GCSE Business

GCSE Business encompasses two themes.

Theme 1 – Investigating a Small Business

This theme concentrates on the key business concepts, issues and skills involved in starting and running a small business. It provides a framework for students to explore core concepts through the lens of an entrepreneur setting up a business.

Theme 2 – Building a Business

This theme examines how a business develops beyond the start-up phase. It focuses on the key business concepts, issues and decisions used to grow a business, with an emphasis on aspects of marketing, operations, finance and human resources. It also considers the impact of the wider world on the decisions a business makes as it grows.

• Enterprise and entrepreneurship
• Spotting a business opportunity
• Putting a business idea into practice
• Making the business effective
• Understanding external influences on business
• Growing the business
• Making marketing decisions
• Making product decisions
• Making financial decisions
• Making human resource decisions

GCSE Business provides an ideal preparation for progressing to study the subject at A-level or as a BTEC qualification. It is also a very useful subject for those students interested in following a creative arts career that may involve them in establishing and running their own business.

Paper 1 – Theme 1

90 minutes 50% of marks

Section A: 35 marks

Section B: 30 marks

Section C: 25 marks.

The paper will consist of calculations, multiple–choice, short–answer and extended–writing questions. Questions in Sections B and C will be based on business contexts given in the paper. Calculators may be used in the examination

Paper 2 – Theme 2

90 minutes 50% of marks

Section A: 35 marks

Section B: 30 marks

Section C: 25 marks.

The paper will consist of calculations, multiple–choice, short–answer and extended–writing questions. Questions in Sections B and C will be based on business contexts given in the paper. Calculators may be used in the examination

Exam board : Edexcel 1BS0

You should be curious about how the world of business works and ready to make connections between what you can observe and experience of business and the GCSE course content. All students studying the GCSE programme are required to have an English language level of IELTS 5.0 or equivalent.

When is this exam available?

This exam is available in May/June every year.