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Course Description
It also helps develop a range of important and transferable skills: data skills; presenting arguments and making recommendations on the basis of the available evidence; and problem solving.
The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several lessons. All of the lessons have references to the textbook and selected websites. At the end of each lesson is a set of self-check questions. After studying the lesson you should be able to answer these questions. If you struggle with any of them, go back and re-read the relevant section. There are also a number of assignments. At various points you will be asked to complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking.
Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you will study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that business studies is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between topics as you go along, and remember that this is certainly something the examiner will expect.
The full syllabus can be found on the AQA exam board website at www.aqa.org.uk, together with other useful material such as example exam papers. (The syllabus used is the one that is new in 2008 – please make sure you look at this rather than the previous syllabus).
Please note that this course is available in online format only. You will need to have one of the following packages to access your course online:
Windows: Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista - Adobe Reader 8.0 and above
Macintosh: Mac OS X, Mac OS 9.2 - Adobe Reader 8.0 and above
As an A Level student you will have access to our online 'Common Room', where you are able to receive the latest course updates, extra materials and information. You will also be able to take part in the student chat room and forums as part of our online student community.
Once enrolled, your username, password and personal Oxford College Student number will be emailed to you within 5 working days, which will give you access to your course materials via the ‘Common Room’.
The full A Level will be a 2 year course, AS Exams to be taken in 2009 and A2 in 2010. Due to Examination Board restrictions, there is no flexibility to complete this course any sooner.
Students are required to arrange and pay for their examinations and manage the course work element if the subject requires this. Students must check the relevant examination board website for further information and final examination sitting dates for the specification.
Previous Knowledge Required
Students need to have gcse level mathematics skills to do well on the course. There is no difficult mathematics but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and performing simple calculations.
Support
This course is self-contained so you will not need to use any extra textbooks. You can also contact your tutor if you feel you need more practice in any of the areas covered in this course as full 2 years tutor support is included with this course.
Assessment
The course is examined in four components:
Unit 1 – BUSS1
Planning and Financing a Business
40% of AS, 20% of A Level
1 hour 15 minutes examination
60 marks
Short answer questions and extended responses based on a mini case study. Available January and June.
Unit 2 – BUSS2
Managing a Business
60% of AS, 30% of A Level
1 hour 30 minutes examination
80 marks
Compulsory, multi-part data response questions. Available January and June.
Unit 3 - BUSS3
Strategies for Success
25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks
Questions requiring extended answers based on an unseen case study drawing upon knowledge from AS units.
Available January and June.
Unit 4 – BUSS4
The Business Environment and Managing Change
25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks
Pre-release research tasks leading to the first section of a two section examination.
The second section will consist of choice of essays. All questions will be essay style and synoptic therefore drawing upon knowledge from all four units.
Entering examinations is entirely the responsibility of the student, and the contract for sitting examinations is between the student and the exam centre. We are not an exam centre so you must read all the information in your course pack carefully and be prepared to travel to a centre who is willing to accept external candidates.
Please do not ask us to provide you with a list of your nearest centres when enquiring about your course as we do not have this information available, it is essential that you contact the awarding body.
Modules
- Unit 1- Planning and Financing a Business
- Starting and Business:
- Enterprise
- Generating and protecting business ideas
- Transforming resources into goods and services
- Developing business plans
- Conducting start up market research
- Understanding markets
- Choosing the right legal structure for the business
- Raising finance
- Locating the business
- Employing people
- Financial Planning:
- Calculating costs
- Using Break-even analysis to make decisions
- Using cash flow forecasting
- Setting budgets
- Assessing business start- ups
- Unit 2 - Managing a Business
- Finance:
- Using budgets
- Improving cash flow
- Measuring and increasing profit
- People in Business:
- Organisational structures
- Measuring the effectiveness of the workforce
- Developing an effective workforce
- Motivating employees
- Operations Management:
- Making operational decisions
- Developing quality
- Customer service
- Working with suppliers
- Using technology in operations
- Marketing and the Competitive Environment:
- Effective marketing
- Designing the marketing mix
- Marketing mix: product
- Marketing mix: promotion
- Marketing mix: pricing
- Marketing mix: place
- Marketing and competitiveness
- Unit 3 - Strategies for Success
- Functional Objectives and Strategies:
- Using objectives and strategies
- Financial Strategies and Accounts:
- Understanding financial objectives
- Using financial data to measure and assess performance
- Interpreting accounts
- Selecting financial strategies
- Developing marketing plans
- Operational Strategies:
- Understanding operational objectives
- Operational strategies: scale and resource
- Operational strategies: innovation
- Operational strategies: location
- Operational strategies: lean production
- Human Resource Strategies:
- HR objectives and strategies
- Developing and implementing workforce plans
- Competitive organisational structures
- Effective employee/employer relations
- Unit 4 - The Business Environment and Managing Change
- Corporate aims and objectives:
- Mission, Aims and Objectives
- Changes in the Business Environment:
- Businesses and economics
- Businesses and the political and legal environment
- Businesses and the social environment
- Businesses and the technological environment
- Businesses and the competitive environment
- Managing Change:
- Internal causes of change
- Planning for change
- Key influences on change
- Making strategic decisions
- Implementing and managing change
Awarding Body
AQA (The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) has a leading reputation for promoting education for the public benefit and draws on long experience of setting and marking public exams such as GCSEs, A-levels and other qualifications. AQA is the largest of the three English exam boards, awarding 49% of full course GCSEs and 42% of A-levels nationally. In total, students take over 3.5 million exams with them each year.
