Edexcel GCSE Business: Training and motivation (1BS0) – 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 Theme 2, Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions, items 2.5.3 (Effective training and development) and 2.5.4 (Motivation), from the Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Business (1BS0) specification, Issue 2, July 2022. The specification says calculators may be used and that formulae are not provided in the examinations, so show your working. All businesses and figures are invented.

Course links: the Business hub, the printable checklist, the free diagnostics, the study guide and the revision notes.

Questions

1. Define the term “performance review”. [2]

2. Which one of the following is a non-financial method of motivating employees? [1] A Commission B Job rotation C Bonus D Promotion

3. Give two examples of fringe benefits. [2]

4. Ostler Interiors pays a sales adviser a basic wage of £1,450 a month plus commission of 3% of sales. Sales in March were £52,000. Calculate the adviser’s total pay for March. [3]

5. Tarrant Parcels sorted 2,520 parcels in one month using 9 sorters. After the owner gave sorters more responsibility for planning their own shifts, the firm sorted 3,150 parcels the next month using 10 sorters. (a) Calculate the number of parcels per sorter in the first month. [2] (b) Calculate the percentage change in parcels per sorter between the first and second months. [3]

6. Explain one way in which self-learning can help an employee to develop. [3]

7. Hollis Cafes employs 56 staff. Last year 14 of them left. The owner wants to train staff in barista skills. (a) Calculate the percentage of staff who left last year. [2] (b) Outline one way in which barista training could reduce the number of staff leaving Hollis Cafes. [2]

8. Larkfield Printers has 20 operators who have used the same printing presses for many years. The owner is replacing them with digital presses and the supplier offers a training course on the new machines. Analyse how retraining the operators could benefit Larkfield Printers. [6]

9. Brackley Optical employs 12 staff. The owner is considering sending all of them on a formal lens-fitting course. Each course costs £380. Each employee will also lose £150 of output while away from work. The owner expects each trained employee to bring in extra gross profit of £25 a week for 30 weeks. (a) Calculate the total cost of training all 12 employees. [3] (b) Calculate the net benefit of the training over the 30 weeks. [3] (c) Give one reason why the real net benefit might be lower than your answer to (b). [1]

10. Discuss the importance of motivation in the workplace. [6]

11. Fennel and Co sells kitchen equipment and has 5 sales employees. Each employee currently sells £36,000 a month. The gross profit margin is 30%. The owner is choosing between two options.

Option A: pay each employee commission of 2% of all the sales they make. The owner forecasts that this would raise sales by 10%. Option B: give each employee a fringe benefit costing £100 a month. No change in sales is forecast. Two of the five employees left last year and each replacement cost £2,400. The owner thinks the benefit might prevent one employee leaving each year.

Justify which option the owner should choose. [9]

12. Ruddock Plumbing employs 12 plumbers. The owner wants to improve how well they use a new job-booking app and to keep experienced plumbers. The owner is considering target setting and performance reviews twice a year for every plumber. Each review would take 90 minutes of the owner’s time, which the owner values at £40 an hour. Evaluate whether target setting and performance reviews are the best way for Ruddock Plumbing to achieve its aims. [9]

Answers

1. A performance review is a meeting between a manager and an employee [1] where work is assessed against targets, feedback is given and next steps are agreed [1]. [2] Examiner insight: A definition tends to earn more when it says who meets and what is done. “Checking staff” is too vague to show the idea.

2. B [1] Examiner insight: Test each option against the specification lists. Commission, bonus and promotion are financial methods, and job rotation is non-financial.

3. Any two from: staff discount, free meals, health cover, company car, gym membership [1] [1]. [2] Examiner insight: “Give” asks for recall, so no development is needed. Two different benefits are needed, and “more pay” would not be a fringe benefit.

4. Commission = 3% of £52,000 = 0.03 × 52,000 [1] = £1,560 [1]. Total pay = 1,450 + 1,560 = £3,010 [1]. [3] Examiner insight: Show the substitution. An answer of £1,560 alone shows only part of the pay, because the basic wage must be added.

5. (a) Productivity = output ÷ number of employees [1] = 2,520 ÷ 9 = 280 parcels per sorter [1] (b) Second month: 3,150 ÷ 10 = 315 [1]. Percentage change = (315 − 280) ÷ 280 × 100 [1] = 12.5% increase [1]. [5] Examiner insight: The firm used more sorters in the second month, so comparing total parcels would mislead. Divide by the starting figure and say whether it is a rise or a fall.

6. Self-learning lets the employee choose when and how to learn, for example through an online module [1]. This means the employee can fit learning around work without needing time away from the job [1]. They can therefore build skills that prepare them for more responsibility [1]. [3] Examiner insight: “Explain” asks for a fact and two expansion points. A bare statement such as “it saves money” would be one point only.

7. (a) 14 ÷ 56 × 100 [1] = 25% [1] (b) Training in barista skills can make staff more confident [1], so they enjoy their work more and are less likely to look for another job [1]. [4] Examiner insight: “Outline” asks for two linked points placed in the case. Name the training in the question, then say what follows from it.

