Programme of Study & Syllabus
Contents
The Syllabus, Examinations and Assessment
How Your Work is Assessed on the Course
The Transition from AS to the Full A Level - Some Tips
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Welcome to your Wolsey Hall Cambridge AL Business course. Please take the time to read carefully through this page as it explains how the course is structured, how to get the most out of your studies and how your work will be assessed. At the end of this page, you will find details of the reading you will need to do from your textbook and also how each module links to the CAIE syllabus and the final examinations.
This course will lead you step-by-step through the syllabus by way of resources, video and audio links, assignments and, of course, the textbook, so that by the end, you will be confident and fully prepared for your final examinations.
Professor Theodore Levitt of the Harvard University Business School was a scholar considered to be the founder of modern marketing and credited with popularising the concept of globalisation. Levitt stated that for companies to ensure continued growth, they must define the industry they are in broadly. He urged companies to define themselves from the eyes of the consumer as people are rarely looking to buy a specific product but a solution to a specific problem. Levitt’s argument was that companies are too focused on producing goods or services and do not spend enough time understanding what customers want or need. As he used to tell his students, “People don’t want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!”
Business Studies is a dynamic subject; it changes every day. New disruptive technologies create the opportunity for new disruptive businesses to take away the customers of businesses who still are not listening to Levitt. Just as the internet has allowed Netflix to disrupt the film industry, smart phone technology allows businesses such as Uber and Airbnb to steal the customers of taxi firms and hotels. Studying the Cambridge AS and A Level in Business, not only will you learn to analyse and evaluate business problems such as those noted above, but you will be able to do so using new information you read tomorrow.
You will explore how management, leadership and decision-making can improve performance in marketing, operations, finance and human resources. There will be the opportunity to explore the interrelated nature of business activities and how they affect businesses, be they large or small, UK- or internationally-focussed and in different sectors, such as service or manufacturing. You will learn how to analyse various business scenarios, identify the key issues facing different businesses and make recommendations as to what approach the business should take to achieve its objectives. You will also acquire the skills to analyse competitive environments and markets, use a range of quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate strategic and functional options, understand how decision-making affects stakeholders, and how they will respond. You are encouraged to think critically about contemporary issues such as globalisation, ethics and the environment throughout the course.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Understand and appreciate the nature and scope of business, and the role of business in society, internationally and within your own country;
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of organisations, the markets they serve and the process of adding value;
- Evaluate business behaviour from the perspective of a range of stakeholders including owners/shareholders, managers, employees, customers, suppliers, lenders and governments;
- Show an awareness of the political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental and ethical issues associated with business activity;
- Demonstrate quantitative, problem-solving, decision-making and communication skills;
- Understand how entrepreneurs innovate, with new technological developments, to disrupt existing businesses;
- Describe how successful entrepreneurs make use of marketing and market research to find out what people want (customer orientation) rather than simply invent their product (product orientation);
- Understand the risks entrepreneurs take in raising finance to establish operations to manufacture their product and employing many people by creating roles within their organisation;
- Manipulate data and undertake financial, operational and HR-based calculations in order to present arguments that demonstrate the skills of application and analysis.
The Syllabus, Examinations and Assessment
This Wolsey Hall course is designed to prepare you for the Cambridge AL Business examinations which you will sit at a Cambridge exam centre. It is vitally important that you become familiar with the syllabus which can be found below:
READ – Syllabus 2023-25 (CAIE) Download READ – Syllabus 2023-25 (CAIE)
READ – Syllabus 2026-28 (CAIE) Download READ – Syllabus 2026-28 (CAIE)
The examination code for AS and A Level Business is: 9609
In addition to the two AS papers, which you may have taken in a previous exam series, for the AL in Business, you will sit two papers:
- Paper 3: Business Decision-Making – This paper is worth 30% of your overall A Level grade. Length: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
This paper carries 60 marks in total and candidates answer five questions based on a case study provided with the paper. Question 3 is divided into three parts and Question 4 is divided into two parts.
The questions are based on the AL level subject content AND knowledge of the material that you covered in your AS studies.
- Paper 4: Business Strategy – This paper is worth 20% of your overall A Level grade. Length 1 hour and 15 minutes.
This paper carries 40 marks in total and candidates answer two questions based on a case study provided with the paper.
The questions are based on the AL level subject content AND knowledge of the material that you covered in your AS studies.
All components are externally assessed.
The syllabus is examined in the June and November examination series. This syllabus is also available for examination in March for students in India only.
Assessment Objectives
The assessment objectives (AOs) for AS and A Level Business are as follows:
- AO1: Knowledge and understanding
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of business concepts, terms and theories.
- AO2: Application
Apply knowledge and understanding of business concepts, terms and theories to problems and issues in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar business situations and contexts.
