Ok....so i will be giving my business studies A2 paper this june exam for CIE
the problem with me is the structuring of my answers! 
Does any one have like a strategy on how to attempt the business papers.....like when reading the case study.......and even for answering i dunno how to start!
Should i start with a quote......then put in my knowledge skills....even for knowledge i must know what im supposed to explain....i usually get confused with this! then there is application.....which is how we are supposed to relate the qns with the case study........then comes analysis......i usually leave this out...but while checking the mark scheme i found out how important analysis is........and finally we land at evaluation wich contains usually most of the marks.....let me tell you this the my evaluations are E grade!(thats how i feel) 
Ok so i really need tips from experts who finished their A2 in business(yes Azland you are one of them)
I really really need to get an A for my business in A2...my AS grade is B!
Help me please anyone
Not an expert at all but thanks for the thought
. Anyway while reading the case study underline bits which you think is important or the stuff which you think you can bring into your answers as the paper progresses. Note that I dont mean underling every important bit for information. Rather stuff which you think others might miss or may not seem important but can be given the right context. I personally never underlined anything as I generally read it several times over the 3 hour period but each person has their own way.
Dont ever start with a quote - just looks like your copying from the passage. You can quote external sources which is something you know from outside the case study through general knowledge but I doubt you will be lucky enough to get a topic which you know very well outside the textbook. Knowledge is the lowest of the four marks If I remember correctly. It's basically testing your skills from AS. Definitions of key concepts and some explanation comes in here. Look for the key word in the question and define it. Every question has it ( shareholders, cash flow forecasts, market research etc ). Application is quite simple as you just need to relate to the business in question. After your definitions the examiner will generally expect you to relate that to the business. Like for example after defining market research you would state the different research methods that company X is using currently whether or not they are suitable or if he needs to use different methods.
Analysis is basically pros and cons of all the stuff you've written. Every point you made should be explained. Like for example during a recession a company would have cash flow problems, perhaps because customers are taking too much advantage of the credit system. If the question asked you how to improve the cash flow problems you could state that it would be beneficial to change the credit policy or to request current customers to pay their debts. But, will they change to buying products from a competitor who offers better credit policys? Is risking future profitability and brand loyalty really worth improving the current cash flow? Now after this you could stop and move on to evaluation or the next question. But you could also remember that the country is currently in a recession. If your company is having cash flow problems it is likely your competitors are having the same problems and may not be keen to offer credit either. In this case you could state it would do no harm to change your credit policy.This question is actually from the Oct/Nov 11 session which I wrote, haha.
Evaluation is alot like analysis except you cant play both sides anymore. Generally accepted stuff here is : Which of your previous points are the most important and why? Which option is more realistic in the situation of the business? Answering a question with something that is possible but is frankly very hard to achieve for the company or seems like it will fail wont score you much marks. When giving your points try and give reasons as to why this will work and other possible suggestions wont. Another way of evaluation is to give a conditional answer - You choose one side but base it on a condition. The paper generally wont have enough information to make a clear decision and it's ok to let the examiners know this. Let them know that extra information such as economic data, tax rates etc would have helped and that your current conclusion is based on the information available only and it may change if further information was available. Never leave an answer without a conclusion - you always have to choose one side support it at the end based on several reasons which you analyzed.
Generally If I remember correctly the first question of every A2 paper does not require any evaluation - only K,A,A. Key words like "Discuss or Evaluate" means Evaluation is needed for sure.
Also for what it's worth, its possible for you to get an A* even with a B in AS. The GT for an A in A2 is 62/100 and overall A* is 148/200 ( raw marks from P1,P2,P3 = 200 ).
My school had requested CIE for a breakdown of my individual question marks for the A2 paper. Turns out I got 85/100 raw marks ( 71/80 in Section A and 14/20 in Section B ) . Which means that If I got 85 in A2, I only needed 64 marks in AS which is a low C, almost a D. I did however get High A's in all my papers and so my overall UMS was 98%. You only need 90% however for an A*, so dont lose hope - it is possible.
