OCR A Level Business: Human resources (H431) – 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 the Human resources topic in the OCR A Level Business (H431) specification, Version 2.1 (January 2026). All businesses and figures are invented.

Revise with the study guide and the revision notes. Course pages: OCR A Level Business hub and checklist.

Questions

1. Define the term “span of control”. [2]

2. Identify two methods of selection, other than an interview. [2]

3. Kendrick Dental had 26 staff on 1 January and 30 on 31 December. During the year 7 staff left. Calculate labour turnover for the year. [3]

4. Distinguish between on-the-job training and off-the-job training. [3]

5. Explain one reason for fair dismissal and one reason why a dismissal may be unfair. [4]

6. Ostry Software employs 50 staff, each able to work 220 days a year. Staff were absent for 495 days. The 40 support staff resolved 9,000 customer tickets this year and 8,100 last year.

(a) Calculate the absenteeism rate. [3] (b) Calculate the percentage change in productivity per support employee. [3] (c) Explain one limitation of using these figures to judge workforce performance. [2]

7. Explain Herzberg’s theory of motivation. [4]

8. Kendrick Dental runs three clinics with 28 staff. Labour turnover was 25%, with 7 leavers. Each leaver costs about £3,000 to replace. Exit interviews show pay is competitive but staff say they receive little feedback and have no say in decisions. The owner is choosing between (A) 360 degree appraisals at a cost of £6,000 a year, and (B) a profit-share pool of £14,000 shared equally.

Recommend and justify which option Kendrick Dental should choose. [9]

9. Lindenholt Print Works has 14 skilled designers. The founder makes every decision, issues daily instructions and rarely asks for views. Designers say they feel undervalued.

Evaluate whether the founder should change to a democratic leadership style. [8]

10. Wyndale Bakery needs 45 staff next year and has 38. It expects 10% of current staff to leave. Sales are 40% above average for three months of the year.

(a) Calculate the number of new staff to recruit. [3] (b) Recommend and justify one flexible working practice for Wyndale Bakery. [6]

11. Evaluate the importance of good employer/employee relations to a business such as Ostry Software and its stakeholders. [8]

Answers

1. How many staff are directly accountable to one manager [1], for example a manager with nine direct reports has a span of nine [1]. [2] Examiner insight: Credit comes once the word “direct” appears in the definition; “the number of staff in a business” is too broad.

2. Any two from: application form, CV, testing, work trial, references, letter of application [1] [1]. [2] Examiner insight: Two different named methods are needed; repeating one in different words earns one mark at most.

3. Average staff = (26 + 30) / 2 = 28 [1]. Labour turnover = leavers / average staff x 100 [1] = 7/28 x 100 = 25% [1]. [3] Examiner insight: Using the closing number of staff (30) gives 23.3%, a common slip; show the average so a reader can see the method.

4. On-the-job training takes place at the workplace while doing the job [1]. Off-the-job training takes place away from the workplace, for example in a college [1]. The distinction: on-the-job is cheaper and gives practice but may be uneven, whereas off-the-job allows wider theory but takes people away from work [1]. [3] Examiner insight: “Distinguish” asks for a point of difference, so two unconnected definitions fall short.

5. Fair: conduct, such as repeated theft, is a fair reason because the employee has broken the terms of work [1][1]. Unfair: dismissal because of pregnancy is unfair because it is discrimination and not related to the job [1][1]. [4] Examiner insight: Name a reason from the specification list, then add a developed point explaining why it is fair or unfair.

6. (a) Days available = 50 x 220 = 11,000 [1]. Absenteeism = 495 / 11,000 x 100 [1] = 4.5% [1]. (b) This year 9,000 / 40 = 225 [1]; last year 8,100 / 40 = 202.5 [1]; change = 22.5/202.5 x 100 = 11.1% increase [1]. (c) Limitation: productivity counts tickets but not quality [1], so a rise might come from rushed answers and unhappy customers [1]. [8] Examiner insight: Percentage change is divided by the earlier figure; dividing by the new figure is a common error.

7. Herzberg identified hygiene factors, such as pay and working conditions [1], which prevent dissatisfaction but do not by themselves motivate [1]. Motivators, such as achievement, recognition and responsibility [1], increase satisfaction and motivation [1]. [4] Examiner insight: Naming the two groups is not enough; say what each group does.

