The correct answer is 'the supplier has a lot of long-term debt'. Gearing is a measure of how the business is being funded and looks at the ratio of debt to equity. For example if they have taken out lots of loans and mortgages, this would equate to a lot of debt which means a poor gearing ratio.
Gearing is a hot topic for the exam.

Restricted tendering involves filtering suppliers through a prequalification stage and then evaluating proposals. The selection focuses on ensuring suppliers have adequate production capacity and financial stability to deliver on requirements. These are critical to continuity, quality, and risk management.
Decommissioning costs are not typically part of supplier selection, and total life cost is an award criterion considered later in evaluation. By checking production capacity and financial stability, buyers mitigate risks of underperformance or financial collapse. This approach aligns with responsible sourcing, where due diligence ensures suppliers can sustainably meet obligations.
Reference: CIPS L4M4 Study Guide (v2), LO: "Implementation" - supplier qualification and restricted tendering.

Supply market analysis involves identifying competitive pressures and external influences. Porter's Five Forces assesses supplier power, buyer power, threat of substitutes, new entrants, and rivalry - directly relevant to market dynamics. STEEPLED analysis considers external macro-environmental factors (social, technological, economic, environmental, political, legal, ethical, demographic). By contrast, Porter's Value Chain analyses internal activities of a single organisation, while the Ishikawa diagram is a root-cause tool for problem-solving, not market analysis. Using the correct tools ensures sourcing decisions account for risks and opportunities at both industry and macro levels.
Reference: CIPS L4M4 Study Guide (v2), LO: "Concepts" - market analysis tools, external environment scanning.

This is an Invitation to Tender.
The only other real document listed in Request for Quotation. This is incorrect because the document asks questions relating to how they will deliver the service. This means price isn't the only factor, which is the case for a RfQ.
Request for Tender and Invitation to Quote are not real things.

A Category spend is high value and strategic suppliers. C category is low value, high volume of spend aka tail spend. The bits in the middle are B category.
For example when you have a baby you have to buy lots of stuff for it. Your A spend is the big, important and expensive purchases like the pram, cot, carseat. You spend a lot of time in this category because they're important purchases you want to get right. The Tail Spend / C are all the little bits like nappies, baby shampoo, sippy cups. The B category are the bits in between - the purchases are kinda important but aren't as strategic or important as A category. Toys may fall into this category.