Overview
Want to become an entrepreneur? Find marketing fascinating? Great with numbers? Whether you see yourself becoming the next Elon Musk or the Chancellor of the Exchequer, our AQA-accredited A-level Business course will give you the skills you need to blossom in the business world!
In this engaging A-level Business online course, you'll develop a critical understanding of different business forms, the markets they serve and the process of adding value. You'll gain the tools and information required to understand how businesses are founded, managed and become successful. This course will also benefit anyone wishing to start their own company or become a leader in an organisation.
What you'll learn
This module will give you a foundation of the nature and purpose of business, developing your understanding of common business objectives and different forms of business. You’ll cover the difference between sole traders, public limited companies and the private sector while understanding that businesses operate within an external environment which can affect cost and demand.
All great businesses are made up of teams led by great managers! So, this section of the A-level Business course will teach you exactly what a manager does day-to-day and how effective decision making and leadership styles impact a business.
To be successful in business, you need to be able to do marketing research and set objectives so that you can improve performance. This module will teach you all about how developments in technology influence decision-making and marketing activities, giving you the data to make decisions on targeting, segmentation and sampling.
This section will teach you how to increase efficiency and labour productivity by setting operational objectives and analysing performance. You will learn about ethical and environmental influences on operational decisions and understand how decisions in operations improve the competitiveness of a business.
Now it’s time to learn about how decisions in finance improve the competitiveness of a business. You will learn about all the factors that influence financial decisions. You’ll also understand the concept of a return on investment, the distinction between cash flow and profit and the difference between gross profit, operating profit and profit for the year.
Motivation is key to employee engagement and this is managed through human resources. Decisions in human resources, such as changing the ways of working (such as teleworking), are implemented based on several internal and external influences which you will learn about at this point of the Business A-level syllabus. You’ll also cover human resource objectives, which include employee engagement and involvement, talent development, training and diversity.
For a business to grow, it needs a clear mission, corporate objective and strategy. In this module, you’ll discover how to assess the impact of strategic positioning by understanding Porter’s five forces; particularly, you’ll focus on the implications of these forces for strategic and functional decision making and profits.
This module teaches how to choose markets to compete in, what products to offer, and the factors influencing those decisions. You’ll learn about the reasoning behind selecting different strategic directions based on factors such as market penetration and development and diversification.
Next, you will learn about the value of innovation and product and process innovation types that support strategies for business growth. This section also covers the reasons for targeting, operating in and trading with international markets. You’ll cover the methods of entering international markets, such as exporting and licensing.
Finally, you will learn about the reasons for and problems of changing organisational culture and how to effectively implement a strategy for change. This module will cover the types of change in business, which can be internal or external, incremental or disruptive and teach you how to manage the outcomes of organisational change.
Extra info
Awarding Body
AQA qualifications are internationally recognised and taught in 30 countries around the world, highly valued by employers and universities and enable young people to progress to the next stage of their lives. AQA qualifications suit a range of abilities and include GCSE courses, IGCSE courses and A-level courses.
Recognised through UCAS
This course carries UCAS points. This means that it can be used to gain direct access to University courses and other Higher Education, through the UCAS system.
Course Outcome
Upon successful completion of this home learning course, you will receive an A-level in Business (7132), issued by AQA, the leading awarding body. Your certificate is identical to that issued to students at any other school, college or university.
How is this course assessed or examined?
You can enrol now for A-level Business examinations for Summer 2024.
You'll be required to complete three standard A-level written exams:
- Paper 1: 2 hours, 33.3% of A-level, 100 marks.
- Paper 2: 2 hours, 33.3% of A-level, 100 marks.
- Paper 3: 2 hours, 33.3% of A-level, 100 marks.
These exams contain a mixture of short and long answer questions and extended response questions.
Entry requirements
A general education up to GCSE level or equivalent is recommended for this Business A-levels course. This is an online course, so you will also need access to the internet. This course is a difficulty level three: the equivalent difficulty of an A-level or BTEC, usually suitable for most learners of all ages.
