Edexcel A Level Business Tutors Online

Edexcel A Level Business is code 9BS0, and its full title is the Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Business. First teaching was September 2015 and first certification was 2017. This page works from Issue 1, dated September 2014.

The qualification is structured into four themes and consists of three externally examined papers, and students must complete all assessment in May and June in any single year.

The themes come in two pairs, and the pairing matters because the papers follow it. Theme 1, Marketing and people, covers meeting customer needs, the market, marketing mix and strategy, managing people, and entrepreneurs and leaders. Theme 2, Managing business activities, covers raising finance, financial planning, managing finance, resource management, and external influences.

Theme 3, Business decisions and strategy, develops the concepts introduced in Theme 2, and covers business objectives and strategy, business growth, decision making techniques, influences on business decisions, assessing competitiveness, and managing change. Theme 4, Global business, develops the concepts introduced in Theme 1, and covers globalisation, global markets and business expansion, global marketing, and global industries and companies, including multinational corporations.

Paper 1 is Marketing, people and global businesses, code 9BS0/01. It is externally assessed, available in May and June, first assessed in 2017, and worth 35% of the total qualification. Questions are drawn from Themes 1 and 4, and from local, national and global contexts. The duration is 2 hours and there are 100 marks available.

Paper 2 is Business activities, decisions and strategy, code 9BS0/02. It is worth 35% on the same terms. Questions are drawn from Themes 2 and 3, and from local, national and global contexts. The duration is 2 hours and there are 100 marks available.

So Paper 1 pairs Theme 1 with Theme 4, and Paper 2 pairs Theme 2 with Theme 3. Each paper takes one theme that introduces a set of concepts and one that develops a different set, which means a student cannot revise one paper as the marketing paper and the other as the finance paper.

Paper 3 is Investigating business in a competitive environment, code 9BS0/03. It is worth 30% of the total qualification, with a duration of 2 hours and 100 marks available. Questions are drawn from local, national and global contexts, and the paper assesses content across all four themes.

Paper 3 is organised around a pre-released context. A context document is issued on Pearson's website in November of the previous year, a new context is given to centres each year, and it relates to the examination series for the following summer. The context will focus on a broad context, such as an industry or market in which businesses operate.

The Paper 3 question paper is in two sections. The first section focuses on the broad context provided, which is outlined to centres through the pre-released document. The second section focuses on at least one strand within the context provided, such as a particular business. Each section contains unseen stimulus materials comprising quantitative and qualitative evidence, and students must apply their knowledge and understanding from Themes 1, 2, 3 and 4 and their understanding of the broad context to that evidence.

There is a restriction attached to the pre-release that catches students out. Students cannot take any of their research or investigation data carried out as part of the pre-release into the examination. The context is meant to be understood rather than carried in.

All three papers are structured the same way, and the structure leaves no room for choice. Each paper comprises two sections, and students answer all questions from both sections. Sections A and B each comprise one data response question broken down into a number of parts, including one extended open response question. Even the extended response is compulsory, because it sits inside the data response question rather than being chosen from a list.

The assessment objectives are four, and analysis is the largest. AO1, demonstrate knowledge of terms, concepts, theories, methods and models to show an understanding of how individuals and organisations are affected by and respond to business issues, is 20 to 22 per cent. AO2, apply knowledge and understanding to various business contexts to show how individuals and organisations are affected by and respond to issues, is 22 to 24 per cent. AO3, analyse issues within business showing an understanding of the impact on individuals and organisations of external and internal influences, is 28 to 30 per cent. AO4, evaluate qualitative and quantitative evidence to make informed judgements and propose evidence-based solutions to business issues, is 26 to 28 per cent.

Analysis and evaluation together carry more than half the qualification, and knowledge is the smallest objective. A student who can define terms and describe a business model but cannot analyse an issue or propose a supported solution will not reach the higher grades, because most of the marks sit past that point.

The breakdown shows Paper 3 leaning hardest on analysis and evaluation. Paper 1 is 6 to 8 per cent AO1, 7 to 9 per cent AO2, 9 to 11 per cent AO3 and 8 to 10 per cent AO4. Paper 2 is identical. Paper 3 is 5 to 7 per cent AO1, 5 to 7 per cent AO2, 9 to 11 per cent AO3 and 9 to 11 per cent AO4. So the paper worth 30% carries the highest share of both AO3 and AO4, and the lowest share of AO1 and AO2.

The qualification is graded and certificated on a six grade scale from A* to E using the total subject mark, and individual papers are not graded. The first certification opportunity was 2017, and students whose level of achievement is below the minimum judged by Pearson to be of sufficient standard receive an unclassified U result.

On codes: the qualification number is 601/4673/4 and the subject code is GCE 9BS0. The paper codes are 9BS0/01, 9BS0/02 and 9BS0/03. The discount code printed in Appendix 5 is 3210.