Cambridge designs the syllabus for about 360 guided learning hours for the full A Level, so the second year adds about 180 hours to the AS year. A Level students add topics 6.1 to 10.4, examined in Paper 3 (Business Decision-Making) and Paper 4 (Business Strategy), with the AS content treated as assumed knowledge. This scheme of work and pacing guide gives the A Level year 30 teaching weeks at about six hours a week. Every row links to the unit its lessons come from. The first year is covered in the Cambridge AS Level Business 9609 scheme of work and pacing guide. For the topic list and how each paper is weighted, see the 9609 syllabus guide.
Each row is one lesson from the 9609 A Level course unless it says “continued”. Where one of the quantitative skills lessons fits, the Lessons column says so, and the table after the notes lists its learning objectives. The lessons are editable PowerPoints with embedded video case studies, discussion questions and an exit ticket. They do not contain past paper questions; the review weeks are where you bring in the Cambridge specimen and past papers.
Week by week
| Week | Syllabus | Content | Lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.1 | External influences: political and legal | Unit 6 lessons |
| 2 | 6.1 | External influences: economic | Unit 6 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 2.4 (exchange rates) |
| 3 | 6.1 | Other external influences: social, technological, competitive, international, environmental | Unit 6 lessons |
| 4 | 6.2.1 | Developing business strategy: SWOT, PEST, Porter, Ansoff, decision trees and the other tools listed in the syllabus | Unit 6 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 4 (decision trees) |
| 5 | 6.2.1 | Developing business strategy continued | Unit 6 lessons |
| 6 | 6.2.2 | Corporate planning and implementation | Unit 6 lessons |
| 7 | Topic 6 | Review and Paper 4 essay practice | Unit 6 lessons |
| 8 | 7.1 | Organisational structure | Unit 7 lessons |
| 9 | 7.2 | Business communication | Unit 7 lessons |
| 10 | 7.3 | Leadership | Unit 7 lessons |
| 11 | 7.4 | Human resource management strategy | Unit 7 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 5 |
| 12 | Topic 7 | Review | Unit 7 lessons |
| 13 | 8.1 | Marketing analysis: elasticity, product development, sales forecasting | Unit 8 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 3 (elasticity and sales forecasting) |
| 14 | 8.1 | Marketing analysis continued | Unit 8 lessons |
| 15 | 8.2 | Marketing strategy | Unit 8 lessons |
| 16 | Topic 8 | Review and Paper 3 practice | Unit 8 lessons |
| 17 | 9.1 | Location and scale | Unit 9 lessons |
| 18 | 9.2 | Quality management | Unit 9 lessons |
| 19 | 9.3 | Operations strategy: lean production, ERP | Unit 9 lessons |
| 20 | 9.3 | Operations strategy continued: critical path analysis | Unit 9 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 4 (critical path analysis) |
| 21 | Topic 9 | Review | Unit 9 lessons |
| 22 | 10.1 | Financial statements | Unit 10 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 2.1 (profit and margins) |
| 23 | 10.2 | Analysis of published accounts | Unit 10 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 2.4 (financial ratios) |
| 24 | 10.3 | Investment appraisal: payback and ARR | Unit 10 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 2.5 (payback and ARR) |
| 25 | 10.3 | Investment appraisal continued: NPV | Unit 10 lessons Quantitative skills lesson 2.5 (NPV and the decision) |
| 26 | 10.4 | Finance and accounting strategy | Unit 10 lessons |
| 27 | Topic 10 | Review | Unit 10 lessons |
| 28 | 6.1 to 10.4 | Mock exam: Paper 3 and Paper 4 under timed conditions, using the Cambridge specimen papers; mark against the specimen mark schemes and feed back the following week | Complete bundle |
| 29 to 30 | 6.1 to 10.4 | Revision by weakness from the mock: Paper 3 case study practice (five questions, evaluation in the last parts) and Paper 4 practice (two 20-mark essays on a case study) | Complete bundle |
Notes on the order
The order follows the syllabus. Unit 6 opens the year because Paper 4 is two essays on business strategy and students need the 6.2 tools early enough to use them on every later topic. Investment appraisal (10.3) gets two weeks because the syllabus asks for the meaning, calculation and interpretation of three methods (payback, accounting rate of return and net present value) and then a comparison of them.
Lesson list and unit links: Cambridge A Level Business 9609. Complete course: A Level Complete Bundle, 18 lessons.
Quantitative skills lessons in this scheme
The nine quantitative skills lessons are a separate set from the A Level course lessons. Each is an editable PowerPoint with a formula slide for each concept, worked examples, guided and practice questions, a case study and an exit ticket, plus a Word answer key. This table shows where each one fits in the 30 weeks and which of its learning objectives, taken from the lesson itself, are A Level content. Lessons 1, 2.2 and 2.3 are AS content and sit in the AS scheme; bring them back in the revision weeks for Paper 3, which assumes the AS calculations.
| Week | Lesson | Syllabus | Learning objectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Lesson 2.4: Exchange rates and financial ratios | 6.1.2 exchange rate policies and the impact of changes on business |
The ratio sections of the same lesson come in week 23. |
| 4 | Lesson 4: Operations | 6.2.1 decision trees |
The capacity utilisation section is AS 4.3.1; critical path analysis follows in week 20. |
| 11 | Lesson 5: Human resources | 7.4.1 the measurement, causes and consequences of poor employee performance |
Students who followed the AS scheme met this lesson in weeks 7 and 16. Use the productivity, turnover and absenteeism questions as the measurement side of 7.4.1. |
| 13 | Lesson 3: Marketing | 8.1.1 elasticity: calculation of price and income elasticity of demand; 8.1.3 time series analysis |
The lesson teaches a three-point moving average. The syllabus specifies the four period centred moving average, so add that method alongside it. Promotional elasticity is not in the lesson. |
| 20 | Lesson 4: Operations | 9.3.5 network diagrams and Critical Path Analysis |
The lesson calculates float for non-critical activities; the syllabus distinguishes total float and free float, so name both when you teach it. |
| 22 | Lesson 2.1: Costs, revenue and profit | 10.1.1 statement of profit or loss: gross profit, profit from operations, profit for the year |
Cost and revenue objectives (the first three) are AS 5.4 and can be used as a recap. |
| 23 | Lesson 2.4: Exchange rates and financial ratios | 10.2.1 liquidity ratios; 10.2.2 return on capital employed; 10.2.3 financial efficiency ratios; 10.2.4 gearing ratio |
Gross profit margin and profit margin (10.2.2) are in lesson 2.1, week 22. The investment ratios in 10.2.5 (dividend yield, dividend cover, price/earnings) are not in the set. |
| 24 | Lesson 2.5: Investment appraisal | 10.3.1 the need for investment appraisal; 10.3.2 payback and accounting rate of return |
|
| 25 | Lesson 2.5: Investment appraisal | 10.3.3 net present value; 10.3.4 investment appraisal decisions |
|
Not in the set, so plan them from the course lessons or the textbook: the four period centred moving average and promotional elasticity in 8.1, total and free float as separate terms in 9.3.5, the investment ratios in 10.2.5, and the statement of financial position, inventory valuation and depreciation in 10.1.
All nine lessons, the free break-even lesson and what is in each one: Quantitative skills for Cambridge Business 9609. The set on TES: Cambridge AS and A Level Business 9609 Quantitative Skills.
Related
Cambridge A Level Business 9609 lessons. AS Level 9609 scheme of work for the first year. Preparing students for the 9609 exams.