Business Studies Examining Board AQA

Availability

Business studies is available at both AS and A2 level. It is helpful if students who take the course are at ease with both Mathematics and English. Therefore we recommend that students have a B grade, or above, in Mathematics GCSE and a B grade, or above, for English Language GCSE.

Aims of the course

The AS and A Level courses based on the Business Studies specification should encourage candidates to:

• Develop a critical understanding of organisations, the markets they serve and the process of adding value.  This should involve consideration of the internal workings and management of organisations and, in particular, the process of decision-making in a dynamic external environment.    
• Be aware that business behaviour can be studied from the perspectives of a range of stakeholders including customers, managers, creditors, owners/shareholders and employees.  In addition, candidates should be aware of the economic, environmental, ethical, governmental, legal, social and technological issues associated with business activity.  Candidates should understand that Business Studies draws on a variety of disciplines and that these perspectives and disciplines are interrelated.
• Acquire a range of skills, including decision-making and problem solving in the light of evaluation and, where appropriate, the quantification and management of information.
• Be aware of the current structure of business and business practice, as reflected in events and issues affecting organisations in different sectors and environments, recognising that they face varying degrees of competition.  These organisations include: large and small, manufacturing and service, local, regional, national and multinational, profit-making and non profit-making.

AS Business

In 2008, the A level Business Studies specifications have been modified by AQA.  Thus, we introduced the new specifications at AS in 2008 – 09. 
The AS units focus on small to medium-sized businesses operating within national, as opposed to international, markets.
The new AS Business Studies course is split into two units:
Unit 1: Planning and Financing a Business
Unit 2:  Managing a Business
Unit 1: Planning and Financing a Business:  covers the issues involved in a business start-up such as research and planning as well as the factors that determine success.
Unit 2:  Managing a Business: focuses on how established businesses might improve their effectiveness by making tactical decisions at a functional level.  The various functions to be studied include Finance, Human Resources, Operations and Marketing.

Scheme of Assessment

The AS exam makes up 50% of the A-Level and the A2 papers the other 50%.
The structure of the AS course and the scheme of assessment is summarized in the table below:

UNIT	NAME	EXAM STRUCTURE	DURATION	% OF ‘A’ LEVEL
UNIT 1	Planning and Financing a Business	Short-answer questions and extended responses based on a mini-case study.	1 hour 15 min	20%
UNIT 2	Managing a Business	Compulsory, multi-part data response questions	1 hour 30 min	30%

 

A2 Business

As of 2009 – 10, the new AQA specifications will be introduced at A2 level.  The A2 units build on the AS units by considering more complex business scenarios and focusing on strategy, as opposed to tactics.
The new A2 Business studies course is also split into two units:
Unit 3:  Strategies for success
Unit 4: The Business environment & managing change
Unit 3:  Strategies for success:  this unit focuses on larger businesses which may be trading in international markets, and how managers might measure the performance of the business. This unit considers functional strategies that larger businesses may
adopt to achieve their objectives.
Unit 4: The Business environment & managing change: this unit assesses the external factors that can act as catalysts for change, and considers these in relation to a range of businesses. This unit also examines the ways in which businesses can manage change successfully when responding to external stimuli. Both A2 units are synoptic.

Scheme of Assessment

The structure of the A2 course and the scheme of assessment is summarized in the table below:

UNIT	NAME	EXAM STRUCTURE	DURATION	% OF 'A' LEVEL
UNIT 3	Strategies for success	Questions requiring extended answers based on an unseen case study drawing upon knowledge from AS units.	1 hour 45 min	25%
UNIT 4	The business environment & managing change	Pre-release research tasks leading to the first section of a two section examination. Second section will consist of choice of essays. All questions will be essay style and synoptic therefore drawing upon knowledge from all four units.	1 hour 45 min	25%