissez-faire) and their appropriateness · Management skills (communication, delegation, planning, leadership, decision-making, interpersonal) — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Human resource management · 5 mapped questions

Also in this areas of study: Relationship between HRM and business objectives · Theories of motivation: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Locke and Latham's Goal Setting Theory, Lawrence and Nohria's Four Drive Theory · Motivation strategies (performance-related pay, career advancement, training investment, support/sanction strategies) · Performance management strategies (management by objectives, appraisals, self-evaluation, observation) · Termination management (retirement, redundancy, resignation, dismissal) and entitlement/transition considerations · Workplace participants and roles (HR managers, employees, employer associations, unions, Fair Work Commission) · Awards and agreements; dispute resolution (mediation, arbitration) — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Operations management · 10 mapped questions

Also in this areas of study: Operations management in manufacturing vs service businesses · Technology strategies for efficiency/effectiveness (automated production lines, robotics, CAD/CAM, AI, online services) · Materials management strategies (forecasting, master production schedule, materials requirement planning, Just in Time) · Quality strategies (quality control, quality assurance, Total Quality Management) · Waste minimisation (reduce, reuse, recycle) and lean management (pull, one-piece flow, takt, zero defects) · Corporate social responsibility and global considerations in operations (sourcing, overseas manufacture, outsourcing) — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Reviewing performance and the need for change · 8 mapped questions

Also in this areas of study: Key performance indicators (market share, net profit, productivity growth, sales, absenteeism, staff turnover, wastage, customer complaints, website hits, workplace accidents) · Lewin's Force Field Analysis (driving and restraining forces, weighting, ranking, implementing and evaluating a response) · Porter's Generic Strategies (lower cost and differentiation approaches to strategic management) — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Implementing change · 4 mapped questions

Also in this areas of study: Importance of leadership in change management · Management strategies to respond to KPIs and seek new opportunities (training, motivation, management style change, technology investment, quality improvement, cost cutting, lean production, resource redeployment, global sourcing) · Corporate culture development strategies · Lewin's Three-step Change Model (unfreeze, change, refreeze) · Low-risk strategies to overcome resistance (communication, empowerment, support, incentives) vs high-risk strategies (manipulation, threat) · Effect of change on stakeholder groups and corporate social responsibility considerations — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

The rest of the study design

Question-level mapping for these areas is still being verified. Every official paper covering them is in the year table above.

• Planning a business (Unit 1 foundation content) — Entrepreneurship and sources of business opportunity · Business concept development and feasibility · Internal environment: business models, legal structures, resources, location, finance · External (macro and operating) environment factors affecting planning · SWOT analysis and business plans
• Establishing a business (Unit 2 foundation content) — Legal requirements and financial record-keeping for establishing a business · 7Ps of marketing and market research · Product life cycle and customer relations strategies · Staffing needs, recruitment and selection methods · National Employment Standards and legal staffing obligations