Description
This A Level Business Studies Online Course is ideal for anyone wishing to gain knowledge and understanding of this subject or for anyone who wishes to study at a higher level at University and gain UCAS points. You will also find this course extremely valuable if you are looking for a progression route for further training whilst employed.
This A Level Business Course forms part of the new linear qualifications. This means that students will sit exams for their particular qualification at the end of the completed course in the June series.
AS levels will become decoupled from A’ Levels; this means that they will both become entirely separate qualifications. You will no longer be able to carry forward your AS qualification to the A’ Level qualification and you will sit either AS or A’ Level exams.
Support
The course will be delivered online including Tutor Support for two years. All assignments are marked by one of our professional Tutors who will offer regular feedback and guide you through your course. Postal assignments cannot be accepted without prior permission from the tutor and you must have access to email in order to contact your Tutor.
Throughout your course, you'll have the support of a Tutor to guide you. Additionally, you can reach out to the Student Support Team for help with any other questions you may have. You can be assured that you will receive unlimited support for your home study course, so there is no need to struggle or feel isolated during your studies.
Assessment
The A Level Business Studies Online Course contains a number of assignments which your tutor will mark and give you valuable feedback on. You will also have access to a range of online resources.
Students will be required to arrange and pay for their examinations at an approved centre when an examination forms part of the course. We can provide an extensive list of these centres for you.
Whats included?
Students will be provided with logins for the student portal where they will find all the study materials they need to complete their course. They will also be provided with an e-textbook to assist them in completing their assignments.
Students will be provided with a Tutor who will help guide them through their course, and their Tutor will expect them to submit a number of assignments in order that their progress can be monitored. These assignments will be graded for them and feedback provided. You will also be able to ask the Tutor any questions about the course or for more help if needed. Once their course has been completed, they will then be allocated practice exam papers to ensure that they are familiar with the procedure and layout of their exams. Learners will be expected to complete these under exam conditions (i.e.. stick to the time scales allowed and try to find somewhere quiet), their Tutor can then provide them with a grade and feedback. More practice papers can be provided if required.
Fees
Course fees for payment in full include:
- Assessment and feedback on all assignments.
- Access to your personal Tutor via our online portal.
- Access to a range of online resources, student materials, assessments, assignments, eBooks etc
- Practice exam papers to prepare you for the real thing.
- Help with UCAS application if attending University.
- Tutor references and predicted grades once a satisfactory amount of work has been completed.
- Help finding an exam centre for you to sit your exam.
AQA Exam Board
Specification codes:
AS Level Business 7131
A Level Business 7132
AQA exams: June
AQA Study Hours: 300 – 360 hours
This A’ Level Business Studies Course is ideal for anyone wishing to gain a knowledge and understanding of this subject or for anyone who wishes to study at a higher level at University and gain UCAS points. You will also find this course extremely valuable if you are looking for a progression route for further training.
Develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyse data, think critically about issues and make informed decisions. All of these skills are needed for further study and employment.
This A’ Level Business course forms part of the linear qualifications. This means that learners will sit exams for their particular qualification at the end of the completed course in the June series.
You will not be able to carry forward your AS qualification to the A’ Level qualification as they are now classed as entirely independent qualifications and you will sit either AS or A’ Level exams.
