BUSINESS STUDIES – GCSE
Awarding Body: OCR
Course Code: J204
QAN: 603/0295/1 – Click here for further information
OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
GCSE in Business equips students with the skills and confidence to explore how different business situations affect decision-making. They develop their understanding of concepts, objectives and terminology, and the impact of contemporary issues on business operations. The qualification is linear, meaning that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course.
CONTENT AND ASSESSMENT
Paper 1 – 1 hour 30 minutes exam out of 80 marks worth 50% of total GCSE
Business Activity – In this section, learners explore how and why businesses start and grow.
Marketing – In this section, learners explore the purpose and role of marketing within business and how it influences business activity and the decisions businesses take.
People – In this section, learners explore the purpose and role of human resources within business and how it influences business activity and the decisions businesses take.
Paper 2 – 1 hour 30 minutes exam out of 80 marks worth 50% of total GCSE
Operations – In this section, learners explore what business operations involve, their role within the production of goods and the provision of services, and how they influence business activity.
Finance – In this section, learners explore the purpose of the finance function, its role in business and how it influences business activity.
Influences on business – In this section, learners explore the importance of external influences on business and how businesses change in response to these influences.
The interdependent nature of business – In this section, learners will need to use content from both component 01 and component 02 to make connections between different elements of the subject. They will need to draw together knowledge, skills and understanding from different parts of the GCSE course and apply their knowledge to business decision making within a business context.
Both papers consist of a combination of multiple choice, short, medium and extended response style questions. The short, medium and extended response style questions use stimulus material that draws on real business contexts.