31589H: Business Decision Making – mark
grid – June 2019
General marking guidance
• All learners must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark the first learner
in exactly the same way as they mark the last.
• Mark grids should be applied positively. Learners must be rewarded for what they
have shown they can do, rather than be penalised for omissions.
• Examiners should mark according to the mark grid, not according to their perception
of where the grade boundaries may lie.
• All marks on the mark grid should be used appropriately.
• All the marks on the mark grid are designed to be awarded. Examiners should always
award full marks if deserved. Examiners should also be prepared to award zero
marks, if the learner’s response is not rewardable according to the mark grid.
• Where judgement is required, a mark grid will provide the principles by which marks
will be awarded.
• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark grid to a learner’s
response, a senior examiner should be consulted.
Specific marking guidance
The mark grids have been designed to assess learners’ work holistically.
Rows in the grids identify the assessment focus/outcome being targeted. When using a
mark grid, the ‘best fit’ approach should be used.
● Examiners should first make a holistic judgement on which band most closely
matches the learner response and place it within that band. Learners will be
placed in the band that best describes their answer.
● The mark awarded within the band will be decided based on the quality of the
answer, in response to the assessment focus/outcome and will be modified,
according to how securely all bullet points are displayed at that band.
● Marks will be awarded towards the top or bottom of that band depending on
how they have evidenced each of the descriptor bullet points.
© Pearson Education Limited 2015
, Pearson BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Business – Unit 7 – Final Sample Assessment Materials – Issue 2 – January 2017 15
2 Pearson BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Business – Unit 7 – Final Sam
grid – June 2019
General marking guidance
• All learners must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark the first learner
in exactly the same way as they mark the last.
• Mark grids should be applied positively. Learners must be rewarded for what they
have shown they can do, rather than be penalised for omissions.
• Examiners should mark according to the mark grid, not according to their perception
of where the grade boundaries may lie.
• All marks on the mark grid should be used appropriately.
• All the marks on the mark grid are designed to be awarded. Examiners should always
award full marks if deserved. Examiners should also be prepared to award zero
marks, if the learner’s response is not rewardable according to the mark grid.
• Where judgement is required, a mark grid will provide the principles by which marks
will be awarded.
• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark grid to a learner’s
response, a senior examiner should be consulted.
Specific marking guidance
The mark grids have been designed to assess learners’ work holistically.
Rows in the grids identify the assessment focus/outcome being targeted. When using a
mark grid, the ‘best fit’ approach should be used.
● Examiners should first make a holistic judgement on which band most closely
matches the learner response and place it within that band. Learners will be
placed in the band that best describes their answer.
● The mark awarded within the band will be decided based on the quality of the
answer, in response to the assessment focus/outcome and will be modified,
according to how securely all bullet points are displayed at that band.
● Marks will be awarded towards the top or bottom of that band depending on
how they have evidenced each of the descriptor bullet points.
© Pearson Education Limited 2015
, Pearson BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Business – Unit 7 – Final Sample Assessment Materials – Issue 2 – January 2017 15
2 Pearson BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Business – Unit 7 – Final Sam
