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← Unit 3: Pitching and Business Communications

BEM1O · Unit 3 test review

Pitching and Business Communications: Test Review

Everything for the Unit 3 test on one page: the key facts from all 5 lessons, the mistakes that cost the most marks, and a practice test that points you back to the lessons you need.

Key facts

Finding Support and Funding

  • Financial support is money (savings, loans, grants, prizes). Non-financial support is help that is not money (advice, skills, contacts, space).
  • Funding gap = money needed minus money you already have.
  • A loan must be paid back. A grant or a prize does not, but you must qualify, apply or win.
  • A mentor is an experienced person who gives free advice and can connect you with others.
  • Barriers such as less money, fewer contacts and no role models make access to resources and mentorship especially important for some groups.
  • Almost every kind of support starts with a pitch: a clear, short case for what you need and why.

Building and Delivering a Pitch

  • Eight elements in order: hook, problem, solution, target customer, what makes it different, simple numbers, the ask, close.
  • The ask names an exact amount or kind of help and what it will be used for.
  • Speaking pace is about 2 to 2.5 words per second, so a 90-second pitch is about 180 to 225 words.
  • The part timings in a script must add up to the time limit.
  • Percent who found a part clear
  • Next steps come from feedback: fix the weakest part first, then practise again.

Planning Business Texts

  • Plan every business text in this order: topic, purpose, audience, then form.
  • The four main purposes are inform, persuade, request and thank.
  • Primary research you collect yourself; secondary research someone else collected.
  • Check sources for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose.
  • Synthesize = combine several sources into one point in your own words. Always cite where information came from.

Design That Everyone Can Read

  • WCAG contrast: at least 4.5:1 for normal text and at least 3:1 for large text.
  • Use a readable sans-serif font for screens, a big enough size, and no more than two fonts.
  • Never rely on colour alone; add words or symbols.
  • Alt text describes an image for people using screen readers. Captions show spoken words in videos.
  • Clear headings and plain language help every reader find and understand information.
  • Brand consistency: the same name, logo, colours, fonts and tone on every text.

Revising, Publishing and Presenting

  • Revise for four goals: clarity, accuracy, accessibility and effectiveness.
  • Revising changes the big picture; editing improves sentences and words; proofreading catches final errors.
  • Use feedback selectively: favour comments many people make, comments from your target audience, and comments that help your purpose.
  • Publish in an accessible format: real headings, alt text, captions and high contrast.
  • Present with a clear voice, eye contact, steady pacing, simple visuals and calm answers to questions.

Where marks get lost

  • Thinking support only means money. Advice, skills and contacts from a mentor are often worth more than a small loan. (Finding Support and Funding)
  • Treating a family loan as a gift. Write down how much you borrowed and when you will pay it back. (Finding Support and Funding)
  • Planning around a program's prize amount or age rules from memory. Rules change, so check the program's website first. (Finding Support and Funding)
  • Asking for support without saying exactly how much you need and what it is for. Supporters want a clear ask. (Finding Support and Funding)
  • Subtracting the wrong way when finding a funding gap. It is money needed minus money you have, never the other way. (Finding Support and Funding)
  • Spending too long on the hook or a personal story, then rushing or skipping the ask. (Building and Delivering a Pitch)
  • Making a vague ask like "any help is great" instead of an exact amount and purpose. (Building and Delivering a Pitch)
  • Packing in too many numbers. In a short pitch, keep to price, cost, profit per sale and one early result. (Building and Delivering a Pitch)
  • Practising silently. Silent reading is faster than speaking, so the real pitch runs over time. (Building and Delivering a Pitch)
  • Collecting feedback but not changing anything. Find the weakest part, fix it, and test again. (Building and Delivering a Pitch)
  • Choosing the form first ("let's make a poster") before deciding the purpose and audience. (Planning Business Texts)
  • Writing the same message for every audience. A store owner and a classmate need different details and tone. (Planning Business Texts)
  • Trusting one source, especially one that is selling something. (Planning Business Texts)
  • Copying sentences from sources instead of synthesizing them into your own words. (Planning Business Texts)
  • Forgetting to cite, so readers cannot check where a fact came from. (Planning Business Texts)
  • Picking colours because they look nice on your screen without checking the contrast ratio. (Design That Everyone Can Read)
  • Showing important information with colour alone, such as red for sold out. (Design That Everyone Can Read)
  • Using four or five fonts, or a fancy script font for body text. (Design That Everyone Can Read)
  • Writing alt text like "image" or "photo123", or leaving it out entirely. (Design That Everyone Can Read)
  • Posting a video with speech but no captions. (Design That Everyone Can Read)
  • Only proofreading for spelling and never revising the big picture, such as order and what to include. (Revising, Publishing and Presenting)
  • Using numbers that do not match from one slide or page to the next. (Revising, Publishing and Presenting)
  • Acting on every single comment, even ones that work against your purpose or brand. (Revising, Publishing and Presenting)
  • Publishing a PDF made of images with no real text, so screen readers cannot read it. (Revising, Publishing and Presenting)
  • Reading slides word for word with your back to the audience. (Revising, Publishing and Presenting)

Practice test

25 questions from across the unit. Each one shows the lesson it comes from.

