GCSE Business Studies

Business Studies GCSE  

Exam Board – Edexcel

Edexcel course code – 1503

How many GCSEs is it worth? – 1 GCSE

Over how many years? – 2 years

Coursework content – 25%

Exam – 75%

Introduction 

Business Studies is a subject that is new for Year 10 pupils and it is one, which they can follow as a GCSE option.  Prior knowledge is not required in order to be successful in this subject.  Pupils who have an interest in the commercial activities that go around them are likely to find this course to be particularly rewarding.

Course details and Assessment 

We are all affected by business.  These exist primarily to supply a product to customers at a profit.  This involves them combining land labour and machinery to make the product on the one hand, and a wide variety of marketing techniques to sell their product on the other hand.

Additionally, businesses have to comply with many rules and regulations made by both the British and European governments and institutions.  These apply to employment, product specification, marketing and customer rights to name but a few.  

At the end of the course pupils will have a good knowledge of how businesses are run and the pressures that they are under.  They should be able to solve problems by choosing and justifying, courses of action, which relate to practical situations.  They will have opportunities to visit and work with several businesses to discover how they function.  Pupils in past years have undertaken projects with small local businesses as well as big multi-nationals such as IBM and HSBC.

The single award course is assessed by means of a two hour examination (75%) – foundation or higher tier; and a piece of coursework of 2,500 words (25%).

The year 10s will be tested on each unit of work and they will sit a mock exam at the end of the year.  Coursework must be completed in year 10.  In year 11 they will sit two mock exams.  This will determine whether he/she will be entered for the higher or the foundation paper.  They are able to achieve a C grade on both papers. 

Opportunities Post – 16 

Business Studies provides a good grounding for careers in all areas of business and finance, law, journalism and management.  Students may progress from this GCSE programme onto ‘A’ levels in subjects such as Economics and Business Studies.  Equally they may wish to follow a VCE course in areas such as Business and Leisure and Tourism.

GCSE Economics

Economics GCSE  

Exam Board – OCR

How many GCSEs is it worth? – 1 GCSE

Over how many years? – 1 year

Coursework content – none

Exam – 100%

Introduction 

Economics will not have been studied separately before, but if you read the newspapers or listen to the news on television or the radio you will have some idea of the topics that interest economists.  The problem of unemployment, the advent of the Euro, the level of wages and the problems of lesser-developed countries are among the subjects they cover.  However, the subject matter is in fact far wider; every individual and every organisation is faced by economic problems.  Economics is really a study of how to make best use of the resources that are available.  It is about the production of goods and services to meet our wants, from the limited resources that are available.  This implies choice!  For example, a student may have to choose between buying a compact disc or a video.  A firm has to select the best method of producing its product so that it can avoid being undercut on price by a rival.  The government has to decide how much to spend in the health service.

Economics investigates ways in which individuals; firms and governments can make the best use of the world’s scarce resources.

The GCSE course aims to give you an insight into the economic issues, which affect all our lives.  For example, you will learn the basic principles of demand and supply and then how to apply them in order to explain why some products are expensive whilst others are cheap.  You will also learn about problems that affect the whole economy, such as inflation and unemployment, and what the government can do to prevent them.  The course teachers fundamental economic theories and explains how they can be used to interpret new stories that you read or hear about on a daily basis.

The major areas of study are:

• Basic economic concepts and problems
• Operatin of the market mechanism – demand and consumer, supply and producers
• The organisation of industries and market structures, such as monopoly and competition
• The labour market e.g. different levels of pay, trade unions
• The economy as a circular flow system and the level of economic activity
• The monetary and financial sector
• The international economic environment, including the balance of payments and the European Union
• Government economic policy, including taxes, government spending and interest rates

BTEC Business Studies 

Business Studies BTEC  

Exam Board – Edexcel

How many GCSEs is it worth? – 2-4 GCSEs

Over how many years? – 2 year

Coursework content – 100%

Exam – none

Introduction

The BTEC course aims to provide pupils with a focus on vocational qualification for learners who wish to follow a shorter programme of study related to an aspect of employment that they might wish to move into. 

During the course they will study three core units which are:

• Exploring Business Purposes
• Developing Customer Relations
• Investigating Financial Control

They will then study three more units, making it a total of six units over two years.  This course will be equivalent to four GCSEs.  Students may get a Pass (which is equal to a C grade), Merit (equal to a B grade) or a Distinction (equal to an A grade). 

The optional units are as follows, (they may change slightly during the next academic year):

• Developing Customer Relations
• Investigating Financial Control
• Business Communication
• People in Organisations
• Providing Business and Administration Support
• Personal Selling
• Doing Business Online
• Exploring Business Enterprise
• Starting a Small Business

Do you get 2 or 4 GCSEs? 

• The BTEC First Certificate in Business is 100% coursework worth 2 GCSEs
• The BTEC Diploma in Business is 100% coursework worth 4 GCSEs

Opportunities Post – 16 

BTEC Business Studies provides a good grounding for careers in all areas of business and finance, law, journalism and management.  Students may progress from this to BTEC National in Business Studies or Accountancy.