Question 1

What is NCEA AS 92031 about?

Accepted Answer

AS92031 is a 5-credit external standard (end-of-year exam) in Year 11 Business Studies. Students look at a real or case-study organisation and work out whether it is financially healthy enough to keep running — its 'financial viability'. They pick one factor that could affect the business (like a new competitor, a change in law, or a staffing problem), then use a financial tool (like an income statement or cost/volume/profit analysis) to explain what is happening and what the business should do about it. A compulsory part of every answer is discussing pūtake — the organisation's core purpose or reason for existing — and how that connects to its financial situation.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 92031?

Accepted Answer

1. Read a case study about a business (in 2025 this was a tiny-home company called Whare Hangariki Ltd) — or write about an organisation you studied during the year, such as a market-day business. 2. Choose one factor from a provided list (e.g. a competitor cutting prices, a delay in supplies, new legislation) and explain how it affects whether the business can keep operating financially. 3. Use at least one financial model or tool — such as an income statement, or cost/volume/profit analysis — to back up your answer with actual numbers or financial reasoning, not just general comments. 4. Describe or explain at least two actions the business could take to stay financially viable, again linking those actions to the financial model. 5. Discuss pūtake: what the organisation's core purpose is and how it connects to the financial situation — this is required to pass the standard.

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 92031?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: Describe (not just mention) how the chosen factor affects financial viability, using a financial model to support your points. Describe two sensible actions the business could take. Include a discussion of pūtake. Key word: describe. Merit: Do everything at Achieved level but go deeper — explain (with reasons and financial detail) how the factor affects sales, expenses, profit, and therefore financial viability. Explain two actions and show clearly, using the financial model, how each action would help. Key word: explain. Excellence: Do everything at Merit level plus evaluate each action — weigh up short-term and long-term impacts, consider positive and negative consequences for the organisation, and tie everything back to the financial model explicitly. Your writing should flow clearly and use correct financial language throughout. Key word: evaluate.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 92031?

Accepted Answer

1. Leaving out any reference to a financial model — or including a model (like a table) but never actually using it in the written answer to support points. 2. Forgetting to discuss pūtake at all, which means automatic Not Achieved. 3. Writing about actions that fix a different problem from the factor chosen, so the answer does not actually address the question asked. 4. Only stating actions without also describing the effect of the factor, or only describing the effect without suggesting any actions. 5. Focusing only on sales or costs in isolation rather than connecting everything back to financial viability (the business's ability to keep operating over time). 6. Students who wrote about their own organisation often did not provide enough specific detail or evidence to reach Merit or Excellence — vague answers did not score well. 7. Using general phrases like 'the business would be affected' instead of being specific about whether revenue or profit goes up or down and by how much or why.

Financial viability · AS 92031

6,417 students sat this in 2024 · 76% passed

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