Business Management - National 5

SCQF Framework

SCQF Level: 5

SCQF Credit Points: 24

Skills Framework

Delivering Centre

Vale of Leven Academy

Purpose and Aims

The course highlights ways in which organisations operate and the steps they take to achieve their goals. It enables candidates to understand and make use of business information to interpret and report on overall business performance, in a range of contexts.

The course enables candidates to develop:

  • knowledge and understanding of the ways in which society relies on business to satisfy needs and wants
  • an insight into the systems organisations use to ensure customers’ needs are met
  • enterprising skills and attributes
  • financial awareness, in a business context
  • an insight into how organisations organise their resources for maximum efficiency and to improve their overall performance
  • an awareness of how external influences impact on organisations

Recommended Entry

It would be beneficial if candidates have achieved the fourth curriculum level or the National 4 Business course or equivalent qualifications and/or experience prior to starting this course.

Progression

This Course or its Units may provide progression to:

  • Higher Business Management course
  • other qualifications in business management or related areas
  • further study, employment, and/or training

Career Options

Further Information

BBC Bitesize

Course Content

The course comprises five areas of study:

Understanding business

Candidates are introduced to the business environment while developing skills, knowledge and understanding of enterprise, and the role of different types of business organisations in society. They also learn about the internal and external environments in which organisations operate, and the role of stakeholders in business.

Management of marketing

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding of the importance to organisations of having effective marketing systems. They learn about the processes and procedures organisations use to maintain competitiveness, and how marketing can be used to communicate effectively with consumers, maximising customer satisfaction.

Management of operations

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding of the importance to organisations of having effective operations systems. They learn about the processes and procedures used to maintain quality through the effective management of suppliers, inventory, and methods of production in an ethical manner.

Management of people

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding of the issues facing organisations when managing people. They learn about the theories, concepts and processes relating to human resource management, and how employees contribute to the success of organisations.

Management of finance

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding of the issues facing organisations when managing finance. They learn about the basic theories, concepts and processes relating to financial aspects of business, when preparing and interpreting information to solve financial problems facing organisations.

Course Assessment Structure

Question paper 90 marks

The question paper gives candidates the opportunity to demonstrate:

  • applying knowledge and understanding of business concepts, some of which may be relatively complex
  • using data handling techniques to interpret straightforward business information
  • interpreting and analysing straightforward business information
  • evaluating straightforward business information to draw conclusions

The question paper has 90 marks, which represents 75% of the overall marks for the course assessment. The question paper has two sections.

Section 1 has 40 marks (consisting of two 20-mark questions) based on two pieces of stimulus material. Sub-questions may range in value from 1–5 marks. In general, questions assess decision-making, and the application of knowledge and understanding, and can sample course content from any of the five areas of study. The stimulus material is based on real organisations and can be in the form of text, financial information, graphs, diagrams or charts. The questions generally relate to the stimulus, although some questions may be based on topics surrounding the stimulus material.

Section 2 has 50 marks (consisting of five 10-mark questions). Sub-questions may range in value from 1–4 marks. In general, questions assess the application of knowledge and understanding, and each samples from one of the five different areas of study.

Candidates have 2 hours to complete the question paper.

Assignment 30 marks

The assignment gives candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to:

  • select an appropriate business topic
  • research and gather suitable business data/information/evidence relating to the context of the topic, from a range of sources
  • apply knowledge and understanding of business concepts to explain and analyse the key features of the topic
  • draw valid conclusions and/or recommendations to make informed business judgements and/or decisions
  • produce an appropriately formatted business report suitable for the purpose, intended audience and context of the assignment

The assignment has 30 marks, which represents 25% of the overall marks for the course assessment. Marks for the assignment are awarded for:

  • background information (4 marks)
  • research methods and sources (6 marks)
  • findings, analysis and interpretation (12 marks)
  • conclusion(s)/recommendation(s) (6 marks)
  • collating and reporting (2 marks)

The assignment is conducted under some degree of supervision and control and is marked externally by the SQA. The assignment is designed to be completed over a notional period of 5 hours. This includes time for research and producing the final business report.