A-Level Business

A Level Business is designed to encourage learners to develop enthusiasm for business by developing a holistic appreciation for business concepts. It aims to help you develop a creative approach to business opportunities and problem solving.

You will study marketing, finance, human resources and operations in year 1, giving you a detailed appreciation of the integrated nature of the main business functions. In year 2, you will explore the external environment and its effect on strategic decision making.

A level Business is a two-year linear course. The course is split into Year 1 and Year 2 content. Year one focuses on developing a sound grounding of business decision making and focuses on topics on management and leadership, marketing performance, operations performance, financial performance, and human resource performance. Year two builds on many of the topic areas from year one but focuses on how these can be used strategically. The topic areas explored includes analysing Strategic position of a business, choosing Strategic direction of a business, how to pursue strategies, and managing strategic change.

The final examination is taken at the end of Year 2 in the form of three written papers. The assessments take a holistic approach which means any of the three examination papers can assess you on any part of the course. There is no coursework completion.

There are 3 external examinations written at the end of Year 13. Each of these is a 2-hour written paper, weighted equally in deciding your final grade. Below is a summary of the assessment methods used:

Paper 1 (2 hours)

• Multiple choice

• Short answer questions

• Essay questions

Paper 2 (2 hours)

• Data response

• Short answer questions

• Essay questions

Paper 3 (2 hours)

• Case Study

• Short answer questions

• Essay questions

Internal Assessment – You will be internally assessed throughout your course in a variety of ways including formal assessments that allow us to check your progress and offer tailored support to help you progress.

Students must have achieved five strong passes (at least Grade 5) at GCSE level, including English Language and Maths, and preferably a Grade 5 in GCSE Business Studies.

The majority of our scholars who study A Level Business go on to study at university. Many of these are in Business-related subject areas such as Accounting, Management and Marketing. If you decide not to go to university, you could go on to an advanced apprenticeship programme or gain employment in marketing, finance, human resources, or administration. It is also important to note that the skills and concepts you learn in your Business A Level are easily transferable to a range of academic fields.