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UWE Bristol strategic management exam brief: Section A

September 17, 2026 ·

UMSD7T-15-3 Strategic Management Assessment Brief

This assessment brief sets out the instructions, requirements and marking criteria for the UMSD7T-15-3 Strategic Management online exam at UWE Bristol. The brief covers the task structure, Section A and Section B requirements, formatting rules, submission instructions and academic integrity expectations. Sample answer extracts demonstrate how to apply frameworks under timed conditions. The brief also includes references, an FAQ, writing guidance and a follow-up assessment suggestion for the study session.

Assessment Context and Module Details

The Faculty of Business and Law at UWE Bristol delivers UMSD7T-15-3 Strategic Management as a Level 6 module within Bristol Business School. The module carries 15 credits and contributes 80 per cent of the total module mark through a 24-hour online exam. Students submit via the Moodle or Blackboard submission portal in the Assignments folder. The assessment window opens and closes at times stated in the module handbook. No late submission is permitted on this timed assessment. The module specification confirms that the assessment strategy focuses on case-based approaches, allowing students to apply learning to relevant case study scenarios across a range of industries[reference:0]. A 24-hour home exam tests understanding of strategic frameworks and your capacity to apply that learning to unfamiliar situations.

Assessment Task Instructions

There are two sections in this exam. You must answer the one question in Section A and two questions from Section B. Each question carries the same weighting. The maximum word count for each answer is 1,000 words. There is no plus or minus 10 per cent on word count, and anything after the maximum word count will not be marked, in line with UWE’s Word Count Policy[reference:1]. Section A questions typically ask you to critically assess a theoretical framework or strategic concept using a specified case. Section B questions ask you to apply strategic analysis to a case organisation or scenario. The exam paper becomes available at the stated opening time, and answers must be submitted 24 hours later. Submit one file containing all your answers. Text-matching software checks every submission.

Formatting and Submission Requirements

Use .doc or .pdf file formats. Other formats may not be compatible with markers’ software, and the university cannot guarantee to mark incorrect formats. Include the module name and number and your student number, not your name. Indicate clearly which questions you are answering. Submit your assignment before the stated deadline by electronic submission through the module portal. It is your responsibility to submit in a format that the tutor can open and view. Do not leave submission to the last minute. Always allow time for technical issues. The date and time of submission are taken from the server and recorded when the submission is complete, not when you click submit. Check that you have submitted the correct file.

Academic Integrity and Assessment Offences

For this assessment you are not expected to include full referencing, but you are encouraged to cite the sources of key theories, models, cases and legislation. Text-matching software (SafeAssign) checks every submission against other submissions made at the same time, previous submissions to UWE and other universities, and internet sources[reference:2]. When submitting your work, you confirm that it is your own. Copying work from any source, including your own previous assessments, and presenting it as your own constitutes an assessment offence. Working with others on the assessment in any way is also an offence. Paraphrasing by changing individual words while keeping essentially the same sentence structures from other sources is not acceptable and will be detected. Write in your own words and style to convey your own learning.

Marking Rubric and Learning Outcomes

The marking rubric rewards four things. Knowledge of strategic management concepts carries weight. Application of those concepts to real or simulated organisational contexts carries weight. Critical evaluation of frameworks and their limitations carries the highest weighting. Structure, clarity and professional presentation carry the remaining marks. The University of Sheffield explains that assessment briefs include a link to the marking criteria and that students should read the brief carefully before starting work, as many details about how to approach the assessment sit in the brief rather than the rubric. Module outcomes provide a framework for assessing progress and success, so mapping your answer to the learning outcomes before you write sharpens your focus. The module specification states that learning outcomes encourage learners to develop higher order cognitive skills, and that sophisticated cognitive skills are difficult to acquire, requiring practice supported by regular formative feedback[reference:3].

