Business Studies

You will not have studied Business before taking this course, but that does not matter. You might have an interest in either the subject, or you may want to start your own business one day; or both. You will have an enquiring mind and be interested in learning about the world around you, how businesses are set up, and what it is that makes someone a great entrepreneur.

This course is active and enjoyable. You learn to be good at communicating and explaining your ideas, and not afraid of learning new things and working with numbers to solve problems. You will learn how to be a creative thinker and how to make decisions. You will learn about the world of business through research and investigation, as well as through practical tasks.

Do you want to know how to run a business? You will be introduced to the world of small businesses and will look at what makes someone a successful business person. You will find out how to spot an opportunity and develop an idea, and to turn that into a successful business. You will understand how to make a business effective and how to manage money well. You will also see how the world around us affects small businesses and all the people involved. Do you want to know how Marks & Spencer grew from a Penny Bazaar market stall into an international retailer? You’ll find out how important marketing is, how to manage cash and people; and how growing businesses are affected by the wider economy and by governmental decisions. This course emphasises an investigative approach: every aspect is tackled in a way that poses a problem to be solved, using the skills and techniques which form the core of the subject. The emphasis is not on learning a bookful of knowledge; but you will acquire a toolkit of investigative, analytical and evaluative skills which will enable you to solve problems in this and other subjects. It is up to date and relevant to issues that are being decided today by individuals, companies and governments: for instance, is getting richer necessarily a ‘good thing’ to be pursued at all costs? Who bears those costs? Ought we to be socially responsible, or pollute for profit?

For Unit 1, you will take a written examination paper with multiple-choice and objective test questions based on the unit. For Unit 2 you will sit another written examination paper giving you the other half of your marks. The questions will be a mixture of multiplechoice, data response, short-answer, extended-writing and scenario-based questions. For example, you might be given details of a business and asked a few questions based on that business.

The exam paper is 1 hour and 30 minutes, and is 50% of the qualification. The questions will be a mixture of multiple choice, calculations, short answer and extended writing, and scenario-based questions. For example, you might be given details of a business and asked a few questions based on that business.

The exam paper is 1 hour and 30 minutes and is also 50% of the qualification. This paper also consists of multiple choice, short answer and extended writing questions.

It is not necessary to take this course in order to tackle Business at A or AS level, though a number of people do follow it through. As the emphasis is on the acquisition of skills rather than knowledge, and because these skills are “transferable”, this course is an excellent preparation for a wide range of subjects, particularly within the humanities and the natural sciences.

The enthusiasm with which many candidates approached the subject led to some good results in 2021 with 43% achieving 9 - 7 grades and 96% 9 - 4 grades.