9609_s26_ms_22 — 2026 May-June Business 9609 Mark Scheme 2 Variant 2 · Cambridge CAIE AS & A Level

Weak or absent evaluation — most students score 0–2 out of 6 available evaluation marks

“Candidates continue to underachieve in terms of marks awarded by developing only very limited evaluative sections in essays. Knowledge, application, and analysis carry just 2 marks for each skill. Evaluative comments, conclusions and judgements can be awarded up to 6 marks.”— Paper 1, May/June 2023

How to fix: Evaluation is worth 50% of marks on 12-mark questions — treat it as the main event, not an afterthought. Structure: (1) Analyse argument FOR, (2) Analyse argument AGAINST, (3) Make a definitive judgement ('yes/no/they should/they should not'), (4) Justify WHY with specific business context. Evaluate throughout your answer, not just at the end. A summary repeating your analysis is NOT evaluation.

Not answering the specific question asked — misreading or ignoring key words

“Weaker answers misread the question and focused on the impact on the business rather than on employees.”— Paper 1, March 2025

How to fix: Read the question TWICE. Underline: (1) the command word (define/explain/analyse/evaluate), (2) the specific topic, (3) any qualifiers (advantages NOT disadvantages, impact on employees NOT the business, in the context of THIS business). If the question says 'disadvantages', writing about advantages earns zero marks.

Generic answers that ignore the business context — not using case data for application

“Without such specific reference, simply repeating 'bicycle' or 'airline' will not count as application and will limit the marks given.”— Paper 1, May/June 2023

How to fix: Application means using specific details from the case: product types, industry characteristics, numerical data from tables, the size of the business, its market position. Using the company name alone is NOT application. Use data actively — reference specific figures, percentages, and facts from the extract to ground your arguments.