All about A level Business

What's A level Business about?

A level Business introduces students to the fundamental principles of all business, enabling them to assess for example why a company like Zara became a multinational success at a time when other clothes retailers like  Jaeger and American Apparel were disappearing from the high street.

The first part of the course covers the four main business functions:  Marketing, Finance, Operations and Human Resources.  It outlines the way businesses have to co-ordinate, measure and adjust these four to remain competitive but profitable.  The second half teaches how to measure corporate performance, analyse changing external influences on business including technology, competition, the economy and globalisation and finally to compare how different businesses manage change.  You may be required to analyse for example why and how Tesco attempted to expand into the US and the result of this strategy and then compare this with Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury in order to diversify into confectionery. 

You learn to analyse real life business case studies (Apple, Uber, Pret, Sainsbury, Dominoes…), write more general essays on business theories, calculate and compare business performance and even make business decisions.  In previous years students have had to recommend whether Rolls Royce should cut out layers of management in order to improve performance. or whether The Google Glasses project was a total disaster or not.  As these examples show, it is a dynamic and multi-layered subject.

What background knowledge is needed?

No previous knowledge of business is required, just an interest in the subject, but at least a C (5/4) grade in GCSE level Maths will make the financial and numerical elements more accessible and you must be prepared to manipulate data to tackle calculations.  You will also need GCSE English at B grade as you will learn to write 25 mark discussion essays as you progress through the course.

Where can it lead?

A level Business is a pragmatic and useful subject. It is the foundation to a degree in any aspect of business but can also support an Art, ICT or Graphics career if you are looking for a practical way to use your skills and passion in those areas.  It also provides a balance to more theoretical subjects and this is why so many students choose and enjoy it as a third or fourth option.   It is not a Russell Group facilitating subject.

Some former Business students at our college have gone on to work in Marketing, Finance and ICT while others have set up successful businesses or joined start-ups.

One year?

It is possible to take the subject in a year but this best suits students with a mature approach who are prepared to read around the subject to better absorb and apply the business concepts quickly and effectively and to write at least one essay per week throughout the year. It also helps if you’ve had some practical experience of work – it will give you a better understanding of concepts such as motivation and efficiency among others!

How is it assessed?

While the skills required are similar across all the exam boards, their exams differ slightly. Pearson requires in-depth research on a particular industry each year whereas AQA has no pre-set task.

Pearson also examines different parts of the syllabus in two of the three exam papers whereas AQA could test any part of the syllabus in all three papers.

Questions range from multiple choice and calculations through data response to full essays in all boards and you are expected to make judgements based on context and your own analysis.

This article was written by Sarah Ratcliffe of MPW London