IGCSE Business Studies

In the IGCSE Business Studies course you will learn what makes business tick. You'll discover the issues that need to be considered when setting up, and the roles that marketing, human resources and financial planning play in its initial success. In addition, you'll learn about the day to day operations of business and explore the techniques and methods available for successful management.

As you progress in learning about business basics, you'll use the terminology, concepts and methods of business effectively and be able to recognise the strengths and limitations of these ideas.

Throughout the business course you will use a critical approach to distinguish between facts and opinion and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data to help build arguments and make informed judgements.

By the end of the IGCSE Business Studies course you will be able to appreciate the range of different stakeholder perspectives in relation to business activities. Knowing these fundamentals can have a very real effect on your prospects for a career in business.

Business Activity and the Changing Environment

• This unit covers the various objectives of a business, changing business environments and criteria for judging success. The focus is on the importance of having clear business objectives and how the business environment provides opportunities for, and imposes constraints upon, the pursuit of these objectives.

Human Resources

• This unit looks at people in organisations, focusing on their roles, relationships and management in business. You will focus on the importance of internal organisation and understand the functions of key departments, analysing their relationships and interdependence. The focus will also be on understanding the roles and responsibilities of employees in terms of compliance and accountability.

Accounting and Finance

• This unit explores the use of accounting and financial information as an aid to decision making. The focus is on understanding the main types of internal and external sources of finance for business organisations and the factors which influence the decision to use a particular source of finance in a given situation. You will be able to understand the purpose and content of the trading account, the profit and loss account and the balance sheet, and how the financial information they provide can be used to assess business performance.

Marketing

• This unit focuses on identifying and satisfying customer needs in a changing and competitive international environment. The focus will be on understanding the terms: market, market orientation, product orientation, marketing, market segments, market share and market research, and analysis of the role that each plays in the identification and satisfaction of customer needs in a changing and competitive market. The unit will also cover the main elements of the marketing mix and how they combine to satisfy customer needs in a changing and competitive environment.

Production

• This unit examines the way organisations use and manage resources to produce goods and services. The focus of the unit is on understanding how production, cost and decision making are related. The unit will also cover areas such as economies of scale, methods of production, productivity and quality. By the end of the unit you will be able to understand the term productivity and the methods and technology which can be used to increase it.

This course will prepare you to sit the Edexcel IGCSE Business Studies exam.

An IGCSE in Business Studies will give you vital skills that can lead onto A Level and further studies in Business Studies, and could lead to a career in one of its associated fields. If you want to enter or progress in employment, you'll find your IGCSE Business Studies will demonstrate to employers that you have the ability to commit to learning, and have acquired good reasoning and analytical skills.

You don't need any previous experience or qualifications to enrol in our IGCSE Business Studies course.