- AO3: Analysis
Analyse business problems, issues and situations by:
- Using appropriate methods and techniques to make sense of qualitative and quantitative business information;
- Searching for causes, impact and consequences;
- Distinguishing between factual evidence and opinion or value judgement;
- Drawing valid inferences and making valid generalisations.
- AO4: Evaluation
Evaluate evidence in order to make reasoned judgements, present substantiated conclusions and, where appropriate, make recommendations for action and implementation.
Wolsey Hall offers a unique model of offline and online resources to our homeschooling students – a model which we have developed based on our many years’ experience of providing homeschooling courses to students.
Textbook
Each subject specialist team carefully selects the best textbook for you to use as you study. The textbook for your AL Business course is as follows:
Business for Cambridge International AS & A Level Coursebook with Digital Access, by Peter Stimpson & Alistair Farquharson (4th edition, Cambridge University Press, 2021); ISBN: 9781108921220
This textbook comes with digital access. Scratch the panel inside the front cover to reveal your access code, then follow the instructions to register your account with Cambridge University Press. You will then have access to a digital version of the whole textbook and an interactive glossary. You will also find answers and guidance for the activities in each chapter and for the exam-style questions at the end of each unit. The digital access is valid for two years, so we recommend registering only once you have started the course to ensure you retain access for the optimum amount of time in case you need to defer your exams for any reason.
Throughout the course, we recommend that you complete all of the questions and exercises in the textbook – the table below will highlight which pages you should read for each module.
Resources
In addition to your textbook, we have sourced a range of additional resources to support your learning. The resources are clearly marked out in the module pages and you should make use of these alongside your textbook to ensure that you get the very best out of your course.
You will also find a range of key resources in the General Resources section of the course. These are items which relate to the course as a whole, rather than to specific modules, and as such, you should make regular use of them. For AL Business these are:
- Business Learner Guide (CAIE)
- CAIE Specimen Papers and Mark Schemes for 2023
- Key Concepts for CAIE Business for AS & A Level
- Command Words for CAIE Business AS & A Level
- Assessment Objectives for CAIE Business for AS & A Level
- Textbook Answers
- Optional Further Reading List
- Useful Weblinks
You should also make use of the extensive exam preparation material at the end of the course to help you to prepare for your final examination.
All the files required for your course are uploaded onto our Learning Management System, Canvas. Once you have read through this page and downloaded the Programme of Study (POS) then you are ready to begin the course.
The key course content is covered in eight core modules, each of which has an assignment at the end of it. These modules will help you to get the most out of your textbook. Module Nine, at the end of the course, is focussed on revision and exam practice. It contains tips and tasks for you to work on once you have completed the course.
Each module is subdivided into topics so that you can study the course in manageable chunks. The topics contain the following elements, as appropriate:
- Read and Make Notes – this section includes the page references for the reading and the notes you need to take from your textbook.
- Tasks – here you will find activities and exercises that build on your core knowledge and understanding as you learn new material.
- Activities in the Book – you should complete the various activities and exam-style questions in the textbook as you work through the course. You can check your answers by looking in the digital textbook or in General Resources. We also recommend that you read and think carefully about the ‘Business in Context’ and ‘Business in Action’ These have been designed to be completed in pairs or groups, but you should still reflect on the scenarios and case studies provided to help you understand key ideas.
- Consolidate – here you will find resources which recap on key material.
- Reflect – in this section, we encourage you to carry out a self-evaluation exercise from the textbook to see how well you have understood the material covered before moving on.
- Links – throughout the course there will be links to a range of resources that will enhance your understanding of key concepts and will give you an opportunity to apply your knowledge. These include carefully selected video tutorials, online articles, podcasts and lectures which relate to topics in the textbook.
- End-of-Module Quizzes– these enable you test what you have learnt before you complete your assignment and move on to the next module. They are multiple-choice quizzes and can be completed as many times as you wish to ensure that you have fully understood all the material covered.
- Terminology – you will keep track of key business terminology by ticking new terms off on your glossary and making flashcards for revision as you progress through the course.
How Your Work is Assessed on the Course
Your progress will be assessed by completing an assignment at the end of each of the eight core modules. We recommend that you do NOT look at the assignments until you've studied all the topics in the module. This will ensure that you focus on everything you need to know for the exam. If you focus only on what you need to know to do well in the assignment, you will miss important elements in each module that you need to know and understand.
The assignments have been designed to help you prepare for your final examination. Answering exam-style questions is crucial in developing your exam technique, understanding exactly what the examiner is looking for in each case and ensuring you are confident when you tackle the real exams. For AS Business, we do not expect you to complete your assignments without referring to your notes. What is important is that you learn how to answer exam questions well, not (initially) how to do so under exam conditions. However, we encourage you to rely less on these as you progress through the course.
