Reaction to 2026 Leaving Certificate Business (Higher Level) by Keith Hannigan, Business teacher at The 91制片厂.
- A tough paper that deviates听from听the norm, particularly in the compulsory ABQ听
- A much more specific and technical approach to Units 1 to 5
The Business exam starts with an array听of听short questions听and, after last year, many will have expected some听real challenges.听Thankfully听this was a pleasant overture to the exam with most of the question drawing from Units 1 to 5, which are听generally preferred听by students. Questions on听Communications,听European Union, and Marketing will have fallen neatly within their comfort zone and so most will be able to find a combination of听8听questions that fit them nicely.听
Any surety will have been shaken as they turn to the Applied Business Question (ABQ). This is a compulsory question, so they had no way to avoid it and thus any shocks become amplified. In an unprecedented move, topics questioned last year were repeated. Human Resources Management (HRM) and Control are topics that students will not have been expected in this context. Furthermore Question (B) on price discrimination has never appeared in the ABQ or with such specificity on the paper. For a required section that has听followed a usual听pattern over the years, to see so many changes听converge听will have left weaker students off balance.听听
Those hoping to regain their footing heading into the final stretch of the exam will have found Section 3 Part 1 tough. Questions 2 and 3 were nice and standard but draw from Units of the course that students听don鈥檛听naturally prioritize. For the questions that听most听students gravitate towards the questions were starkly specific. The questions on contracts explicitly rule out the mention of 鈥渙ffer and acceptance鈥� while also demanding knowledge of 鈥渃ondition鈥� and 鈥渨arranty鈥�.听If a teacher had specifically flagged these elements for students, then they would be听well-prepared听but many weaker students will听likely have听left blanks on the page.听On-the-spot听adaptability was essential to听questions听on industrial relations听and the relationship between stakeholders听as students will have had to draw together various aspects to yield a full answer. Yet Q4 also demanded a top tier knowledge of niche technical minutiae as some students simply听won鈥檛听recognise 鈥渃onstructive dismissal鈥� in A (ii).听
Thankfully, the Enterprise section of the paper was more accessible. Question 5 was nice and standard while Question 6 saw HRM鈥檚 second appearance of the day, this time听in a more familiar setting. Question 8鈥檚 benefits of branding was nice and clear, so students will be happy with that. Those who had planned to听attempt听Question 7 might struggle with ratios making up 2/3 of the available marks.听听
This is the final paper for this version of the听course听and many will have hoped that this finale would in keeping with its predecessors. However, the breaking of patterns and specific demands will leave many students feeling really challenged.听