It is unlikely that you will have studied business before taking this course, but that doesn’t matter. You might have an interest in business, and want to start your own business one day. You may have an inquiring 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.
The course is active and enjoyable. You will need to be good at communicating and explaining your ideas and not be afraid of learning new things and working with numbers to solve business problems.
Even if you do not go on to study Business at A level or university, many jobs you will do in the future will involve working in some kind of commercial organisation.
However, our GCSE Business course (Edexcel 1BSO) could lead to work in a business-related profession such as accountancy, law, marketing, operations management, human resources or a career in ‘the city’ as a trader, banker, stock broker or financial analyst.
Course Content
Both exam papers will consist of calculations, multiple-choice, short-answer and extended-writing questions and are sat at the end of the two year course.
- Topic 1.1 Enterprise and entrepreneurship – students are introduced to the dynamic nature of business in relation to how and why business ideas come about. They also explore the impact of risk and reward on business activity and the role of entrepreneurship.
- Topic 1.2 Spotting a business opportunity – students will explore how new and small businesses identify opportunities through understanding customer needs and conducting market research. They will also focus on understanding the competition.
- Topic 1.3 Putting a business idea into practice – this topic focuses on making a business idea happen through identifying aims and objectives and concentrating on the financial aspects.
- Topic 1.4 Making the business effective – students will explore a range of factors that impact on the success of the business, including location, the marketing mix and the business plan.
- Topic 1.5 Understanding external influences on business – students are introduced to a range of factors, many of which are outside of the immediate control of the business, such as stakeholders, technology, legislation and the economy. Students will explore how businesses respond to these influences.
- Topic 2.1 Growing the business – students are introduced to methods of growth and how and why business aims and objectives change as businesses evolve. The impact of globalisation and the ethical and environmental questions facing businesses are explored.
- Topic 2.2 Making marketing decisions – students will explore how each element of the marketing mix is managed and used to inform and make business decisions in a competitive marketplace.
- Topic 2.3 Making operational decisions – this topic focuses on meeting customer needs through the design, supply, quality and sales decisions a business makes.
- Topic 2.4 Making financial decisions – students will explore the tools a business has to support financial decision making, including ratio analysis and the use and limitation of a range of financial information.
- Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions – growing a business means that decisions relating to organisational structure, recruitment, training and motivation need to be made to influence business activity.
| Key Course Details | |
|---|---|
| Exam board | Edexcel |
| Assessment | 100% examination |