Business Studies

A Level

At sixth form you have the option to study AQA A Level Business Studies.

COURSE DETAILS

The A-level Business course introduces you to all you need to know about working in business. You will learn about the different business areas such as marketing, finance, operations and human resources. In year two of the course students learn about how businesses analyse their strategic position in a market, decide on their strategies and implement them.

IS IT FOR ME?

Ideally you would have studied Business Studies at GCSE level but this is not essential. Successful Business Studies students have a broad range of skills. They keep up to date with business affairs and are comfortable writing essays by the end of the course. Additionally, successful students have good mathematical skills, this is essential when they come to study accounts. Finally, students must have good comprehension skills as there is a lot of reading throughout the course and paper three requires students to apply their answers to an extended business case study.

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

A level business is made up of 10 different themes:

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).

WHAT DOES STUDYING BUSINESS LEAD ON TO?

Business is adaptable to most degree programmes. By studying Business, you will be able to define and assess achievement of your knowledge, skills and understanding which will be needed if you plan to progress to undergraduate study at a UK higher education establishment, particularly (although not only) in the same subject area. For example:

Business management
Business administration
Accountancy and finance
Human resource management
Marketing
Retail management
Tourism management
International business
Law

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

Paper 1: Business 1

What’s Assessed?
All topics found in page 2 of booklet.

How are you Assessed?
Written exam: 2 hours
100 marks in total
33.3% of A-level

Questions
There will be three external written exam papers:

Three compulsory sections:

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.