Aqa as Business Studies

AQA AS Business Studies (5131)

The following pages are designed to help teachers and students as they prepare for the Unit 2 and 3 AQA examinations. The pages have been put together by practising teachers and examiners who are currently delivering the course. The pages are not an exhaustive guide but do offer an excellent insight into key topic areas relevant to the forthcoming examinations. It is highly recommended that students make use of the web links to the Times 100 website (www.tt100.biz) as this will offer excellent analytical material and background reading of relevant core topic areas, which is a distinct recommendation of chief examiners. (Page references quoted relate to The Times 100 edition 11)

As a reminder.

• 28% of the marks are for case study application (application marks)

• 28% of the marks are for knowledge (content marks)

• 24% of the marks are for analysis (analysis marks)

• Evaluation is worth the least marks but will be required

Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3

Knowledge 33% 28% 28%

Application 33% 28% 28%

Analysis 24% 24% 24%

Evaluation 10% 20% 20%

Total 100% 100% 100%

Knowledge

This is shown through precise, short definitions at the very start of your answer. This should be about the topic given in the question. An example:

Explain two possible benefits that XYZ Ltd might have gained from adopting simultaneous engineering.

‘Simultaneous engineering is doing two or more parts of a project at the same time so that the whole thing is completed more quickly.’

Application

This is about relating your answers to the scenario. This is not just using names. You really need to use facts and figures about the business, its’ product and its’ market.

To begin to deconstruct the scenario look at it at 3 levels:

• The business itself (is it large, small, financially strong, strong product portfolio?)

• The product (is it price elastic, is it of high quality, what is its USP?)

• The market (is it a seasonal product, how...