Syllabus: Cambridge - IGCSE Business Studies
Module: 3.2 Market Research
Lesson: 3.2.2 Presentation and Use of Market Research Results

Introduction

The Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies 3.2.2 unit focuses on how businesses present and interpret data from market research. This is a pivotal skill that links theoretical knowledge with practical application, helping students transition from passive learners to commercially aware thinkers. It’s a clear example of how business education supports Gatsby Benchmark 4, linking curriculum learning directly to careers.

This content aligns with the Cambridge IGCSE specification, which expects students to not only understand the collection of data but to analyse, interpret, and present it effectively for business decision-making.

Key Concepts

According to the Cambridge syllabus, students must understand and apply the following:

• Presentation methods:

  • Tables, charts (bar, pie, line), and diagrams

  • Clarity and relevance of visual data formats

• Data interpretation:

  • Reading charts accurately

  • Identifying trends and drawing conclusions

  • Evaluating reliability and significance of findings

• Application to decision-making:

  • How businesses use research data to make marketing, pricing, and product decisions

  • Understanding limitations of data (e.g. bias, small sample size)

This unit builds students’ skills in applied numeracy and critical thinking, both of which are vital in business contexts and broader employability frameworks.

Real-World Relevance

In today’s data-driven economy, the ability to interpret market research is foundational. A clear example is Netflix’s use of viewer data to inform content creation. By analysing which shows gain the most traction in different regions, they tailor programming accordingly, ensuring both customer satisfaction and commercial viability.

Similarly, Tesco’s Clubcard data is used to spot purchasing patterns and inform everything from product placement to personalised discounts. These are live examples of market research results influencing day-to-day business decisions.

This also reflects workplace expectations. In any industry—from marketing to product design—employees must understand and act on data to stay competitive.

How It’s Assessed

In the Cambridge IGCSE exam, this topic is typically assessed through:

• Structured questions using stimulus material (charts, graphs, tables)

• Command words like interpret, analyse, evaluate and suggest

• Applied scenarios where students must make decisions based on data

Students may be asked to identify patterns in graphs, explain the implications of data, or suggest business actions. For example:

“Use the information in the bar chart to recommend a suitable market segment for the company’s new product. Justify your answer.”

This style reinforces higher-order thinking and moves students beyond recall towards strategic decision-making.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This unit is ideal for embedding commercial awareness, problem-solving, and decision-making—core enterprise competencies that apply beyond business subjects.

• Data Interpretation links directly to decision-making under uncertainty, a key workplace readiness indicator.

• The use of graphs, percentages and extrapolation builds numeracy confidence in practical contexts, reinforcing cross-curricular links with maths.

• Students gain an early understanding of how businesses make evidence-based decisions, preparing them for any future career where data informs action.

Enterprise Skills simulations can extend this further, giving students live dashboards and asking them to make team decisions under pressure based on customer data.

Careers Links

This topic provides an excellent opportunity to bring Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5 and 6 to life:

• Benchmark 4: Curriculum linked to careers – interpreting business data is essential for roles in marketing, sales, operations, and consultancy.

• Benchmark 5: Through case studies or employer videos showing how data informs real business decisions.

• Benchmark 6: Use of simulated business tasks to create a workplace experience (e.g. choosing a target market based on data).

Relevant job roles include:

• Marketing Analyst

• Business Development Executive

• Retail Manager

• Customer Insights Officer

• Product Manager

With a growing emphasis on digital and data literacy, this content bridges students’ understanding between classroom concepts and evolving career landscapes.

Teaching Notes

Top Teaching Tips:

• Use live examples like supermarket loyalty card data or social media metrics. Let students decode a real graph from YouGov or Statista.

• Reinforce data literacy by asking students to explain the story a chart is telling, and what action they’d recommend.

• Use group tasks where students are given fictitious data and must make marketing decisions for a business.

Common Pitfalls:

• Students often describe the data without analysing it—remind them that what it means is as important as what it shows.

• Confusing different chart types—ensure students understand when to use pie vs bar vs line charts.

Extension Activity:

• Run a Skills Hub simulation where students launch a product based on customer survey results and must adjust their strategy using changing data.

• Ask students to create their own survey, collect class data, and present findings visually. This develops hands-on application and teamwork.