A Level Business: The nature of marketing and Market research (Cambridge 9609) – Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs – examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers from your board or school.

These questions cover sections 3.1 (The nature of marketing) and 3.2 (Market research) of the Cambridge International AS & A Level Business 9609 syllabus for examination in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Both sections are AS Level content. All businesses and figures are invented. Use the study guide first and keep the revision notes beside you. See also the Marketing practice set. Links: course hub and checklist.

Questions

1. State three features of a market that a business could identify through market research. [3]

2. Sundowne Travel sold 9.3 million of holidays in a market worth 62.0 million last year. This year it sold 9.55 million in a market worth 68.2 million.

(a) Calculate Sundowne’s market share in each year, to 1 decimal place. [2] (b) Calculate the growth of the market. [1] (c) Explain what these results suggest about Sundowne’s competitiveness. [2]

3. A bad harvest cuts the supply of oats, while demand for oat drinks is unchanged. Explain the likely effect on the equilibrium price and quantity of oat drinks. [4]

4. Cobbleby Packaging makes cardboard boxes for food manufacturers and also sells gift boxes online to the public.

(a) Identify whether the boxes sold to food manufacturers are consumer or industrial products. [1] (b) Explain two ways in which marketing the boxes to food manufacturers is likely to differ from marketing gift boxes to the public. [4]

5. Ombrelle Outdoor makes waterproof jackets designed for sea kayakers. Its owner is considering selling general walking jackets to the whole outdoor market. Evaluate whether Ombrelle should move from niche marketing to mass marketing. [8]

6. Sundowne Travel wants to segment its customers. Explain how it could use each of the three methods of segmentation named in the syllabus. [6]

7. Elderwick Bookshop plans a loyalty scheme costing 24,000 a year. It expects the scheme to keep 150 customers who would otherwise leave, each worth 130 of contribution a year.

(a) Calculate the contribution from the retained customers and the net result for the first year. [3] (b) Calculate how many retained customers are needed to break even. [1] (c) Evaluate whether Elderwick should go ahead. [3]

8. Classify each source as primary or secondary research: (i) a focus group run by a firm; (ii) government population statistics; (iii) a trade association report on market size; (iv) a product trial given to 50 volunteers. [4]

9. Hollinwick Dairy has 8,000 online customers. It emails a survey to 400 of them and receives 120 replies.

(a) Calculate the sample as a percentage of the customers. [1] (b) Explain why Hollinwick uses a sample. [2] (c) Explain one limitation of the sample that applies to this case. [2]

10. Hollinwick Dairy’s ice cream sales were: January to March 180, April to June 210, July to September 252, October to December 198 (thousands of units).

(a) Calculate July to September sales as a percentage of the year’s total. [2] (b) Calculate the percentage increase from April to June to July to September. [2] (c) Analyse one conclusion and one limitation of using this table alone to plan promotion. [2]

11. Fenwarden Cycles makes racing bicycles. The owner designs each model to her own taste and then tries to sell it. Fenwarden’s sales fell from 18.0 million to 17.4 million while the market grew from 120 million to 132 million.

(a) Calculate Fenwarden’s market share in each year (to 1 decimal place) and the market growth. [3] (b) Explain how a customer (market) orientation would differ from Fenwarden’s current approach. [2] (c) Recommend whether Fenwarden should use primary or secondary research first, justifying your choice. [5]

12. Explain how a marketing objective of raising market share could support a corporate objective of growth. [4]

Answers

1. Any three of: the size of the market [1]; how fast it is growing [1]; who the competitors are [1]. Examiner insight: three separate features each earn credit; repeating “size” in different words does not add a second point.

2. (a) Last year: 9.3 / 62.0 x 100 = 15.0% [1]. This year: 9.55 / 68.2 x 100 = 14.0% [1]. (b) (68.2 - 62.0) / 62.0 x 100 = 10.0% [1]. (c) Sundowne’s sales rose, but only by about 2.7%, below the market’s 10.0% [1]. Its share fell by one percentage point, so rivals are winning more of the growth and Sundowne is becoming less competitive [1]. Examiner insight: quoting the share figures from (a) in the explanation, and comparing firm growth with market growth, shows the chain of reasoning a reader can reward.

3. Supply decreases, shifting the supply curve to the left [1]. At the old price demand exceeds supply, creating a shortage [1]. Competition between buyers pushes the price up [1]. The equilibrium price rises and the equilibrium quantity falls [1]. Examiner insight: give both the direction of price and the direction of quantity; stating only one leaves the explanation incomplete.

4. (a) Industrial product, because it is bought by organisations to use in their own production [1]. (b) First difference: B2B marketing often uses direct sales teams and negotiation with a few large buyers [1], whereas gift boxes would use online advertising aimed at many individuals [1]. Second difference: B2B buyers need technical specifications, reliable supply and long-term contracts [1], whereas gift boxes depend on appearance and branding [1]. Examiner insight: each difference needs both sides, the B2B approach and the B2C approach, to earn the full two marks; naming one side only is a partial answer.

5. Niche advantages: kayakers are a specialised group, so Ombrelle can design for them, face less competition and may charge a premium [1]. Its customers probably trust its specialism and stay loyal [1]. Niche disadvantages: sales are limited by the small market, and the business depends on one group [1]. Mass advantages: a far larger number of potential buyers could bring economies of scale and higher sales volume [1]. Mass disadvantages: the walking jacket market has many strong rivals, margins are thin and promotion costs are high [1]. Ombrelle’s reputation for kayaking could be diluted [1]. Judgement: nothing suggests Ombrelle has expertise in walking jackets, so a full move is risky [1]. Better to keep the niche as the core and test a small walking range, expanding only if research supports it [1]. Examiner insight: an evaluate answer needs both sides and a reasoned conclusion that refers to Ombrelle; a list of general pros and cons without a decision tends to cap the credit.