AS Modules:
- What is Business
- Understanding the nature and purpose of business
- Understanding different business forms
- Understanding that businesses operate within an external environment
- Managers leadership and decision making
- Understanding management, leadership and decision making
- Understanding management decision making
- Understanding the role and importance of stakeholders
- Decision making to improve marketing performance
- Setting marketing objectives
- Understanding markets and customers
- Making marketing decisions: segmentation, targeting, positioning
- Making marketing decisions: using the marketing mix
- Decision making to improve operational performance
- Setting operational objectives
- Analysing operational performance
- Making operational decisions to improve performance: increasing efficiency and productivity
- Making operational decisions to improve performance: improving quality
- Making operational decisions to improve performance: managing inventory and supply chain
- Decision making to improve financial performance
- Setting financial objectives
- Analysing financial performance
- Making financial decisions: source of finance
- Making financial decisions: Improving cash flow and profits
- Decision making to improve human resource performance
- Setting human resource objectives
- Analysing human resource performance
- Making human resource decisions: improving organisational design and managing the human resource flow
- Making human resource decisions: improving motivation and engagement
- Making human resource decisions: improving employer- employee relations
A Level Modules:
- What is Business
- Understanding the nature and purpose of business
- Understanding different business forms
- Understanding that businesses operate within an external environment
- Managers leadership and decision making
- Understanding management, leadership and decision making
- Understanding management decision making
- Understanding the role and importance of stakeholders
- Decision making to improve marketing performance
- Setting marketing objectives
- Understanding markets and customers
- Making marketing decisions: segmentation, targeting, positioning
- Making marketing decisions: using the marketing mix
- Decision making to improve operational performance
- Setting operational objectives
- Analysing operational performance
- Making operational decisions to improve performance: increasing efficiency and productivity
- Making operational decisions to improve performance: improving quality
- Making operational decisions to improve performance: managing inventory and supply chain
- Decision making to improve financial performance
- Setting financial objectives
- Analysing financial performance
- Making financial decisions: source of finance
- Making financial decisions: Improving cash flow and profits
- Decision making to improve human resource performance
- Setting human resource objectives
- Analysing human resource performance
- Making human resource decisions: improving organisational design and managing the human resource flow
- Making human resource decisions: improving motivation and engagement
- Making human resource decisions: improving employer- employee relations
- Analysing the strategic position of a business
- Mission, corporate objectives and strategy
- Analysing the existing internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses: financial ratio analysis
- Analysing the existing internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses: overall performance
- Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats: political and legal change
- Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats: economic change
- Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats: social and technological
- Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats: the competitive environment
- Analysing strategic options: investment appraisal
- Choosing strategic direction
- Strategic direction: choosing which markets to compete in and what products to offer
- Strategic positioning: choosing how to compete
- Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
- Assessing a change in scale
- Assessing innovation
- Assessing internationalisation
- Assessing greater use of digital technology
- Managing strategic change
- Managing change
- Managing organisational culture
- Managing strategic implementation
- Problems with strategy and why strategies fail
Exams
AS Assessments:
Paper 1:
Written Examination: 1 hour 30 minutes
Availability: June
Assessment Overview: Has three compulsory sections covering topics 1- 6
Section A has 10 multiple choice questions (MCQs) worth 10 marks
Section B has short answer questions worth approximately 20 marks
Section C has two data response stimuli with questions worth approximately
25 marks.
80 marks
50% of AS
Paper 2:
Written Examination: 1 hour 30 minutes
Availability: June
Assessment Overview:
One compulsory case study consisting of approximately seven questions covering topics 1- 6.
80 marks
50 % of AS
A Level Assessments:
Paper 1:
Written Examination: 2 hours
Availability: June
Assessment Overview: Comprises of three sections overing all topics. Section A has 15 multiple choice questions (MCQs) worth 15 marks.
- Section B has short answer questions worth 35 marks.
- Sections C and D have two essay questions (choice of one from two and one from two) worth 25 marks each.
100 marks
33.3% of A Level
Paper 2:
Written Examination: 2 hours
Availability: June
Assessment Overview: Three data response compulsory questions worth approximately 33 marks each and made up of three or four part questions.
100 marks
33.3% of A Level
Paper 3:
Written Examination: 2 hours
Availability: June
Assessment Overview:
One compulsory case study followed by approximately six questions covering all topics.
100 marks
33.3% of A Level
Cambridge (2022)
Awarding Body: Cambridge
Course Code: 9609
Study Hours: Recommended 300 – 360 hrs
Exams Available: June & November (also March in India only)
For exams in 2022
The key concepts for Cambridge International AS & A Level Business Studies are:
Change
Change is the only constant. Exciting new enterprises are often created in response to economic, cultural or technological changes. Existing businesses must adapt to change if they are to survive and grow.
Management
Management is relevant to every person in a business. Good leadership, strong motivation in workers, effective systems and clear communication are hallmarks of successful businesses.
Customer focus
Customer focus means a business will design and produce goods and services that people want to buy. Customers provide the revenue which sustains a business. Successful businesses really understand their customers and strive to provide products that their customers love.
Innovation
Innovation enables a business to re-invent itself and stay ahead of the competition. The business world is dynamic and companies must seek to innovate through product development, more efficient processes and finding better ways ‘to do business’.
