A Level | Business
A Level in Business
Exam Board: Cambridge International A level
Will the course suit me?
A level Business introduces students to the fundamental principles of business management, enabling students to assess for example why a company like Zara became a multinational success at a time when other clothes retailers were disappearing from the high street. A level Business student should be motivated, hardworking, have an inquisitive mind, and enjoy being able to link theories and ideas from the classroom to real life examples. No prior knowledge is required, just an interest in the subject.
Course content
The A Level syllabus content is divided into six main topic areas:
| Topic | Content |
| 1. Business and its environment
| • What is a business? • Legal structures • Business objectives and stakeholders • External influences on business activity |
| 2. People in organisations
| • Management, leadership and motivation • Human resource management • Organisational structure • Business communication |
| 3. Marketing
| • What is marketing? • Market research • The marketing mix • Globalisation and international marketing |
| 4. Operations and project management
| • Inventory management • Capacity utilisation • Lean production and quality management • Project management |
| 5. Finance and accounting
| • Sources of finance and accounting fundamentals • Forecasting cash flows, managing working capital & budgets • Analysis of published accounts and investment appraisal |
| 6. Strategic management
| • What is strategic management? • Strategic analysis, choice and implementation |
Assessment
| Component | Assessment | Marks & duration | Weighting |
| Paper 1* Short answer and essay | Section A: Four short answer questions (20 marks) Section B: One essay from a choice of three questions (20 marks) | 40 marks 1 hour 15 minutes | 20% |
| Paper 2* Data response | Two data response questions (30 marks each)
| 60 marks 1 hour 30 minutes | 30% |
| Paper 3 Case study | Five questions and one essay (from a choice of two) based on a case study
| 100 marks 3 hours | 50% |
*Paper 1 and Paper 2 will be taken in October of the Upper 6th and Paper 3 is taken in the May of the Upper 6th with the opportunity to retake both Paper 1 and Paper 2 if required.
Head of Department: Matthew Dawes