8. Recommendation: Option A, 360 degree appraisals [1]. Option A: it gives feedback from managers, peers and others, which addresses the main complaint [1]. It could give staff a voice and show training needs [1]. It costs £6,000, less than the 7 x £3,000 = £21,000 spent on replacements [1]. Even a modest fall in leavers would cover the cost [1]. Option B: £14,000 shared by 28 staff is £500 each [1], small against the pay complaint and not what staff asked for, since pay is already competitive [1]. It costs more than A and does not give feedback or participation [1]. Judgement: A matches the stated causes of leaving and is cheaper [1]; the limit is that appraisals need manager time and skill, and may be seen as criticism if badly done, so training should be given first. [9] Examiner insight: The strongest answers use the exit-interview evidence to reject the unwanted option and compare costs using the numbers given.

9. For: skilled designers can contribute ideas, and consultation may raise their motivation and commitment [1]. Feeling undervalued may be reducing creativity, so involvement could meet a need for recognition [1]. A democratic style may lower turnover and improve quality of designs [1]. Against: decisions take longer, which matters when print orders are urgent [1]. The founder may lose control or struggle with the change in role [1]. Designers may disagree and consensus may be hard [1]. Judgement: a move towards democratic leadership is justified because designers are skilled and want a say [1], but the founder could keep quick decisions for urgent jobs, so a flexible approach depends on the task [1]. [8] Examiner insight: Evaluation improves when the answer links the style to the case facts (skilled staff, feeling undervalued) and reaches a stated conclusion.

10. (a) Leavers = 10% x 38 = 3.8 [1]. Remaining = 38 - 3.8 = 34.2 [1]. Recruits = 45 - 34.2 = 10.8, so 11 [1]. (b) Recommendation: annualised hours [1]. Staff contract for a yearly total, working more in the three busy months and less in quieter months [1]. This matches labour supply to demand, so Wyndale avoids paying overtime or hiring extra for the peak [1]. It could keep skilled staff by giving steady income [1]. Limit: staff may find peak weeks tiring and plans are harder to manage [1]. Judgement: the practice suits a seasonal pattern, provided hours are agreed early [1]. [9] Examiner insight: A recommendation needs a link to the 40% peak in the stem; a general list of benefits does not do this.

11. Good relations bring cooperation, fewer disputes and lower absence and turnover [1]. For employees: fair treatment, a voice and job security [1]. For managers: easier introduction of change [1]. For owners: steadier output and lower recruitment cost [1]. For customers: better service from motivated staff [1]. Against: good relations may cost more in pay, time for consultation and may slow decisions [1]. Relations are not enough if the product is poor or the market is weak [1]. Judgement: importance is high for a service business because quality depends on staff, but it works with pay, leadership and the business’s wider position [1]. [8] Examiner insight: Naming several stakeholders helps only if each is linked to a specific effect.

Where marks are usually lost

• Defining a term without any example or detail.
• Using closing staff numbers in place of the average for turnover.
• Calculating percentage change against the later year.
• Writing “good for motivation” without explaining why.
• Evaluating without a final judgement.
• Reusing a stock answer that ignores the case data.
• Treating redundancy and dismissal as the same thing.

Frequently asked questions

Are these OCR A Level Business H431 past paper questions? No. They are original practice questions written for Marlbridge on the Human resources topic, with invented businesses and figures. Use them alongside OCR’s own past papers.

Which figure should a percentage change be divided by? Divide the change by the earlier figure, not the new one. Dividing by the later figure is a common error in HR performance calculations.

How do you evaluate a leadership style in a case study? Link the style to the case facts, such as how skilled the staff are and how they feel, weigh both sides and reach a stated conclusion. A stock answer that ignores the case data earns less.

How do you write about stakeholders in an HR evaluation? Name several stakeholders only if you link each one to a specific effect, such as fair treatment for employees or reliable service for customers.

What makes an HR recommendation convincing? Use the evidence in the stem, such as exit-interview comments, costs or a seasonal peak in sales, to support your choice and to reject the alternative.

Next steps

• Re-read the study guide and use the revision notes for formulas.
• Go to the OCR A Level Business hub or the printable checklist.
• Try the free diagnostics.
• Book a free trial class.

Official syllabus

These questions follow the OCR A Level in Business (H431) specification, Version 2.1 (January 2026), published by OCR; Human resources content headings.