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Subjects · Leaving Cert Business

Leaving Cert Business: Planning

How often Planning comes up on the Business papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 7 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

OL Asked on 8 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Business course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Planning, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Planning.

(a)A back-up plan in case something goes wrong is a…
  1. Tactical plan
  2. Contingency plan
  3. Strategic plan
(b)Short-term plans for day-to-day activities are…
  1. Contingency plans
  2. Strategic plans
  3. Operational plans
(c)A bar chart showing project tasks against a timeline is a…
  1. Gantt chart
  2. Organisation chart
  3. Pie chart
Show the answers

(a) Contingency plan

(b) Operational plans

(c) Gantt chart

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Planning.

Higher Level

Asked on 7 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Section 3 Q5
2024Section 1 Q7
2023Section 3 Q5
2022Not asked
2021Section 2 ABQ
2019Section 2 ABQ
2018Section 3 Q4
2017Not asked
2016Section 3 Q4

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Planning questions

Planning, 2 marks

Strategic planning is…

  1. A one-off daily rota drawn up by a supervisor for a single department
  2. A plan made by one junior employee for their own tasks that week
  3. Long-term planning for the whole organisation, reviewed as an ongoing process
Show the answer

Long-term planning for the whole organisation, reviewed as an ongoing process

Strategic plans set long-term direction. They are reviewed and updated as conditions change, so planning never really stops.

Planning, 2 marks

Contingency planning supports crisis management by…

  1. Replacing all of the firm's insurance
  2. Preparing responses before a crisis happens
  3. Guaranteeing that no crisis will ever occur at all
Show the answer

Preparing responses before a crisis happens

A contingency plan sets out what to do if, for example, a storm, cyber-attack or supplier failure strikes, so the firm can act fast.

Planning, 2 marks

When developing a contingency plan, a firm should consider cost, time and…

  1. Risk
  2. Branding
  3. Dividends
Show the answer

Risk

The specification names cost, time and risk: how likely and serious each threat is, and what the response will cost.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 8 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Section 1 Q2
2025Section 1 Q11, Section 2 Q9
2024Section 1 Q10, Section 1 Q15
2023Not asked
2022Section 1 Q8
2021Section 1 Q14
2019Section 2 Q4, Section 2 Q6
2018Section 1 Q5, Section 1 Q14
2017Section 2 Q4
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Planning questions

Planning, 2 marks

A short written statement of what a business exists to do is its…

  1. Cash flow forecast
  2. Invoice
  3. Mission statement
Show the answer

Mission statement

The mission statement guides all other plans. It names the business purpose, its customers and its values in a line or two.

Planning, 2 marks

A plan prepared in case of a fire or a computer failure is a…

  1. Tactical plan
  2. Contingency plan
  3. Sales plan
Show the answer

Contingency plan

A contingency plan is a just in case plan. It sets out what staff should do if something goes badly wrong.

Planning, 2 marks

A force field analysis looks at driving forces and…

  1. Restraining forces
  2. Selling forces
  3. Market forces
Show the answer

Restraining forces

Driving forces push a change forward; restraining forces hold it back.

Other Business topics

All of Leaving Cert Business