Case application
Use the organisation's objectives, stakeholders, evidence, and constraints in every analytical step instead of writing a generic textbook response.
IB Humanities • SL
IB Business Management SL
Use this IB Business Management SL study guide to browse the syllabus topic structure, study materials, and practice resources.
Structured practice
IB Business Management SL Question Bank
Jump straight into grouped unit practice without losing your place in the syllabus overview.
Unit 1: Introduction to Business Management
1.1 What is a business?
1.2 Of Business Entities
1.3 Objectives
1.4 ib-business-management-14-stakeholders
1.5 And Evolution
1.6 Companies
2.1 To Hr Management
2.2 Structure
2.3 And Management
2.4 And Demotivation
2.6 ib-business-management-26-communication
3.1 To Finance
3.2 Of Finance
3.3 And Revenues
3.4 Accounts
3.5 And Liquidity Ratio Analysis
3.7 Flow
4.1 To Marketing
4.2 Planning
4.4 Research
4.5 Seven Ps Of The Marketing Mix
5.1 To Operations Management
5.2 Methods
5.4 ib-business-management-54-location
Overview
Course overview
How to study IB Business Management SL
IB Business Management SL examines how organisations make decisions across business organisation, human resources, finance, marketing, and operations. The current course was first assessed in 2024 and develops four recurring concepts—change, creativity, ethics, and sustainability—alongside a toolkit for analysing real organisations. SL focuses on the common five-unit syllabus and rewards accurate application, quantitative reasoning, and concise evaluation grounded in the case.
Business tools and data
Select, calculate, and interpret financial, strategic, marketing, and operational tools while explaining what the result changes for the decision.
Concept-led evaluation
Evaluate options through change, creativity, ethics, sustainability, stakeholder effects, risk, and time horizon before reaching a qualified judgement.
Assessment at a glance
For the current IB Business Management SL course first assessed in 2024, the external papers contribute 70% and the individual business research project contributes 30%. Confirm the examination session and pre-release arrangements with your school.
| Component | Format | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1 hour 30 minutes; pre-released context and unseen case study | 35% |
| Paper 2 | 1 hour 30 minutes; unseen quantitative stimulus and extended response | 35% |
| Internal assessment | 20 hours; individual business research project, maximum 1,800 words | 30% |
Sources: IB Business Management guide (first assessment 2024) and official IB Business Management course overview.
Revision plan
- 1.Organise the five syllabus units around common decisions, stakeholders, quantitative tools, and the four key concepts.
- 2.Practise every business tool with case data and explain its implication rather than presenting the framework as the conclusion.
- 3.Build evaluation prompts for cost, risk, implementation, stakeholder conflict, time, and the reliability of the supplied evidence.
- 4.Alternate Paper 1 pre-release preparation with unseen quantitative Paper 2 practice.
Exam strategy
Read the command term and identify the decision, stakeholder, and evidence before writing. Apply each point directly to the case, show quantitative working clearly, and develop evaluation throughout the response. Make the final judgement conditional when the evidence or outcome depends on implementation, time, or stakeholder response.
Practise IB Business Management SL questionsFrequently asked questions
What does IB Business Management SL cover?
IB Business Management SL covers five units: introduction to business management, human resource management, finance and accounts, marketing, and operations management. Students apply business concepts and tools to real organisations and decisions.
Which syllabus applies to current IB Business Management students?
The current Business Management course was first assessed in 2024. The official subject briefs identify it for assessment through 2031, but students should still confirm their examination session and guide updates with their school.
How is IB Business Management SL assessed?
SL external assessment is worth 70%: Paper 1 and Paper 2 each contribute 35%. The business research project internal assessment contributes 30%.
What is in IB Business Management SL Paper 1?
Paper 1 lasts one hour and 30 minutes and is based on a pre-released statement that establishes the context for an unseen case study. Students answer structured questions and an extended response using evidence from the case.
What is the current IB Business Management internal assessment?
For both SL and HL, the current internal assessment is a business research project about a real issue or problem facing one organisation, analysed through a conceptual lens. The maximum is 1,800 words; it contributes 30% at SL.