PAU Business Operations (Catalonia) study guide
PAU Business Operations (Catalonia) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PAU Business Operations profile describes the business-economics component of the Proves d'Accés a la Universitat in Catalonia, the university entrance examinations taken after the batxillerat. It is aimed at students who want to enter a degree in business administration, economics, accounting or related fields, and at candidates improving an earlier result. The PAU Business Operations (Catalonia) study guide has 7 sections and about 2,989 words.
01Business environment and strategy
The business environment and strategy domain asks you to read the world outside the firm, then explain how the firm positions itself inside it. PAU questions usually combine a short case with three tasks: classify environmental factors, choose and justify a strategy, and evaluate a decision with a tool such as SWOT or Porter's five forces.
460 words, about 2 min02Business organization and management
This domain moves inside the firm: how it is legally constituted, how work is divided and coordinated, and what managers actually do. Questions usually present a small company - family bakery, tech start-up, cooperative - and ask you to recommend a legal form or an organisational structure with reasons.
450 words, about 2 min03Operations management
Operations management covers how the firm transforms inputs into goods and services: production type, capacity, productivity, costs, quality and inventory. PAU tasks are usually numerical - break-even, productivity, or a simple inventory decision - plus a short justification question.
463 words, about 2 min04Financial management and decision-making
Financial management asks two questions: is the firm sound today, and is a project worth doing? Expect a balance sheet or income statement extract, ratio calculations with interpretation, and one investment appraisal.
427 words, about 2 min05Marketing and commercial function
Marketing questions test whether you can move from market analysis to a concrete marketing plan. Typical tasks: segment a market, choose a positioning, set a price with a stated method, and justify a distribution and communication mix for a small Catalan firm.
405 words, about 2 min06Human resources and labor relations
The human resources domain links people management to labour law. Questions ask you to choose a recruitment or motivation approach, interpret a payroll or contract situation, and explain collective representation.
410 words, about 2 min07Business ethics, social responsibility and sustainability
Ethics, CSR and sustainability questions are essay-shaped: you are given a decision - relocate production, source cheaper inputs, launch a green product - and asked to evaluate it for stakeholders and for sustainability. Marks come from structure: interests, criteria, trade-offs, recommendation.
374 words, about 2 min