Welcome to the official thread for A level Year 1 (AS) Business Studies (first exams in 2016).
Here you can discuss anything from revision tips to exam technique advice. Anything that's going to help the first students to take these new exams.
The structure of the new AS (Year 1) qualification is as follows:
Unit 1: What is business?
- Understanding the nature and purpose of business
- Understanding different business forms
- Understanding that businesses operate within an external environment
Unit 2: Managers, leadership and decision making
- Understanding management, leadership and decision making
- Understanding management decision making
- Understanding the role and importance of stakeholders
Unit 3: Decision making to improve marketing performance
- Setting marketing objectives
- Understanding markets and customers
- Segmentation, targeting and positioning
- Using the marketing mix
Unit 4: Decision making to improve operational performance
- Setting operational objectives
- Analysing operational performance
- Increasing efficiency and productivity
- Improving quality
- Managing inventory and supply chains
Unit 5: Decision making to improve financial performance
- Setting financial objectives
- Analysing financial performance
- Sources of finance
- Improving cash flow and profits
Unit 6: Decision making to improve human resource performance
- Setting human resource objectives
- Analysing human resource performance
- Improving organisational design and human resource flow
- Improving motivation and engagement
- Improving employer- employee relations
There will be 2 exams at the end of AS- Paper 1 and Paper 2. Their structure is as follows:
Paper 1- 80 marks, 1 hr 30 mins, Thurs 19th May
Section A:
10 multiple choice questions. Total marks= 10
Section B:
Approximately 4 short answer questions. Total marks= 20
Section C:
Data response question 1- one 9 mark analysis question and one 16 mark evaluation question. Total= 25 marks
Data response question 2- one 9 mark analysis question and one 16 mark evaluation question. Total= 25 marks
Paper 2- 80 marks, 1hr 30 mins, Tues 24th May
This paper consists of around 8 questions based on a single case study.
The format of the questions will vary but they'll be based on the following:
- 2-3 short answer questions requiring data interpretation/explanation of a concept. Total marks= 10
- 2 analysis 9 marks questions. Total marks= 18
- 3 evaluation 16-20 mark questions. Total marks= 52