Success in answering AL Business questions depends very much on the skill of being able to answer in context and doing so will ensure that you gain AO2 marks for application. There are two ways of achieving this in a Business question.
Firstly, you can do this by manipulating data (undertaking calculations). Case studies often contain numerical information that allows you to calculate something. However, examiners rarely ask you directly to undertake a calculation, so many students do not. This approach is not a good idea; if the examiner has gone to the trouble of writing a case study that allows calculations to be undertaken, you need to ask yourself why. Simply put, if any calculation you can undertake from the case study will improve your answer, you should include it.
Secondly, you can do this by answering the question in context. This means ensuring your response is about the business in the case study (or another real business if you name it). Students often think that if they have used the business’ name in their answer that they are answering in context, but this is not the case. To answer in context, your answer has to be written in such a way that it can only be about that business. Your answer needs to avoid generic term such as ‘customer’, ‘market’, ‘supplier’, ‘product’, ‘marketing campaign’ and ‘competitor’. Instead, you should name the specific customer and what they may or may not buy, their specific market and any information you know about that market, their specific supplier and exactly what they supply, their specific product, where their marketing campaign will take place and who it is aimed at, and who their competitor is. All of this information will be in the case study. The next step is for your answer to be about the specific circumstances of the business or people mentioned in the case study. If the culture of the business is mentioned in the case study, or the opinions of people, then this information must be used too. Examiners read your answer, then read it again, but replacing the name of the business with that of another. If the answer still makes sense when applied to another business, then it cannot be in context.
The assignments allow you to think critically about what you have learned and will enable your tutor to see how well you are progressing. Your tutor will mark your assignments and provide you with detailed feedback. Once you have had your marked assignment returned, you will be able to access the mark scheme and/or a specimen answer (an A-grade piece of work). You should always reflect carefully on your tutor’s feedback and apply it in your future assignments.
You should read the assignment questions carefully and answer them to the best of your ability, providing relevant examples where necessary. If you don’t do well in your first assignment, don’t worry; your tutor is there to provide advice.
We ask that you do not submit multiple assignments at the same time. For you to see a steady improvement in your marks, it is very important that you reflect on your tutor’s feedback before beginning each new assignment, so that you can incorporate their tips for improvement into each new piece of work.
To get the best out of your course, before submitting each new assignment, you must:
- Complete all the reading, notes and activities in the preceding module;
- Read carefully through all of your tutor’s comments on your last assignment;
- Use the mark scheme and/or any exemplar or specimen answers provided to help you plan for the next assignment.
We cannot guarantee that tutors will be able to mark multiple assignments within 3-5 days and your work may be returned to you to complete again in light of more recent feedback.
All assignments are submitted via Canvas – you should consult the Canvas Guide for more information.
Optional Mock Exam Service
At the end of the course, you will have the chance to use our Optional Mock Examination Service to complete a full set of AL Business exam papers. These must be completed under examination conditions and will be marked by your tutor. They provide a good opportunity for you to test your subject knowledge and exam technique so you are well prepared for the examinations.
The Transition from AS to A Level - Some Tips
In order to study AL Business, you will need all of your notes and assignment feedback from the AS Business course as you will be building on topics you have already studied. N.B. If you took your AS Business exams in 2022 and have moved to the AL Business course for AL exams in 2023, then you will need to complete Bridging Modules One and Two as part of your AL course.
A lot more reading and research around the topics being studied will be required from you at AL, such as reading books written by well-known entrepreneurs and business theorists. Reading recommendations can be found in General Resources. You should also continue to follow business and technology news regularly, so you have real-life examples to draw on in your answers which will improve them greatly in terms of depth and detail.
As with AS, to get the most out of your course, it is very important you take the time to carry out the reading and activities from the textbook, complete all the tasks included in the module pages, and that you read and watch the additional materials provided in the links.
When you study a Wolsey Hall course, you are never alone. There are lots of people who are willing to help you. Everyone is on your side!
- Tutors: At Wolsey Hall, all our tutors are friendly and knowledgeable. They are subject experts and you should not be shy about asking them questions about your course. You will meet your tutor at the start of your course and you should contact them via Canvas messaging if you have any questions.
- Student Progress Managers: You have already been assigned a Student Progress Manager who can help with your Assignment Schedule.
- Exams Officers: Wolsey Hall’s Exams Officers are here to help students with any queries regarding exam centres.
- Canvas Help Desk: Canvas is a great virtual learning environment, but we understand that sometimes, even the best things can go wrong! If you have any problems with Canvas (e.g. uploading assignments or unable to access resources) you should submit a Canvas Help Ticket.
For information about how to create and submit a Help Ticket, please refer to the Canvas Guide.
We hope you’ll enjoy your course and studying at Wolsey Hall. We wish you the best of luck in your studies and success in your examinations. Please do let us know how you get on when you receive your examination results!
The Wolsey Hall Team