OCR GCSE Business: Marketing (J204) – 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 section 2, Marketing, of OCR GCSE (9-1) Business (J204), Version 2.0 (January 2026), topics 2.1 to 2.4. All businesses and figures are invented. Learn the content first from the study guide and revision notes. For the wider component see the Business 1 overview practice set. Course links: OCR GCSE Business hub, printable checklist and free diagnostics.

Questions

1. State two ways in which marketing helps a business. [2]

2. Tansy Outdoor sells walking boots from one shop and wants to know whether hikers would pay extra for waterproof boots.

(a) Identify two secondary sources the business could use. [2] (b) Explain one reason why Tansy Outdoor might still need primary research. [2]

3. The market for walking boots in Tansy Outdoor’s region was worth £2,400,000 last year and £2,600,000 this year. Tansy Outdoor’s sales were £312,000 last year and £364,000 this year.

(a) Calculate Tansy Outdoor’s market share in each year. [2] (b) Calculate the percentage change in Tansy Outdoor’s sales. [2] (c) Explain what these results show about Tansy Outdoor’s performance. [2]

4. Zarvel Audio sells headphones. A questionnaire to 240 customers found that 138 would pay more for noise cancelling. A focus group of customers said the case “feels cheap”.

(a) Calculate the percentage who would pay more for noise cancelling. [2] (b) Explain one way the focus group result is more useful to Zarvel Audio than the percentage. [2]

5. Orchardby Juices plans a juice bar near a university and an office block.

(a) Identify two bases on which it could segment its market. [2] (b) Explain how one of these could help Orchardby Juices target customers. [2]

6. Orchardby Juices makes a cup of juice for £0.95.

(a) Calculate the selling price using cost-plus pricing with a 60% mark-up. [2] (b) Explain one disadvantage of cost-plus pricing. [2] (c) Calculate the price after a promotional reduction of 25% on the price in (a). [1]

7. Zarvel Audio launches a newly invented earbud at £149, and plans to cut the price to £99 when rivals appear.

(a) Identify the pricing method. [1] (b) Analyse why this method could suit Zarvel Audio. [3]

8. Tansy Outdoor’s trail socks sold 2, 9, 21, 22 and 14 thousand pairs in years 1 to 5.

(a) Identify the stage of the product life cycle in year 4 and give one piece of evidence. [2] (b) Calculate the percentage change in sales from year 4 to year 5. [2] (c) Explain how Tansy Outdoor’s promotion might differ at introduction and at maturity. [2]

9. Orchardby Juices wants to attract more shoppers to its stall.

(a) Identify two point of sale methods it could use. [2] (b) Explain how a loss leader could still help the stall’s profit. [2]

10. Tansy Outdoor, targeting hikers aged 18 to 30, has a small budget. It is choosing between social media and local radio. Discuss which it should choose. [6]

11. Zarvel Audio sells only through its website.

(a) Identify one other digital channel and one physical channel. [2] (b) Explain one benefit to Zarvel Audio of adding a physical channel. [2]

12. Orchardby Juices plans a bottled cold-pressed range for office workers aged 18 to 35. The bottle will sell at £3.20, with plain packaging, advertised on local radio and sold through a wholesaler to discount stores. The regional juice market grew from £3,500,000 to £4,200,000. Orchardby Juices’ sales grew from £280,000 to £357,000.

(a) Calculate Orchardby Juices’ market share in each year and the percentage change in its sales. [3] (b) Evaluate the plan and recommend any changes to the marketing mix. [6]

Answers

1. Any two from: it helps the business identify and understand its customers; it informs customers about the product, price or where to buy; it increases sales. [1] [1] [2] Examiner insight: “State” asks for two short points; developing them earns no extra, so spend the time elsewhere.

2. (a) Any two from: newspapers and magazines; census; websites; internal data such as past boot sales. [1] [1] (b) Secondary data was gathered for other purposes, so it may not say whether hikers would pay extra for waterproof boots [1]. Tansy Outdoor could question hikers directly with a questionnaire or trial [1]. [4] Examiner insight: Link your reason to the exact decision in the stem (the waterproof premium), not to primary research in general.

3. (a) Last year: 312,000 / 2,400,000 × 100 = 13% [1]. This year: 364,000 / 2,600,000 × 100 = 14% [1]. (b) (364,000 - 312,000) / 312,000 × 100 [1] = 16.7% increase [1]. (c) Sales grew 16.7% and the market grew 8.3% [1], so Tansy Outdoor grew faster than the market and gained share, from 13% to 14% [1]. [6] Examiner insight: Writing the formula and the working gives credit a chance even if the final figure slips, and part (c) needs a comparison with the market, not just the sales figure.

4. (a) 138 / 240 × 100 [1] = 57.5% [1]. (b) The percentage is quantitative and shows how many would pay more, not why [1]. The focus group is qualitative and shows a specific problem (a cheap-looking case) that Zarvel Audio can fix [1]. [4] Examiner insight: Name the type of data and say what it does or does not reveal; “it is better” on its own earns little.

