Online Program for the August 2019 Exam

Study Guide
This guide to be used in conjunction with

 The online video content

 The six sessions of the Skills Workbook (2019 Edition)
 The downloadable Tasks and Mock Examinations
How to study

This guide uses four instructions:

1. Watch video
2. Work through pages
3. Attempt activity
4. Type response

You will have your own learning style. Some of us are Theorists, we need to know all about a subject
before we try a question. Others of us are Reflectors, we look at the solutions first and then try to
build our own mental model of what is going on. Some of us are Pragmatists, we take a quick look at
the question and then immediately turn to the answer to pick up the key points and how to get
points in the exam and we only read the theory if we can’t understand the answers.

Use which ever approach suits your best. The Study Guide shows you which pages to read and which
Activities to look at before each Mock exam. There are solutions to activities in the back of each
corresponding chapter.

But please do attempt some Activities and Mock exams before you read the solutions. And
remember that the solutions are just one answer and your answer may be different but equally valid
(if not better maybe!).

As you work through this Study Guide you will find:

 your knowledge build up

 your understanding of the range of questions possible increasing
 your confidence in drafting answers will be improving

Good Luck

Adrian Sims

1
Timing Activity Key points
 90 minutes  Watch video analysis of pre-  Attempt to answer practice
duration seen material exercises before viewing solutions
 Complete prior to  Note 5 step approach to
attempting Mock answering tasks
Exam 1 due on 18
July
 240 minutes  Self-Study Session 1  Make your own notes on a
duration response to each Activity before
 Complete prior to viewing solutions
attempting Mock  Try to use the 5 step approach to
Exam 1 due on 18 answering Activities
July  Work through pages 27 to 35  Business strategy
 Attempt Activity 2.1  The business environment
 Attempt Activity 2.1

 Work through pages 39 to 47  Strategic options

 Attempt Activity 2.5  Strategic and evaluation
 Attempt Activity 2.6  Benefits and drawbacks of various
types of business growth

 Work through pages 54 to 56  Business relationships

Attempt Activity 2.9

 Work through pages 106 to  Share prices

112
 Attempt Activity 3.5

 Work through pages 136 to  Risk identification

139
 Attempt Activity 4.2

 Work through pages 139 to  Risk management

146
 Attempt Activity 4.3

 Work through page 174 to  Ethics

175
 Attempt Activity 5.2

 Work through pages 180 to  Negotiation

181
 Attempt Activity 5.4

 Work through pages 217 to  Teambuilding

225
 Attempt Activity 6.1

2
  Attempt Activity 6.2

By 18 July  Type response to Mock 1  At this point it is better that you

Total time allowed is tasks take the three tasks in Mock Exam
240 minutes  Submit to online portal as a 1 as three assignments of an hour
single Word document each
 You will need your copy of the
pre-seen material
 You may decide to take this Open
Book and use the Skills Workbook
to help you
 A suggested solution and debrief
video will be posted on 19 July
 You will receive an email with a
detailed analysis of your answer
and grades for each task by 24
July. You should read this before
attempting Mock Exam 2
 You can continue the self-study
programme whilst waiting for
your grades from Mock 1
 240 minutes  Watch video debrief on Mock
duration 1. Available 19 July
 Complete prior to
attempting Mock  Self-Study Session 2
Exam 2 due 31 July  Make your own notes on a
response to each Activity before
viewing solutions
 Try to use the 5 step approach to
answering Activities

 Work through pages 5 to 15  Business models and Integrated

 Attempt Activity 1.1 Reporting (<IR>)

 Work through pages 16 to 18  Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

 Work through pages 37 to 39  Frameworks for business analysis

 Work through pages 57 to 61  Big Data and Analytics

 Attempt Activity 2.10  Disruptive technologies

 Work through pages 113 to  Dividend policy & share buybacks

114
 Attempt Activity 3.6

 Work through pages 115 to  Business valuations

116
 Attempt Activity 3.7

3
  Work through pages 147 to
151  Corporate Governance
 Attempt Activity 4.4
 Attempt Activity 4.5
 Attempt Activity 4.6

 Work through pages 155 to  IS/IT risk management

156

 Work through pages 188 to  Communication

189
 Attempt Activity 5.7

By 31 July  Type response to Mock  You make that this exam as a 3

Total time allowed is Examination 2 hours continuous task, or take the
240 minutes  Submit to online portal as a assignment tasks as three tasks of
single Word document an hour each
 You will need your copy of the
pre-seen material
 You may decide to take this Open
Book and use the Skills Workbook
to help you
 Suggested solution and debrief
video will be posted on 1 August
 You will receive an email with a
detailed analysis of your answer
and grades for each task by 6
August. You should read this
before attempting Mock Exam 3
 You can continue the self-study
programme whilst waiting for
your grades from Mock Exam 2
 240 minutes  Watch video debrief on Mock
duration 2. Available 1 August

 Complete prior to Self-Study Session 3

attempting Mock  Work through pages 34 to 37  Forecasting
Exam 3 – available  Attempt Activity 2.2
from 6 May  Attempt Activity 2.3
 Attempt Activity 2.4

 Work through pages 49 to 52  Performance management

Attempt Activity 2.7

 Work through pages 95 to 99  Capital structure – financing the

 Attempt Activity 3.3 organisation

4
  Work through pages 177 to  Influence
179
 Attempt Activity 5.3

 Work through pages 223 to  Leadership

231  Motivation and driving
 Attempt Activity 6.3 performance
 Attempt Activity 6.4
 Attempt Activity 6.5

 Work through pages 233 to  Change management/change

237 leadership
 Attempt Activity 6.7
 Attempt Activity 6.8

By 9 August  Type response to Mock

Total time allowed is Examination 3
240 minutes  DO NOT submit to online
portal – this is a self-
assessment exercise
 Compare and grade your
answer against the suggested
solution available 9 August
 240 minutes  Watch video debrief on Mock
duration 3 Available 9 August
 Complete prior to
attempting Mock  Self-Study Session 4
Exam 4 – available
from 13 August

 Work through pages 88 to 94  Financial and non-financial

 Attempt Activity 3.1 objectives of the business
 Attempt Activity 3.2

 Work through pages 100 to  Hedging foreign exchange risks

104
 Attempt Activity 3.4

 Work through pages 153 to  Internal Audit

154
 Attempt Activity 4.7

5
  Work through pages 172 to  Stakeholder analysis
173
 Attempt Activity 5.7

 Work through pages 185 to  Decision making

187
 Attempt Activity 5.6

After 13 August  Type response to Mock

Total time allowed is Examination 4
240 minutes  DO NOT submit to online
portal – this is a self-
assessment exercise
 Compare and grade your
answer against the suggested
solution
 60 minutes  Finish all activities in this
duration Study Guide
 Complete prior to  Prepare questions for online
webcast on 16 tutor on anything you have
August studied where you need
clarification
 Review all sections of the
Skills Workbook and the
solutions to all the Graded
Assignments and Mock Exams