School Based Assessment (SBA) Guidelines 2

The cover page can also look like the example below:

Principles of Business

School Based Assessment

On

An investigation in ….

Name:_______________________ Registration Number:_______________

School: Bridgeport High School

School Centre No.: 100138

Territory: Jamaica

Teacher: Ms. Hinds

Year of Exam: 2021

RESEARCH PROJECT The School-Based Assessment component of the syllabuses in Business

Studies is a single guided research project for school candidates. The project should involve the
manipulation of research data including data collection, analysis and interpretation. All activities
selected must be within the law and must lend themselves to the collection of business data and
application of business principles identified in the mark scheme. Students are required to investigate a
topic, issue or problem in a business related area of study (Principles of Accounts, Principles of
Business and Economics).

Students should:

1. identify the issue, topic or problem to be investigated;

2. discuss the background to the issue, topic or problem;

3. state the objective of the investigation;

4. describe methodology and instruments used to collect data;

5. present and analyse the data; CXC 10/G/SYLL 17 32

6. state the conclusion based on findings;

7. make recommendations (at least two) based on the findings;

8. acknowledge sources (bibliography); and,

9. include appendices: questionnaire, source documents, diagrams, charts, interview questions and
statistical data.
Examples of possible organizations and areas for research:

1. school’s cafeteria and stationery shop;

2. snack shop at school events;

3. school projects (for Agriculture Science, Home Economics, TVET and Junior Achievement
programmes);

4. income and expenditure statements;

5. business plans;

6. published financial reports such as those found in the business section of local newspapers,
statistical reports including national income statistics, balance of payments statistics, survey of living
conditions, household budgetary surveys, annual economic reports of Central Banks, Ministries of
Finance and Planning Units, annual reports of firms in the region, budget speeches of ministers of
Finance or reviews of estimates of income and expenditure for ministries of Finance

7. economic information available on the internet (for example, e-commerce);

8. events coordinated by students such as concerts and fashion shows; and,

9. sporting and other cultural clubs at school or in the community.

SBA REQUIREMENTS Every candidate who enters for the CSEC® Principles of Business
examination must submit a report on a project. Students will work in groups or individually to gather
the data. Each candidate must be identified on the report . The report should not exceed 1,000 words,
(not including appendices). Wherever a report exceeds the maximum length for the project by more
than 10 per cent, the teacher must impose a penalty of 10 per cent of the score achieved on the project.
On the report, the teacher should clearly indicate the original score – that is, the score before the
deduction is made – the marks which are to be deducted, and the final score awarded after the
deduction has been made. Only the final score is to be indicated on the record sheets which are
submitted to CXC® electronically

PROJECT REPORTS A student’s report should be presented electronically and should

comprise the following in the order prescribed below.

1. Table of Contents

2. Topic, Issue or Problem

3. Objective of the Project (The objective should be related to the issue and NOT the SBA)

4. Background to OR Overview of the Topic, Issue or Problem

5. Methodology (Data collection and instrumentation)

6. Presentation and Analysis of Data

7. Conclusion

8. Recommendations

9. Bibliography:

RESOURCES

Austen, D. and Ellis, D., et al.

Principles of Accounts for

CSEC, A Caribbean
Examinations Council
Study Guide. Nelson
Thornes, 2012.

Wood, F. and Robinson, S. Principles of Accounts for the Caribbean, 5th Edition. Pearson
Education Limited, 2007.

Wood, F. and Sangster, A.

10. Appendices
 Some Suggested Research Topics

Note the students may come up with a topic of interest to them

to be research

1. The benefits that government offers to small businesses in my community

2. A study of how bad record keeping practices affect street vendors in _________
3. The impact of unemployment in my community.
4. An investigation to determine how the employed marketing strategy affects the
demand of _________________ at
5. An investigation into the impact of the use of ITC tools and equipment to enhance
efficiency in the workplace.
6. An investigation into how technology impact recording keeping and accounting at
____________________________

7. How working conditions affect workers in an organization

8. How does customer service affects a firm’s sales
9. How does leadership styles affect workers in an organization
10. The importance of maintaining proper accounting records
11. How does lack of proper accounting records affect and organization
12. The importance of IT within an organization
13. How important is the analysis of an organizations final accounts
14. How does the lack of a business plan impact a firm
15. Poor/great quality products offered by________
16. The impact of covid 19 on small businesses
Note Well:
Project should be typed in double line spaced, font size 12 Times New Roman
Pay attention to the population and the sample size. Also the challenges faced in
conducting the research. The methods you select to conduct your research could be
survey using interview, questionnaire, observation.
Your findings must be presented using diagram such as tables, histogram/bar charts ,
pie charts, line graphs etc and brief clear analysis of each diagram must be given to be
awarded bull marks
Pay close attention to the given mark scheme
Your recommendations gives your views on possible solutions
Pages must be numbered and correspond with your table of content

Examples of how charts should look in the analysis of the findings from the research.
 MARK SCHEME FOR SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT

PROJECT AREAS PROFILE DISTRIBUTION TOTAL

Knowledge and Application Interpretation

Comprehension and Analysis

Table of Contents 1 1

 Table of contents accurately links

pages to content – 1 mark (KC)

Topic/Issue/Problem 2 2

 Topic/issue/problem is clearly stated

– 1 mark (KC)

 Topic/issue/problem accurately

describes the project – 1 mark (KC)

Objectives 2 2

 Objectives are clearly stated and linked

to the topic/issue/problem

– 1 mark (A)

 Objectives are realistic – 1 mark (A)

Background/Overview 2 2 4

 Includes a description of the

topic/issue/problem

- Description includes the history

– 1 mark (KC)

- Description includes the

development – 1 mark (KC)

 Establishes the need for research

- Why/how is the

topic/issue/problem important to

student – 1 mark (A)

- Impact of topic/issue/problem on

society – 1 mark (A)

Methodology 2 6 2 10

 Data collection instrument clearly

described – 1–2 marks (KC)

 Data collection instrument appropriate

for type of data – 1 mark (C)

 Included at least two instruments of

data collection – 1 mark (A)

 Method of data collection clearly

described – 1–2 marks (A)

 Method of data collection adequately

justified – 1–2 marks (IA)

 Limitations of data collection method

clearly stated – 1–2 marks (A)

Presentation and Analysis of Data 2 4 4 10

PROJECT AREAS PROFILE DISTRIBUTION TOTAL

Knowledge and Application Interpretation
Comprehension and Analysis

 Data is presented an appropriate form

using tables, charts, graphs

– 1–2 marks (KC)

 Data presented are relevant to the

objectives of the project – 1–2 marks

(KC)

 Data is adequately analysed

– 1–2 marks (A)

 Data is analysed using appropriate

statistics – mean, median, mode

– 1–2 marks (IA)

 Findings are consistent with analyses

 – 1–2 marks (IA)

Conclusion 4 4

 Conclusion succinctly summarises the

project – 1–2 marks (A)

 Conclusion is logical and based on

findings – 1–2 marks (A)

Recommendation 4 4

 Recommendations are realistic and

informed by findings – 1–2 marks (IA)

 Recommendations contribute to a
better understanding of the
topic/issue/problem –1–2 marks (IA)

Bibliography 1 1
Bibliography contains names of authors,
name of publisher(s), names and dates of
publication, and are written in alphabetical
order – 1 mark (KC)

Overall presentation 2 2

 Consistently uses correct spelling and

grammar – 1 mark (A)

 Expression of ideas logical and

unambiguous – 1 mark (A)

TOTAL 10 20 10 40