6. Geographic: it could sell different holidays to people in different regions, such as winter sun to customers in colder areas [1], and advertise in local media for each area [1]. Demographic: it could divide customers by age, income or family size, for example family packages and low-cost city breaks for young adults [1], with pricing and promotion matched to each group [1]. Psychographic: it could group customers by lifestyle or values, such as adventure seekers or eco-conscious travellers [1], and design trips and messages that fit those attitudes [1]. Examiner insight: naming a method earns little without a use applied to a travel company; a travel-specific example is what turns a definition into an explanation.

7. (a) 150 x 130 = 19,500 [1]. Net result = 19,500 - 24,000 [1] = -4,500, a loss in the first year [1]. (b) 24,000 / 130 = 184.6, so 185 retained customers [1]. (c) In the first year the scheme loses 4,500 [1], but retained customers keep spending after the first year, and CRM also supplies data on what customers like [1]. Judgement: go ahead only if enough customers are likely to stay for more than one year, or if the cost can be reduced, because the first-year loss is small relative to the benefit of longer relationships [1]. Examiner insight: round break-even customers up, because 184 would not cover the cost, and in part (c) back the conclusion with the numbers and a stated condition rather than “it depends”.

8. (i) Primary [1]. (ii) Secondary [1]. (iii) Secondary [1]. (iv) Primary [1]. Examiner insight: decide by who collected the data: new data gathered for the firm’s purpose is primary; existing data is secondary.

9. (a) 400 / 8,000 x 100 = 5% [1]. (b) Surveying all 8,000 customers would cost more and take longer [1], while a sample can give a reasonable picture at lower cost [1]. (c) Only 120 of 400 replied, a response rate of 30%, and those who reply may be keener than those who do not [1], so the results may not represent all customers, causing bias [1]. Examiner insight: tie the limitation to the case data, here the low reply rate; “samples can be wrong” alone is too general.

10. (a) Total = 180 + 210 + 252 + 198 = 840 [1]. 252 / 840 x 100 = 30% [1]. (b) (252 - 210) / 210 x 100 [1] = 20% [1]. (c) Conclusion: sales peak in July to September, so promotion could be concentrated before that period [1]. Limitation: one year of data cannot show whether the pattern repeats or whether weather or a one-off event caused it [1]. Examiner insight: when asked to analyse a table, quote the figures and state what they cannot show; a bare calculation is not analysis.

11. (a) Last year’s share: 18.0 / 120.0 x 100 = 15.0% [1]. This year’s share: 17.4 / 132.0 x 100 = 13.2% [1]. Market growth: (132 - 120) / 120 x 100 = 10.0% [1]. (b) A customer orientation would begin by finding out what cyclists want and then design bicycles to meet those needs [1], whereas Fenwarden starts from what the owner likes and tries to sell it afterwards [1]. (c) Recommend primary research first [1]. The question is specific: what do racing cyclists want, and why is Fenwarden losing share? Secondary data will not answer this [1]. Primary methods such as a questionnaire or focus group of racing cyclists give current, detailed views, and qualitative comments explain the reasons [1]. The cost and time are higher, but the share fell from 15.0% to 13.2% while the market grew by 10.0%, so the firm needs reliable evidence [1]. Secondary research on market size and rivals could be a cheap first step, but primary research should lead the decision [1]. Examiner insight: a recommendation question rewards a clear choice, reasons that use case details and a short acknowledgement of the alternative; choosing a method without justification scores little.

12. A marketing objective is a target for the marketing function; a corporate objective is a target for the whole business [1]. Raising market share means winning a larger proportion of the market’s sales [1]. If the market share rises, the firm’s sales and revenue rise, which supports corporate growth [1]. The marketing objective should be consistent with the corporate one, for example a share target set for the regions where the business plans to expand [1]. Examiner insight: show the link in both directions: how the marketing target contributes to the corporate target and why the two must be consistent.

Where marks are usually lost

• Calculating market share without dividing by total market sales.
• Defining the three segmentation methods without applying them to the business.
• Describing sampling in general terms rather than from the data given.
• Stating a conclusion on an evaluate question without weighing both sides.

Next steps

• Revision notes
• Study guide
• Course hub and checklist
• All free 10-minute diagnostics
• Book a free trial class

Frequently asked questions

Which sections of Cambridge AS and A Level Business 9609 do these questions cover? Section 3.1 The nature of marketing and section 3.2 Market research, including markets, segmentation, customer relationship marketing and research methods.

What is the most common mistake in market share calculations? Not dividing the business’s sales by total market sales. Give the share as a percentage, to the accuracy the question asks for.

How do I decide whether research is primary or secondary? Decide by who collected the data and why: new data gathered for the firm’s own purpose is primary, while data that already exists and was collected by someone else is secondary.

How should I write about a sample’s limitations? Tie the limitation to the data in the case, such as a low response rate, rather than describing sampling in general terms.

Official syllabus

Cambridge International, Cambridge International AS & A Level Business 9609 syllabus for examination in 2026, 2027 and 2028, subject content sections 3.1 and 3.2.