AQA Business students who probably breezed through AS Unit 1 (a relaxing step down from legacy GCSE) and put in a more sustained effort to pass Unit 2 will need to raise their game for the two A2 units. The true challenge comes with BUSS4. But let’s look briefly here at BUSS3.
Unit 3 takes much of the content introduced in Unit 2 but increases the depth, adds some old favourites, and gives it a greater managerial focus.
For example, rather than simply learning about the individual elements of the marketing mix (Unit 2), students in Unit 3 need to take a much more decision-orientated and integrated approach:
• What are the marketing objectives?
• How are the objectives translated into a marketing plan?
• Should the business launch a new product?
• What does an analysis of a target market tell a business about whether it should try to enter the market?
• Can the business handle the organisational, financial and operational implications of a marketing strategy focused on growth?
Unit 3 has a key theme. The theme is objectives (functional and corporate) and decisions. The student is placed in the role of decision-maker - interpreting data, assessing the business objectives and their influence on the decisions taken and strategies pursued.
Unit 4 has the stronger focus on corporate or strategic objectives. So for Unit 3, the specification is predominantly about functional objectives and how these translate into functional decisions and strategies.
The nature of internal and external influences on functional objectives also features strongly – though the economic environment is predominantly covered in Unit 4.
It’s a neat approach, and one which allows the specification to push students into much greater depth on the four main functional areas (marketing, finance, operations & people) than was covered in Unit 2.
It also means that the numerical challenge is much tougher.
The Unit 3 specification provides plenty of scope for data calculations and analysis. For example, there is a step change in the requirements for financial analysis and interpretation.
At AS level, students covered cash flow management and basic profitability issues without going within a country mile of any proper financial statements (a pretty daft omission – but there we go). In Unit 3, students are thrown head-first into balance sheet interpretation, ratio analysis and more. That may be a bit of culture shock for many year 13 business students – a good reason to allow plenty of question practice.
The data sets in the specimen papers already issued for AQA Unit 3 contain many appendices that will challenge the candidates (similar to legacy unit 4). So practice at interpreting financial and non-financial data (+ building student ability at spotting the links between data sets) will also be vital.
The other major change from AS Unit 1 &2 is the nature of the businesses likely to be covered in the case study.
Whilst the Unit 1 exam case studies have so far felt more like “Noddy & Big Ears Start a Smoothie Shop”, then at least Unit 3 will allow students to get their teeth into more established businesses. Firms with a varied product range, multi-location operations and international activities are likely to feature. The business issues will be more complex; the functional objectives set may be in conflict with each other. At last, business students will be into problem-solving - which is what real managers in real businesses do all day long!
Unit 3 will be a 1 hour, 45 minute paper, accounting for 50% of the A2 unit marks and 25% of the A Level in total.
At their recent CPD days, AQA have explained that there will be four questions on the Unit 3 paper, although some questions may be split into two parts.
The final question on the paper will ask the student to use the evidence in the case study to recommend a strategy for the case study business.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright Tutor2u All Rights Reserved www.tutor2u.net