Summary of course content
The syllabus aims to enable candidates to:
- understand and appreciate the nature and scope of business, and the role of business in society, internationally and within each candidate’s own country
- develop 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 owner/ shareholder, manager, employee, customer, supplier, lender and government
- develop an awareness of the political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental and ethical issues associated with business activity
- develop quantitative, problem-solving, decision-making and communication skills.
All candidates for Cambridge International AS & A Level Business study the topics below. Candidates for Cambridge International A Level Business also study the highlighted topics:
- Business and environment
- Enterprise
- Business Structure
- Size of business
- Business objectives
- Stakeholders in a business
- Business structure
- Size of business
- External influences on business activity
- People in organisations
- Management and leadership
- Motivation
- Human resource management
- Human resource management
- Organisational structure
- Business communication
- Marketing
- What is marketing?
- Market research
- The marketing mix
- Marketing planning
- Globalisation and international marketing
- Operations and project management
- The nature of operations
- Operations planning
- Inventory management
- Operations planning
- Capacity utilisation
- Lean production and quality management
- Project management
- Finance and accounting
- The need for business finance
- Sources of finance
- Costs
- Accounting fundamentals
- Forecasting cash flows and managing working capital
- Costs
- Budgets
- Contents of published accounts
- Analysis of published accounts
- Investment appraisal
- Strategic management
- [No topics at AS Level]
- What is strategic management?
- Strategic analysis
- Strategic choice
- Strategic implementation
How the course is assessed
For Cambridge International AS & A Level Business, candidates:
1
– take two written papers (for the Cambridge International AS Level qualification)
2
– or follow a staged assessment route by taking two written (for Cambridge International AS Level qualification) in one series, then one additional written paper (for the Cambridge International A Level qualification) in a later series
3
– or take all three written papers in the same examination series, leading to the full Cambridge International A Level.
Guided Learning Hours
Guided learning hours give an indication of the amount of contact time teachers need to have with learners to deliver a particular course. Our syllabuses are designed around 180 guided learning hours for Cambridge International AS Level, and around 360 guided learning hours for Cambridge International A Level.
Required textbook
Cambridge International AS and A Level Business Coursebook, Peter Stimpson, Alistair Farquharson, ISBN 9781107677364. You can find the textbook here.
