GCSE Business Studies

GCSE Business Studies Course Overview

As well as understanding the background and development of business, you’ll also learn about aspects of law, economics, and health and safety. Other areas of study on this essential course include communications, finance, personnel and production.

Pre-requisites

There are no pre-requisites for this course.

Qualification

GCSE in Business Studies

Specification

4133 - AQA GCSE Business Studies

Benefits

• Flexible terms times
• Stepped learning approach
• Access to a dedicated tutor and student advisors to guide you through your studies
• Access to the ICS online Student Community, allowing you to interact with other students and browse our resource library

GCSE Business Studies Course Code

G44

ICS Support Period

You will receive support from ICS and our tutors until your assessment dates. We do not advise students to enrol on a GCSE less than 6 months prior to the assessments.

Key topics

• Unit 1 Setting up a Business
• Unit 2 Growing as a Business
• Unit 3 Investigating Businesses

Unit 1 – Setting up A Business

1. Starting a Business

This section introduces candidates to the issues involved with starting a business.

2. Marketing

This section provides candidates with an introduction to marketing within the context of a business with a limited budget. Consideration is given to the role of information technology in marketing.

3. Finance

This section introduces candidates to the importance of finance to a business. It investigates sources of finance and financial advice when setting up a small business. Candidates will be introduced to basic financial terms and simple cash flow statements.

4. People in Businesses

This section considers suitable ways by which businesses might recruit, motivate and retain staff.

5. Operations Management

This section considers the importance of operational decisions in managing a business. It explores how operations management can help a business to be more effective, and the role technology can play in this process.

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Unit 2 - Growing as a Business

1. The Business Organisation

This section builds upon the work of Unit 1, and considers how the methods of expansion and objectives of larger businesses might differ from smaller businesses.

2. Marketing

This section builds upon marketing concepts introduced in Unit 1 and relates them to the context of a growing business. Candidates will investigate each component of the marketing mix and review how a large business may choose the most appropriate components of the marketing mix and alter its marketing mix in response to market forces

3. People in Businesses

This section introduces candidates to the human resources function in a large business. Candidates will also be introduced to the different organisational structures of a business and the processes by which businesses recruit, motivate and retain their employees.

4. Operations Management

This section introduces candidates to the organisation of production or service provision. Candidates will increase their understanding of production methods to include flow production. The concepts of efficiency and quality assurance are introduced in this section.

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Unit 3 - Investigating Businesses

This unit is a controlled assessment unit. The work must be each students individual response to a business investigation and must be produced under controlled conditions. The task itself will be a timed exam during which time students will use the material gathered during their research phase to prepare a report. The exact nature of the task they have to do will only be known when AQA release it to the assessment centre and they distribute is to the students.

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Exams

There are three assessments for this GCSE.

1. Unit 1 - Written Paper – 1 hour
2. Unit 2 - Written Paper – 1 hour
3. Unit 3 – Coursework

Availability of Units and Certification

Examination Fee

Students will have to pay an examination fee of £21.80. This is payable to the AQA Examination Board. For further information on examinations, please see the Assessment tab.

Please note students are responsible for making their own exam arrangements.

Students should contact AQA as soon as possible to find out the deadlines for applying to sit the examinations. At this time students should also request the Entry Form for Private Candidates and also a list of centres and details of Open Centres for Private Candidates.

Find out more information about arranging your AQA examination.