8. Retraining teaches operators how to use the digital presses [1]. They can then run the machines correctly, with fewer mistakes and less wasted paper [1]. Output per operator is likely to rise [1], so Larkfield gets the return it hoped for from the investment in the new presses [1]. Operators who have used the old presses for years may fear for their jobs [1]. Being retrained should make them more confident and motivated, so they are more likely to stay, which saves recruitment costs [1]. [6] Examiner insight: “Analyse” places the answer in the case. Mentioning the long-serving operators and the digital presses scores better than general points about technology.

9. (a) Cost per employee = 380 + 150 = £530 [1]. Total = 12 × 530 [1] = £6,360 [1] (b) Benefit per employee = 25 × 30 = £750 [1]. Total benefit = 12 × 750 = £9,000 [1]. Net benefit = 9,000 − 6,360 = £2,640 [1] (c) Any one: a trained employee leaves for a rival; the extra gross profit is lower than the owner expects; the course takes longer than planned [1]. [7] Examiner insight: Do not forget the lost output: the course fee alone gives a different total. Labelling each step (cost, benefit, net) makes the working easy to follow.

10. Motivation helps a business attract employees [1]. A business known for good pay and interesting work receives more applications and can choose better candidates [1]. It helps retain employees [1], so recruitment and training costs fall and experience stays in the business [1]. It also raises productivity [1], because motivated employees concentrate better and make fewer errors, so output per worker rises [1]. [6] Examiner insight: “Discuss” has no context, but each reason needs expanding. The three reasons the specification names (attracting, retaining, productivity) make a clear structure.

11. Option A. Commission if sales stayed at £180,000 (5 × £36,000) would be 2% × 180,000 = £3,600 a month [1]. A 10% rise gives sales of £198,000 [1]. Extra gross profit = 30% × 18,000 = £5,400 [1]. Commission on the new sales = 2% × 198,000 = £3,960 [1]. Net gain = 5,400 − 3,960 = £1,440 a month [1]. Option B costs 5 × £100 = £500 a month, or £6,000 a year [1]. It has no forecast sales effect, and preventing one leaver would save only £2,400 a year [1], less than the cost. The risk with A is that sales must rise by about 7.1% for it to pay for itself; a smaller rise would give a net loss, and pay becomes uncertain for staff [1]. I recommend Option A [1], because on the owner’s forecast it adds £1,440 a month while B costs more than it is expected to save. A sales rise of at least 7.1% is needed, so the owner should review results after a few months. [9] Examiner insight: “Justify” asks for one option, backed by the figures given. Naming a condition (the sales rise needed) and the weakness of the rejected option strengthens the case.

12. Cost: 12 plumbers × 2 reviews × 1.5 hours = 36 hours, and 36 × £40 = £1,440 a year [1]. Targets would show plumbers what is expected in using the app [1]. Reviews give feedback and show who needs more training [1]. Feeling valued and clear about the job can raise motivation and help keep experienced plumbers [1]. However, a review changes nothing unless training follows [1], and unrealistic targets could cause stress for plumbers who dislike new technology [1]. Alternatives are informal coaching from a plumber who already uses the app [1], or a bonus for keeping experienced plumbers, though the latter adds to cost [1]. Judgement: reviews and targets are a good start but are not enough by themselves [1], because they identify needs without solving them. They work best when combined with coaching and with fair targets. [9] Examiner insight: An “evaluate” answer tends to do better when it weighs advantages against drawbacks, uses figures from the case, and ends with a supported conclusion.

Where marks are usually lost

• Writing “profit” or “pay” when asked for a fringe benefit.
• Giving total pay as the commission alone and leaving out the basic wage.
• Comparing total output when the number of employees has changed, instead of output per employee.
• Dividing a percentage change by the new figure instead of the original.
• Leaving out lost output when working out the cost of training.
• Giving one point with no expansion on an “explain” question.
• Writing in general terms when the question names the business and its situation.
• Giving only the benefits of a method and ignoring its cost or drawback.
• Stopping an “evaluate” or “justify” answer before reaching a clear decision.

Next steps

• Re-read the study guide for any part you missed.
• Use the revision notes for quick recall.
• Tick off progress on the checklist or return to the Business hub.
• Find weak spots with the free diagnostics.
• Book a free trial class: /trial/.

Frequently asked questions

What do these training and motivation questions cover? They follow Pearson Edexcel GCSE Business (1BS0) Theme 2 items 2.5.3 and 2.5.4: ways of training and developing employees, why businesses train, why motivation matters, and financial and non-financial methods of motivation.

How do you calculate total pay with commission? Add the commission, a percentage of sales made, to the basic wage. Giving the commission alone as total pay is a common mistake.

How do you compare productivity when staff numbers change? Compare output per employee rather than total output. Dividing a percentage change by the new figure instead of the original is another frequent error.

What should you include when working out the cost of training? Include lost output while staff are training as well as course fees. Then weigh the cost against benefits such as lower staff turnover.

Official syllabus

Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Business (1BS0), Specification, Issue 2, July 2022, published by Pearson Education Limited. Theme 2: Building a business, Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions, items 2.5.3 and 2.5.4.