  1. Finding Support and Funding
    1
    Kai needs $480 to start a lawn-mowing service. He has saved $290. What is his funding gap, in dollars?
    $
  2. Finding Support and Funding
    2
    Why do many youth programs focus on groups such as newcomers, Indigenous youth or people in rural areas?
  3. Finding Support and Funding
    3
    Lena needs $250 for a bracelet business and has saved $100. What percent of her start-up costs do her savings cover? Give a whole number.
    %
  4. Finding Support and Funding
    4
    What is the name for a short, persuasive talk that explains a business idea and asks for support?
  5. Finding Support and Funding
    5
    Put Amara's steps for getting support in a sensible order.
    1. 1Make the ask and follow up with a thank-you
    2. 2Prepare and practise a pitch
    3. 3Research supports that match the gap and her needs
    4. 4List exactly what she needs to buy and what it costs
    5. 5Subtract her savings to find the funding gap
  6. Building and Delivering a Pitch
    6
    Put the eight elements of a short pitch in order.
    1. 1Close
    2. 2The ask
    3. 3Simple numbers
    4. 4Hook
    5. 5Problem
    6. 6Solution
    7. 7Target customer
    8. 8What makes it different
  7. Building and Delivering a Pitch
    7
    A pitch has parts of 10, 15, 15, 10, 10 and 15 seconds, plus a close. The limit is 90 seconds. How many seconds are left for the close?
    s
  8. Building and Delivering a Pitch
    8
    Out of 25 listeners, 18 rated the hook a 4 or 5. What percent found the hook strong? Give a whole number.
    %
  9. Building and Delivering a Pitch
    9
    Match each line from a pitch to its element.
    "Did you know most of us throw away phone cases that still work?"
    "Each case costs us $4 to make and sells for $12."
    "Unlike store cases, ours are made from recycled plastic in our town."
    "We are asking for $300 for a small heat press."
  10. Building and Delivering a Pitch
    10
    What one word names the part of a pitch where you say exactly what money or help you need?
  11. Planning Business Texts
    11
    Match each text to its main purpose.
    "Our drop-off day is now Tuesday."
    "Try us this week and get your laces cleaned free!"
    "Could we use the gym lobby on Friday?"
    "Thank you for mentoring us this spring."
  12. Planning Business Texts
    12
    Which is primary research?
  13. Planning Business Texts
    13
    Put the planning steps for a business text in order.
    1. 1Research and organize the content
    2. 2Choose the text form
    3. 3Identify the audience
    4. 4Identify the topic
    5. 5Decide the purpose
  14. Planning Business Texts
    14
    What word means combining information from several sources into one clear point in your own words?
  15. Planning Business Texts
    15
    Why should a business text cite its sources?
  16. Design That Everyone Can Read
    16
    Which contrast ratio is the minimum WCAG asks for normal body text?
  17. Design That Everyone Can Read
    17
    Which change helps readers who cannot tell red from green?
  18. Design That Everyone Can Read
    18
    Match each design choice to the readers it helps most.
    Captions on a video
    Alt text on a photo
    High colour contrast
    Plain language
  19. Design That Everyone Can Read
    19
    Put these text and background pairs in order from highest to lowest contrast.
    1. 1White on white
    2. 2Light grey on white
    3. 3Medium grey on white
    4. 4Black on white
    5. 5Dark navy on white
  20. Design That Everyone Can Read
    20
    Why does brand consistency help a small business?
  21. Revising, Publishing and Presenting
    21
    Match each change to the stage of improving a text.
    Reordering sections so the strongest point comes first
    Shortening a long, wordy sentence
    Fixing "recieve" to "receive"
  22. Revising, Publishing and Presenting
    22
    Which feedback should Amara give the most weight?
  23. Revising, Publishing and Presenting
    23
    Put these steps for finishing a business text in order.
    1. 1Publish in an accessible format
    2. 2Proofread for errors
    3. 3Edit sentences and words
    4. 4Write a first draft
    5. 5Revise the big picture
  24. Revising, Publishing and Presenting
    24
    Name the final check of a text for spelling, punctuation and number errors.
  25. Revising, Publishing and Presenting
    25
    Match each presentation technique to a good example.
    Eye contact
    Pacing
    Voice
    Visuals

Endless drill

Fresh numbers every time, for the calculation questions in this unit.

Endless drillnew numbers every time

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