A Level Business

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  • Payment Plan : Deposit £65 | £45.83/month
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  • Guided Learning Hours : 320
  • Support Period : Through to Summer 2019 exams
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Whether you're aiming for a high-flying corporate role or your own successful small enterprise, the A Level Business online course is the place to start. 

You'll learn the basic principles of business and much more, looking at the importance of a business plan and the strategies you can put in place to maximize the chances of success. 

Effective financial planning is a priority in business, and you'll discover ways to calculate, estimate and review costs, set budgets and assess future financial needs.

For the Business A Level you will also learn the principles of sound business management, including marketing, personnel management, operations and finances.

And with an eye on the current business climate, you'll learn how change affects business and develop techniques for setting and achieving corporate objectives so that you make the most of change rather than fall victim to it.

This course prepares candidates for the AQA Business A Level syllabus (7132).

The A Level Business course is split into 10 individual units:

Units Covered

  1. What is business?
  2. Management
  3. Marketing performance
  4. Operational performance
  5. Financial performance
  6. Human resource performance
  7. Analysing the business environment
  8. Marketing strategy
  9. Strategic change
  10. Change and culture

Unit 1 - What is business?

  1. Understanding the nature and purpose of business
  2. Understanding different business forms
  3. Understanding that business operate within an external environment

Unit 2 - Management

  1. Understanding management, leadership and decsion making
  2. Understanding management decision making
  3. Understanding the role and importance of stakeholders

Unit 3 - Marketing Performance

  1. Setting marketing objectives
  2. Understanding markets and customers
  3. Making marketing decisions: segmentation, targeting, positioning
  4. Making marketing decisions: using the marketing mix

Unit 4 - Operational Performance

  1. Setting operational objectives
  2. Analysing operational performance
  3. Making operational decisions to improve performance: increasing efficiency and productivity
  4. Making operational decisions to improve performance: improving quality
  5. Making operational decisions to improve performance: managing inventory and supply chains

Unit 5 - Financial Performance

  1. Setting financial objectives
  2. Analysing financial performance
  3. Making financial decisions: sources of finance
  4. Making financial decisions: improving cash flow and profits

Unit 6 - Human Resource Performance

  1. Setting human resource objectives
  2. Analysing human resource performance
  3. Making human resource decisions: improving organisational design and managing the human resource flow
  4. Making human resource decisions: improving motivation and engagement
  5. Making human resource decisions: improving employer-employee relations

Unit 7 - Analysing the Business Environment

  1. Mission, corporate objectives and strategy
  2. Analysing the existing internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses: financial ration analysis
  3. Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats
  4. Overall performance
  5. Political and legal change
  6. Economic change
  7. Social and technological
  8. The competitive environment
  9. Analysing strategic options: investment appraisal

Unit 8 - Marketing Strategy

  1. Strategic direction: Choosing which markets to compete in and what products to offer
  2. Strategic positioning: Choosing how to compete

Unit 9 - Strategic Change

  1. Assessing a change in scale
  2. Assessing innovation
  3. Assessing internalisation
  4. Assessing greater use of digital technology

Unit 10 - Change and Culture

  1. Managing change
  2. Managing organisational culture
  3. Managing strategic implementation
  4. Problems with strategy and why strategies fail

The A Level Business course is perfect if you're looking to fill gaps in your school education or prepare for college or university. It's also a suitable foundation if you're thinking about studying Business or business-related subjects at a higher level.

You don't need any previous experience or qualifications to enrol on this course.

If you have any disabilities which you believe may impact your studies or assessments, please inform your Course Advisor before enrolment so that we can advise you on whether reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate your needs.

An A Level in Business can be the stepping stone to further education in business, including at college and university. Continuing your study of business to a higher level could lead you to a number of well-paying corporate positions or running your own company.

In the workplace, you'll find your Business A Level will demonstrate to employers that you have the ability to commit to learning, and have acquired good reasoning and analytical skills - essential in practically every walk of life.

Your A Level in Business can count towards entry to college or university for many subjects. You should contact the institution you're interested in attending to find out their entry requirements.

Students who complete this course often go on to study a Business degree.

We believe in making learning accessible and affordable for all, so you'll have the option to pay for your course through an interest-free payment plan. You'll be able to get started right away with a small deposit and pay the rest by monthly direct debit. Our plans are flexible, so you can pay your balance off sooner if you choose.

If your company will fund your course, we can help you arrange this.

Speak to our course advisors for more information on our payment plans.

Extensive Resources

Once you enrol, you’ll have access to our Student Community, which will allow you to see your course materials, contact your tutor, submit your assignments and connect with your fellow students. 

Your course materials have been specially designed for online learning by experts in the field. You'll work through step-by-step modules so you can easily keep track of your progress.

You'll have the opportunity to join a live induction webinar when you start your course. It's designed to help you navigate your way around the student community, to offer you help and support, and most importantly to give you a warm and friendly welcome to ICS Learn. We usually hold one a week, and you can attend any one that suits you.

You’ll have access to a huge range of resources that will aid your studies, including:

  1. Interactive Quizzes
  2. Progress Checks
  3. Peer Discussions
  4. Personal Journal
  5. Awarding Body Resources

Your course materials have been specially designed for online learning by experts in the field. Supporting textbooks aren’t provided with this course; however, we strongly recommend that you purchase the following e-books due to the additional resources they’ll give you:

  1. AQA Business for AS (Marcousé) Authors: Ian Marcousé, Andy Hammond, Nigel Watson Publisher: Hodder Education
  2. AQA Business for A level (Marcousé) Authors: Ian Marcousé, Andy Hammond, Nigel Watson Publisher: Hodder Education

Unlimited Support

You’ll be assigned an expert academic tutor who'll be with you from enrolment to graduation. Their support is unlimited and you can contact them by phone, email or via the Student Community. They’ll answer any questions you have about coursework, study materials, assessments and exams, and help you work through any part of the course you’re stuck with.

They’ll also give you test papers and mock exams to ensure you’re ready to pass your exams. All your papers will be marked and given constructive feedback so you know exactly what your strengths are and what you can improve.

Our dedicated student support team will be on hand to assist you with administrative tasks, using the Student Community, and any other non-academic queries you may have.

Exams take place in June each year.

There are three final assessments for the A Level Business specification 7132:

  1. Paper 1: Business 1 (Multiple-choice questions, short answer and two essays)
  2. Paper 2: Business 2 (Three compulsory data response questions)
  3. Paper 3: Business 3 (One compulsory case study consisting of six questions)

These exams are set nationally by AQA, and all assessments must be taken in one exam diet.

Important Exam Information

Please note that you're responsible for making your own exam arrangements. We'll remind you when it's time to do this, and you'll arrange to sit your exams as a private candidate at a local school or college. The school or college will charge a fee for this.

Find out more about arranging your exams here.

Exam centre and registration fees aren't included in your course fees, as they'll be paid directly to your exam centre. The cost will vary depending on which centre you choose, with private schools and colleges generally being more expensive than state schools.

Find out more about arranging your exams here, or contact our A Level course advisors by phone, email or web chat. We're happy to help!