Edexcel A-Level Business
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Course 9BS0Official specification (opens in a new tab)
Course version · 9BS0Version from Sept 2015Change version
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82 topics
Marketing and people24 topics
- The market4 objectives
- Market research5 objectives
- Market positioning4 objectives
- Demand1 objective
- Supply1 objective
- Markets2 objectives
- Price elasticity of demand5 objectives
- Income elasticity of demand4 objectives
- Product/service design2 objectives
- Branding and promotion5 objectives
- Pricing strategies3 objectives
- Distribution2 objectives
12 of 24 shown
Managing business activities18 topics
- Internal finance3 objectives
- External finance2 objectives
- Liability2 objectives
- Planning3 objectives
- Sales forecasting3 objectives
- Sales, revenue and costs2 objectives
- Break-even6 objectives
- Budgets4 objectives
- Profit3 objectives
- Liquidity2 objectives
- Business failure1 objective
- Production, productivity and efficiency3 objectives
12 of 18 shown
Business decisions and strategy22 topics
- Corporate objectives2 objectives
- Theories of corporate strategy4 objectives
- SWOT analysis1 objective
- Impact of external influences3 objectives
- Growth2 objectives
- Mergers and takeovers5 objectives
- Organic growth3 objectives
- Reasons for staying small1 objective
- Quantitative sales forecasting3 objectives
- Investment appraisal5 objectives
- Decision trees3 objectives
- Critical Path Analysis4 objectives
12 of 22 shown
Global business16 topics
- Growing economies4 objectives
- International trade and business growth3 objectives
- Factors contributing to increased globalisation8 objectives
- Protectionism3 objectives
- Trading blocs2 objectives
- Conditions that prompt trade4 objectives
- Assessment of a country as a market1 objective
- Assessment of a country as a production location1 objective
- Reasons for global mergers or joint ventures5 objectives
- Global competitiveness3 objectives
- Marketing3 objectives
- Niche markets3 objectives
12 of 16 shown
Quantitative skills1 topic
Accounting ratios1 topic
Assessment and exam guidance
Assessment Objectives
AO1
20%-22%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
AO2
22%-24%Apply knowledge and understanding to various business contexts to show how individuals and organisations are affected by and respond to issues
AO3
28%-30%Analyse issues within business, showing an understanding of the impact on individuals and organisations of external and internal influences
AO4
26%-28%Evaluate qualitative and quantitative evidence to make informed judgements and propose evidence-based solutions to business issues
Exam Structure
Pearson Edexcel A-Level (9BS0)
Paper 1: Marketing, people and global businesses
2h
Duration
100
Marks
35%
Weighting
Paper 2: Business activities, decisions and strategy
2h
Duration
100
Marks
35%
Weighting
Paper 3: Investigating business in a competitive environment
2h
Duration
100
Marks
30%
Weighting
Tips and common mistakes
Common Exam Mistakes
Pitfalls to avoid in your exams
- •Confusing the size of the market with the firm's share of it, so a rise in sales is reported as a rise in share even when the whole market grew faster
- •Treating a specialist market as simply a small one, when the defining feature is a customer need the large sellers do not meet
- •Listing textbook benefits of branding without tying any of them to the case firm's prices, loyalty or ability to resist a discounter
- •Describing online selling as simply cheaper, ignoring picking, delivery and returns costs that can swallow the saving on premises
- •Writing about change in general terms with no reference to the extract, which limits the answer to knowledge marks
- •Assuming innovation always raises profit, when imitation is quick, patents expire and development spending may never be recovered
- •Working mechanically through all five forces with no weighting, when only one or two of them bite in the case
- •Assuming competition is always bad for the business, ignoring that rivalry can grow the whole market and drive out waste
Top Examiner Tips
Expert advice for exam success
- •Share and size usually appear as a short calculation followed by an interpretation sentence, so convert to a percentage and then say what it tells you about the firm's position
- •In longer questions comparing the two approaches, build the argument round margin against volume and end with a judgement that depends on the firm's cost base and cash
- •These questions often supply a chart of market growth, so quote a figure and a direction before starting the analysis
- •In evaluation, separate short run disruption from long run positioning and say which matters more for this firm given its cash position
- •The paper rarely names Porter, so you are expected to bring the framework yourself and use only the parts that fit
- •For assess and evaluate, argue which force is strongest for this business and justify the ranking with numbers or quotations from the extract
- •This often appears as a short explain question early in the paper and then returns inside longer questions on investment and expansion
- •Use it as an evaluation tool anywhere: qualify a forecast in the extract by asking whether the assumption behind it can be given a probability
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