Planning your question practice

We have already stressed that question practice should be right at the centre of your revision. Whilst you will spend some time looking at your notes and Paper P3 Passcards, you should spend the majority of your revision time practising questions. We recommend two ways in which you can practise questions. Use BPP Learning Media's question plan to work systematically through the syllabus and attempt key and other questions on a section-by-section basis Build your own exams attempt questions as a series of practice exams

These ways are suggestions and following them is no guarantee of success although we hope they will help you. However, you or your college may prefer an alternative but equally valid approach.

BPP Learning Media's question plan

The BPP Learning Media plan below requires you to devote a minimum of 30 hours to revision of Paper P3. Any time you can spend over and above this should only increase your chances of success.

Step 1 Step 2

Review your notes and the chapter summaries in the Paper P3 Passcards for each section of the syllabus. Answer the key questions for that section. These questions have boxes round the question number in the table below and you should answer them in full. Even if you are short of time you must attempt these questions if you want to pass the exam. You should complete your answers without referring to our solutions. Attempt the other questions in that section. For some questions we have suggested that you prepare answer plans or do the calculations rather than full solutions. Planning an answer means that you should spend about 20% of the time allowance for the questions brainstorming the question and drawing up a list of points to be included in the answer. Attempt Mock exams 1, 2 and 3 under strict exam conditions.

Step 3

Step 4

Passing P3

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Syllabus section Business strategy Environmental issues

2013 Passcard chapters 1, 2

Questions in this Kit

1

Done Comments In P3 you are less likely to be asked to explain models than to use them to generate ideas. This question provides a good opportunity to apply appropriate models to a scenario. Write a full answer. Porters Diamond is an important model. This question uses it to assess the factors which make a country attractive to foreign investors. Answer in full. This question covers the issues a company needs to consider when pricing a new product. It also requires you to evaluate statistical data, and to consider the limitations of data. Answer this question in full. Ensure you are familiar with and are able to apply models such as SWOT and TOWS. Prepare a full answer to parts (b) and (c) of this question. An interesting question requiring you to explain how an organisation may approach attempting to change their culture. Section A questions regularly require you to consider an organisation's strategic options. Answer in full. This question explores a number of issues including the relationship between organisational structure, organisational culture and managing change. Prepare a full answer. This question requires you to analyse a process and to consider the relationship between process design and strategic planning.

Competitors and customers

66 16

Strategic capability

3 1 (b ) 3 1 (c )

Stakeholders, ethics and culture

2 8 (c )

Strategic choices

2 8 (b )

Organising for success Managing strategic change Business process change Improving processes E-business

7, 8

1 73 187

9, 10

1 73 197

11

13

Questions exploring how organisations should adapt to changes in their competitive environment crop up regularly. This question, from the December 2007 exam, is very similar to a Pilot Paper question. Prepare a full answer. This question, from the June 2008 paper, looks at how an organisation can use e-marketing to vary its marketing mix. Answer in full.

E-marketing

12

15

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Passing P3

Syllabus section Project management

2013 Passcard chapters 13

Questions in this Kit

17

Done Comments The December 2007 exam featured this question about the problems which can emerge when a project is not managed properly. Write a full answer. The software selection process can be viewed as a project in itself. This question links two important topics, ratio analysis and software evaluation and selection. Prepare a full answer. This question provides a good example of how different syllabus areas overlap. Change management often includes key human resource management issues. Questions regularly require you to consider an organisation's strategic options, for example strategic alliances. Answer part (b) in full.

Finance

14

21

Human resource management

15

2 6 (b )

Strategic development

16

3 7 (b )

Also ensure you attempt questions 32 and 33 in full. Question 32 is the Section A question from the December 2011 exam and question 33 is the Section A question from the June 2012 exam. We also suggest that, as a minimum, you should produce full answers to the Section A questions from the other real P3 exams set to date. Obviously, if you are not happy with your answers to these, you should then prepare answer plans, at least, to other Section A questions. NOTE: For additional question practice, in exam format, please refer to Build your own exams on the next page.

Passing P3

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Build your own exams

Having revised your notes and the BPP Passcards, you can attempt the questions in the Kit as a series of practice exams. You can make up practice exams, either yourself or using the suggestions we have listed below. Practice Exam 1 Section A 1 Section B 2 3 4 29 2 16 20 2 30 3 13 27 3 31 4 23 19 4 34 6 14 25 5 38 9 12 24 6 39 11 7 10

Whichever practice exams you use, you must attempt Mock Exams 1, 2 and 3 at the end of your revision.

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Passing P3