Creating value
Creating value is the core reason why any organisation exists. Effective organisations aim to maximise stakeholder value. For most businesses this will be about maximising shareholder value, but social enterprises will also have other, non-financial, aims. Stakeholders also need to measure the value that is created.
Strategy
Strategy is about knowing where you are, where you want to get to and how you are going to get there. Managers need to think about, decide on and put into action major long term plans – such as buying another business, entering a new market or developing a new technology.
Key Info:
Modules for AS Level:
- Business and environment
- Enterprise
- Business structure
- Size of business
- Business objectives
- Stakeholders in a business
- People in organisations
- Management and leadership
- Motivation
- Human resource management
- Marketing
- What is marketing?
- Market research
- The marketing mix
- Operations and project management
- The nature of operations
- Operations planning
- Inventory management
- Finance and accounting
- The need for business finance
- Sources of finance
- Costs
- Accounting fundamentals
- Forecasting cash flows and managing working capital
A Level Candidates also study these additional topics:
- Business and environment
- External influences on business activity
- People In organisations
- Organisational structure
- Business communication
- Marketing
- Marketing planning
- Globalisation and international marketing
- Operations and project management
- Capacity utilisation
- Lean production and quality management
- Project management
- Finance and accounting
- Budgets
- Contents of published accounts
- Analysis of published accounts
- Investment appraisal
- Strategic management
- What is strategic management?
- Strategic analysis
- Strategic choice
- Strategic implementation
Exam Papers:
Paper 1
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Short answer and essay
40 Marks
Paper 2
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Two data response
60 Marks
Paper 3
Time: 3 hours
Five questions and one essay (from a choice of two) based on a case study, based on the additional A Level syllabus content and also assumes knowledge and understanding of the AS Level syllabus content
100 marks
Cambridge (from 2023)
Awarding Body: Cambridge
Course Code: 9609
Study Hours: Recommended 360 hrs
Exams Available: June & November (also March in India only)
For exams in 2023- 2025
Change
Change is the only constant. New enterprises and opportunities are created in response to change in the external environment. Change can also happen within a business, leading to success when change is handled correctly.
Context
Context is the basis for every business decision. What might be a suitable solution in one situation may be unsuitable in another. Businesses must understand and research their context to be able to make good decisions.
Decision-making
Decision-making affects all levels in a business. Stakeholders in businesses use their knowledge, apply it to a scenario, analyse the data, evaluate the arguments and then come to a decision.
Enterprise
Enterprise is the ability to seek out and successfully develop business opportunities.
Innovation
Innovation enables a business to re-invent itself and stay ahead of the competition. The business world is dynamic and companies must seek to innovate through product development, more efficient processes and finding better ways to do business.
Strategy
Strategy is about knowing where you are, where you want to get to and how you are going to get there. Being able to analyse a business situation, make choices given relevant data and then implement this effectively is key to running a successful business.
Key Info:
Modules for AS Level:
1.Business and its environment
- Enterprise
- Business structure
- Size of business
- Business objectives
- Stakeholders in a business
2.Human resource management
- Human resource management
- Motivation
- Management
3.Marketing
- The nature of marketing
- Market research
- The marketing mix
4.Operations management
- The nature of operations
- Inventory management
- Capacity utilisation and outsourcing
5.Finance and accounting
- Business finance
- Sources of finance
- Forecasting and managing cash flows
- Costs
- Budgets
A Level Candidates also study these additional topics:
6.Business and its environment
- External influences on business activity
- Business strategy
7.Human resource management
- Organisational structure
- Business communication
- Leadership
- Human resource management strategy
8.Marketing
- Marketing analysis
- Marketing strategy
9.Operations management
- Location and scale
- Quality management
- Operations strategy
10.Finance and accounting
- Financial statements
- Analysis of published accounts
- Forecasting and managing cash flows
- Investment appraisal
- Finance and accounting strategy
Exam Papers:
Paper 1
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Section A: four short answer questions. There are two parts to the first three questions.
Section B: one essay from a choice of two. There are two parts to each essay.
40 Marks
Paper 2
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Two data response questions. There are six parts to each question.
60 Marks
Paper 3
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Five questions based on a case study. Questions are based on the A Level subject content; knowledge of material from the AS Level subject content is assumed.
60 marks
Paper 4
Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Two essay questions based on a case study. Questions are based on the A Level subject content; knowledge of material from the AS Level subject content is assumed.
40 marks.
