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KS5 Business

AS & A LEVEL BUSINESS

This is a 2 year course, but students will set an AS at the end of Year 1. In Year 2, the final grade will all be weighted on the final 2 exams in the second year.

There are 10 units over 2 years, in Year 1 units 1-6 will be examined and in Year 2 all 10 of the units will be examined. Topics that will be studied over the 2 years are:

  1. What is business?
  2. Managers, leadership and decision making
  3. Decision making to improve marketing performance
  4. Decision making to improve operational performance
  5. Decision making to improve financial performance
  6. Decision making to improve human resource performance
  7. Analysing the strategic position of a business (A-level only)
  8. Choosing strategic direction (A-level only)
  9. Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies (A-level only)
  10. Managing strategic change (A-level only)

At the end of Year 1, 2 exams will be sat. Both papers are worth 50% of the total AS mark. Both papers are marked out of 80 and both are 1 hour and 30 minutes. Each paper has different styles of questions such as multiple choice, data response, case study and essay style questions.

At the end of Year 2, 3 exams will be sat. All of these exams are 100 marks and are 2 hour written exams. Each exam will be worth a third of the overall A Level. Each paper has different styles of questions such as multiple choice, data response, case study and essay style questions.

BTEC LEVEL 3 NATIONAL EXTENDED CERTIFICATE IN BUSINESS

This qualification is split into 2 parts. In the first year students will study for the BTEC Level 3 National Certificate in Business. This is equivalent to an AS. In Year 2, students will study the National Extended Certificate which is equivalent to an A Level.

In the first year students will study:

  • Unit 1 – Exploring Business – in this unit students will build a portfolio of work. A range of topics will be covered, such as how businesses are organised, stakeholders and their influence, aims and objectives of businesses and the external environment.
  • Unit 2 – Investigating a marketing campaign – this is an externally assessed unit, students are given a case study 2 weeks prior to the exam to study and then sit an exam under timed conditions based on the case study.
  • In the second year students will study: Unit 3 – Personal and Business Finance – this is a 2 hour written examination that is externally assessed.

And an extra optional unit, which will either be regarding customer service or recruitment.