Grade 12 past papers

Grade 12 Business Studies past papers and memos

Download all 88 Grade 12 Business Studies past papers and memos as free PDFs, 2014 to 2026, straight from the departments that set them.

Papers
88
Years
2014 to 2026
Exams
November (Term 4), September (Term 3), May/June (Term 2), Feb/March (Term 1)
Format
Free PDF, with memos

Download Grade 12 Business Studies past papers and memos

Newest first. The memo sits on the same row as the paper it belongs to, so you do not have to go looking for it.

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Grade 12 Business Studies exam guidelines

What is in Paper 1 and Paper 2, and what each topic is worth.

The topics, the marks and the time you get, from the Department of Basic Education's examination guidelines for Business Studies. Know this before you sit down with a paper and you will know what a good mark should feel like.

Paper 1: Business environments and operations

150 marks, 2 hours

Section A: objective questions
30 marks
Section B: direct and indirect questions
80 marks
Section C: essay questions
40 marks

Section A is compulsory. You answer two of the three questions in Section B and one of the two essays in Section C.

Paper 2: Business ventures and roles

150 marks, 2 hours

Section A: objective questions
30 marks
Section B: direct and indirect questions
80 marks
Section C: essay questions
40 marks

Section A is compulsory. You answer two of the three questions in Section B and one of the two essays in Section C.

How hard is Grade 12 Business Studies?

Out of every 10 learners who wrote Business Studies, about 7 got 40% or more.

244 284 learners wrote Business Studies in 2025. 2 of the 9 subjects on this site are passed more often than this one.

Use that when you mark your own paper. Under 30% is a fail. 30% to 39% is a pass, but it shuts you out of most courses after school. 40% and up means you did better than about half the country.

National Business Studies results, 2021 to 2025
YearWrote the examGot 30% or moreGot 40% or more
2025244 28488.4%70.5%
2024233 38386%67.2%
2023227 63281.8%62.2%
2022241 98976.7%56.3%
2021243 84380.5%60.4%

National results for the October and November papers, from the Department of Basic Education's 2025 NSC Diagnostic Report.

All Grade 12 subjectsWhen each paper is written

Grade 12 Business Studies past paper questions

NB
NavyBlue Editorial Team
Higher Education Content
Published Updated Verified against DBE and provincial education department papers