Sample Answer Writing Help

A strong response to a Section A question on Porter and Kramer’s CSR framework opens by defining shared value and distinguishing it from conventional philanthropy. A student might argue that shared value offers a clear structure for aligning corporate strategy with social impact but underestimates the tensions between profit maximisation and genuine stakeholder benefit. Applying the framework to a named case such as Esquel requires evidence of how the firm’s CSR initiatives create measurable value for both the business and its communities. The answer then evaluates which initiatives fit the shared value model and which remain peripheral. The conclusion weighs the strengths and limitations of the framework against the case evidence. This structure demonstrates the critical evaluation the rubric rewards, rather than simply describing what the framework says.

For Section B questions, the marker looks for evidence that you can apply frameworks to an organisation, not just recite framework components. A student analysing a supermarket chain might use PESTEL to identify three or four macro-environmental factors that genuinely affect profitability, such as changes in consumer behaviour, supply chain disruption and environmental regulation. The analysis should rank those factors by impact and explain why some matter more than others. The Five Forces analysis then connects industry structure to the organisation’s competitive position. A VRIO analysis of the organisation’s resources follows, with a clear judgement about which resources confer sustainable advantage. Each section builds on the previous one, so the report reads as an integrated argument rather than a checklist of frameworks.

Applying Frameworks Under Exam Conditions

The biggest risk in a 24-hour exam is treating frameworks as content to be summarised. Markers penalise description and reward analysis. If you write three paragraphs explaining what PESTEL stands for, you lose marks. If you use PESTEL to identify the two external pressures that most threaten the case organisation’s strategy, you gain marks. The same principle applies to Five Forces. Listing the five forces without judging their relative strength adds little. Judging which force matters most for profitability in that specific industry adds value. For VRIO, the question is not whether a resource is valuable, rare, inimitable and organised, but whether it sustains competitive advantage in the organisation’s actual market. Exam conditions make it tempting to write everything you know. Resist that temptation. Answer the question.

Frequently Asked Question

How do I structure a 24-hour online exam answer for UMSD7T-15-3 Strategic Management?

Open with a direct statement that answers the question. Use the first paragraph to define key terms and state your position. The middle paragraphs apply frameworks to evidence from the case or from credible sources. The final paragraph weighs your conclusions and acknowledges limitations. The University of Sheffield advises students to engage with marking criteria early and to tailor their approach to each individual assessment. For this exam, that means allocating marks to critical evaluation in proportion to the rubric weighting, and ensuring every paragraph advances the argument rather than repeating framework definitions.

Why This Matters in Practice

Strategic management assessment mirrors the analytical work that managers do when they evaluate a market entry decision, assess a competitor’s move or justify a resource allocation. The frameworks you practise in this module, PESTEL, Five Forces and VRIO, are the same tools used in consulting, corporate strategy and public sector planning. Learning to apply them under time pressure with incomplete information builds the judgement that employers value. The exam format tests whether you can think strategically when you do not have weeks to prepare a report. That capability transfers directly to professional settings where decisions cannot wait for perfect data.

References

  • Fleisher, C.S. and Bensoussan, B.E. (2003) Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
  • University of Sheffield (2025) How to use marking criteria and assessment briefs. Available at: https://www2.sheffield.ac.uk/study-skills/assessment/literacy/marking-criteria (Accessed: 17 September 2026).
  • UWE Bristol (2025) Module Specification: UMSD7T-15-3 Strategic Management. Available at: https://info.uwe.ac.uk/modules/displayentry.asp?code=UMSD7T-15-3 (Accessed: 17 September 2026).
  • Porter, M.E. and Kramer, M.R. (2006) ‘Strategy and society: The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility’, Harvard Business Review, 84(12), pp. 78-92.
  • Barney, J.B. (1991) ‘Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage’, Journal of Management, 17(1), pp. 99-120. doi: 10.1177/014920639101700108.

Next Assessment

Week 8 Assessment: Strategic Analysis Report (30% weighting). This coursework assignment builds on the exam skills you practised in UMSD7T-15-3. You will receive a case organisation from the UK care sector and must produce a 1,500-word strategic analysis report structured around four sections: purpose analysis, macro-environmental analysis using PESTEL, industry analysis using Five Forces and internal analysis using VRIO. The report carries a 10 per cent word count allowance either side. Submit via Turnitin in Harvard style. The rubric weights each framework section at 7.5 marks and rewards integration across sections rather than isolated application.

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