5. (a) Any two from: age; gender; income; location; lifestyle. [1] [1] (b) For example, segmenting by income: students have less to spend than office workers [1], so Orchardby Juices could offer a lower-priced small cup near the university and premium blends near the offices [1]. [4] Examiner insight: A segment alone earns the identification mark; the explanation mark needs a decision the business could make because of it.

6. (a) 60% of £0.95 = £0.57 [1]. £0.95 + £0.57 = £1.52 [1]. (b) Cost-plus ignores what customers will pay and what rivals charge [1], so the price may be too high to sell, or lower than customers would have accepted [1]. (c) £1.52 × 0.75 = £1.14 [1]. [5] Examiner insight: A disadvantage should be developed, with a consequence for the business, to reach both marks.

7. (a) Price skimming [1]. (b) The earbud is new and few rivals exist [1], so early buyers may pay a high price to have it first [1], which recovers the cost of invention quickly before rivals force the price down [1]. [4] Examiner insight: An analysis answer is a chain of linked steps using the stem; a list of unconnected facts does not build one.

8. (a) Maturity [1]. Sales rose only from 21 to 22 thousand, so growth has almost stopped [1]. (b) (14 - 22) / 22 × 100 [1] = -36.4% (a fall of 36.4%) [1]. (c) At introduction promotion tells people the socks exist [1]. At maturity it defends sales against rivals, for example by promotional offers [1]. [6] Examiner insight: State the direction of change; a bare 36.4 might lose the meaning of the figure.

9. (a) Any two from: price reductions; loss leaders; competitions; free samples. [1] [1] (b) A loss leader sells at a low price, even below cost [1]. Customers drawn in may buy other items at full price, so total profit can rise [1]. [4] Examiner insight: Explain why the loss on one item is outweighed; stating the loss leader is cheap does not explain it.

10. Social media can target ages 18 to 30 cheaply, because adverts can be aimed at that age group and at people interested in walking [1], so little money is wasted [1]. Local radio reaches a wider audience, including people outside the target age, so some of the cost is wasted [1], and it is usually costlier for a small budget [1]. Judgement: Tansy Outdoor should choose social media [1] because its audience and budget match, though it could add radio later if sales justify it [1]. [6] Examiner insight: A “discuss” answer scores best when both options are weighed and the final choice is justified with the stem’s audience and budget.

11. (a) Digital: an app or an online marketplace [1]. Physical: a shop or market stall [1]. (b) Customers can see and try the headphones before buying [1], which may increase sales to people unwilling to buy untested sound quality online [1]. [4] Examiner insight: Give a benefit for this business, not simply that shops “reach more people”; the stem’s product (sound) is the hook.

12. (a) Last year: 280,000 / 3,500,000 × 100 = 8.0% [1]. This year: 357,000 / 4,200,000 × 100 = 8.5% [1]. Sales change: (357,000 - 280,000) / 280,000 × 100 = 27.5% [1]. (b) Orchardby Juices has grown (27.5%) faster than the market (20%), so its share is up [1], which suggests its offer works with customers. The mix has inconsistencies, though. The £3.20 price and cold-pressed product suit the target market, but plain packaging does not signal a premium product [1]. Discount stores do not match a premium price and may attract customers who will not pay it [1]. Local radio may not reach office workers aged 18 to 35 efficiently, as social media can target them [1]. Recommendation: keep the product and price, change the packaging, sell through offices, delivery or health-food shops (place), and advertise on social media [1]. This is the better choice if the extra cost of packaging is covered by the higher sales a premium image brings [1]. [9] Examiner insight: Strong answers use the data for part of the argument and then judge whether the four Ps fit the stated segment, ending with a reasoned recommendation.

Where marks are usually lost

• Giving a market share figure but not comparing it with sales growth.
• Dividing by the new figure when working out a percentage change.
• Leaving out the percentage sign or the direction of a change.
• Choosing a method of research without linking it to what the business needs to find out.
• Calling qualitative data “less reliable” without saying what it reveals that numbers cannot.
• Describing skimming or penetration without saying why it suits the product and market.
• Listing the four Ps but not judging whether they fit the target segment.
• Giving a general answer on advertising with no mention of the audience or budget in the stem.

Frequently asked questions

What does OCR GCSE Business section 2 Marketing cover? Section 2 of OCR GCSE (9-1) Business (J204) covers the role of marketing, market research, market segmentation and the marketing mix, including interpreting market data. Questions often combine a calculation, such as market share, with an explanation.

Is qualitative data less reliable than quantitative data? Not simply. Calling qualitative data “less reliable” loses marks unless you also say what it reveals that numbers cannot, such as the reasons behind customers’ opinions.

How do you answer an “analyse” question about the marketing mix? Build a chain of reasoning from the change to its effect on customers and then on the business, for example a lower price leading to more customers and higher sales. Each step should link to the business in the question.

Next steps

• Read the revision notes and the study guide.
• Return to the OCR GCSE Business hub and tick items off the printable checklist.
• Take one of the free diagnostics to find weak topics.
• Book a free trial class.

Official syllabus

OCR GCSE (9-1) in Business (J204), Version 2.0, OCR, section 2: Marketing, topics 2.1 to 2.4.