We are continuing with our A level choices series. Today we’re speaking with Celeste, a fantastic Clarendon tutor who specialises in Business.
Celeste was head of Business and Economics at a top independent sixth from college; she has also taught Business at a top boarding school.
What can students expect to learn with a Business A level?
A Level Business teaches students an understanding of key functional areas within a business, including marketing, human resource management, operations and finance. Students will also learn about entrepreneurship and how economic and legal factors impact businesses. The first year of the course acts as an introduction to the basic functions of a business, while the second year goes into detail about international business management, ethics and business strategy. By the end of the A Level, a student will have a strong grasp of how businesses operate, from start-ups to multinational corporations.
What type of students will thrive with this subject?
A Level Business includes so many transferrable skills, so it is a strong choice for many students and there is something for everyone. Creative students tend to enjoy marketing and human resource management the most, while more analytical students prefer operations, accounting and economics. Students who enjoy understanding the usefulness of what they are learning will thrive in business as all elements have practical applications. Students may have entrepreneurial aspirations or role models in business.
Students will find strong maths skills an advantage. There are many formulae included in the course which must be memorised and applied to given data. The maths in business requires calculation of percentages and ratios, and an understanding of statistics (probability and averages) will be useful. Business is an excellent choice for students who enjoy problem-solving. The questions are presented in an issue-based style so students must consider alternative viewpoints before forming their own judgement and including evidence to support their judgement.
How are students examined?
There are three two-hour exams at the end of the course. There is no coursework. Exam technique is a highly important skill to master for Business because the exams are very time-pressured. This is often where tuition gives students a major advantage because a tutor can support this skill from early in the course.
The two most popular exam boards for Business in England are Edexcel and AQA. The Edexcel exams include questions ranging between 4-20 marks, all based on given case studies. Paper 1 assesses themes 1 and 4, Paper 2 assesses themes 2 and 3 and Paper 3 is synoptic so covers all course material. For Paper 3, a pre-released information sheet provides the market which will be featured and students must conduct their research to become highly knowledgeable in that market so they can go above and beyond the case studies provided in the exam.
In AQA, the questions range from multiple choice (MCQs) to 25-mark essays. All papers are synoptic so can include questions on all course material. Paper 1 has 15 MCQs, short answer questions and two 25-mark essays. Paper 2 includes three multiple-part data response questions of varying lengths. Paper 3 includes one business case and only long answer questions ranging 12-24 marks.
What contents of the course do you think are particularly engaging?
My favourite course content is business strategy. This is the most engaging because students need to consider a creative and appropriate solution to a challenge a business is facing.
Motivation and people management is also a particularly popular part of the course. Students have often never considered why they behave the way they do, or why their favourite teacher is so good. Understanding the motivations of employees and management styles is particularly engaging and often stimulates very interesting debate within the class.
A Level Business is a brilliant course for employability because no matter the career a student aspires to, whether it be entrepreneurial, public or private sector, they will always be fulfilling a role within an organisation. So, A Level Business is a great place to start building the skills needed in future.
