How to Use the ACCA SBL June 2025 Pre-Seen: Dearn Shoes Ltd Case Study

The June 2025 ACCA SBL exam places Dearn Shoes Ltd is firmly in the spotlight. This pre-seen case study gives you a unique opportunity to start thinking like a Strategic Business Leader before exam day. But the pre-seen is only useful if you know exactly how to use it.

Here’s how to approach the Dearn Shoes case study with strategy, confidence, and ACCA exam technique in mind.

The pre-seen isn’t a prediction of questions. 
It’s context – a springboard for scenario-based questions you'll be asked to respond to in the exam. Dearn Shoes Ltd is your company now. You’re stepping into a leadership role and need to be ready to advise, react, and make decisions based on new information given in the exam, on the day.

Read Like a Strategic Leader

You’re not reading the pre-seen like a textbook. You're reading it like a Chief Strategy Officer would. That means...

• Looking for risks and opportunities

• Spotting internal control weaknesses

• Noticing ethical concerns and governance gaps

• Considering the impact of stakeholders

• Thinking about digital strategy, sustainability, and value creation

For example, Dearn Shoes is a family-owned business with ambitions to grow. That already raises governance questions: Are roles clearly defined? Is there accountability beyond the family structure? Is succession planning in place?

That’s not “extra knowledge”—it’s what SBL is all about.

The SBL exam is not just about knowledge. It tests professional skills like communication, analysis, commercial acumen, and scepticism.

Think: If you were writing a report to the Dearn Shoes board, how would you structure it? What tone would you use? How would you prioritise the issues?

The professional skills make up 20% of the marks—yet many students underperform here. One 2023 examiner’s report stated:

“Too many candidates produce unstructured answers that lack clarity and fail to demonstrate the communication skills expected of a strategic-level professional.”

While the pre-seen gives valuable context, don’t let it lead you down unnecessary rabbit holes. The real marks come from applying your SBL knowledge to the unseen material on exam day. That’s where your judgement and decision-making come in.

Think of the pre-seen as your foundation. But your ability to analyse new data, spot relevance, and respond to specific tasks is what will gain you marks on the day.

Bringing It All Together

We have created a full classroom dedicated to the June SBL case, with:

1. Clear analysis of every part of the Dearn Shoes Ltd pre-seen

2. Each section linked directly to key topic areas in the SBL syllabus

3. Support in developing your professional skills

4. Comprehensive PDF guide available for separate purchase (if you are a non-premium student or visitor to aCOWtancy.com)- aCOWtancy's pre-seen analysis here

Use the pre-seen material to revise with purpose.

Understand the business, anticipate challenges, and build answers that reflect the role of a real Strategic Business Leader.

Good Luck with the exam!