Classroom-Based Assessment 1: Business in Action is a four-week collaborative project completed in class during second year. It does not carry marks on the final written paper, but your teacher awards an achievement descriptor recorded on your Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement.
Project Structure and Rules
Business in Action takes place over a maximum of four weeks in class and finishes in May of second year.
- Students work in teams of three to five members to investigate a practical business scenario.
- The group submits one written project report of up to 1,500 words.
- Every student carries out independent research and completes their own individual Student Reflection.
- Teachers award one of four descriptors after a Subject Learning and Assessment Review meeting.
- You cannot reuse your CBA 1 topic for CBA 2 in third year.
The Three Project Options
Your team chooses one project option based on your interests across the Junior Cycle strands:
| Option | Core Task | Evaluation Focus | Action Plan Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise in Action | Develop a product or service, or run an enterprise event. | Judge whether there is a market, what it costs and how income is earned. | Write a business plan covering the marketing mix and the financial information for the enterprise. |
| Economics in Action | Explore an economic trend, development, or policy affecting Ireland. | Weigh economic, social and environmental costs and benefits for each stakeholder. | Propose a policy change supported by economic data and graphs. |
| Finance in Action | Investigate a financial problem facing a household or organisation. | Show the effect on income and expenditure, and whether the issue is short, medium or long term. | Create an action plan to improve the financial position, supported by tables and graphs. |
The Four Project Stages
Every group works through four distinct stages to compile their evidence:
- Conducting research: Collect primary data (surveys, interviews, field visits) and/or secondary data (news articles, online reports). Keep clear records of all sources.
- Evaluating information: Review your findings together. Check if sources are trustworthy and identify bias.
- Developing action plans: Create a practical solution justified by your findings rather than personal guesswork.
- Reporting findings: Assemble the final report, including research records, charts, prototypes, and each member's reflection.
Assessment and Features of Quality
Teachers use the official Features of Quality to make an on-balance, best-fit judgement:
- Exceptional: Excellent research analysis, deep evaluation of source credibility, an ambitious action plan, and thorough reflection.
- Above expectations: Good research, clear evaluation of viewpoints, a solid evidence-based plan, and full reflection.
- In line with expectations: Competent research with basic analysis, sound plan with minor gaps, and satisfactory reflection.
- Yet to meet expectations: Ineffective research, weak evaluation, a flawed action plan, and very narrow reflection.
Key terms
- Primary Research
- Firsthand data collected directly by the student, such as interviews, questionnaires, and site visits.
- Secondary Research
- Information gathered from existing published material, including news reports, websites, and official statistics.
- Feasibility
- The practical likelihood that a business idea can succeed based on costs, resources, and customer demand.
- Stakeholder
- Any individual or group affected by a business or economic issue, such as customers, workers, or local residents.
- Student Reflection
- A required individual document where a student records their personal contribution, teamwork, and learning.
- Features of Quality
- The national assessment criteria used by teachers to decide the descriptor awarded for student work.
Check yourself
In what school year is CBA 1 completed?
It is completed during class time in second year, finishing in May.
What is the word limit for the shared group report?
Up to 1,500 words.
How many project options are available to choose from in CBA 1?
Three options: Enterprise in Action, Economics in Action, and Finance in Action.
Does CBA 1 count for marks on the SEC final exam paper?
No. Your teacher judges CBA 1 against the Features of Quality. The SEC marks the final written exam and the Assessment Task linked to CBA 2.