This specification equips students with the practical knowledge, skills and understanding of modern business organisations, which will prepare them for employment, further education or training.  It is a vocational, Double Award course.  Materials to support all three units of the course are available on CD Rom.

Candidates have the opportunity to sit the Finance Unit 3 paper in both January and June.  If candidates take a January examination and re-sit in July they will be able to carry forward the best mark achieved. The current ICAAE GCSE in Applied Business (Double Award) (Specification B) builds upon the broad educational framework set out in the Applied GCSE criteria of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. It covers both Levels 1 and 2 of the National Qualifications Framework. The qualification is of an equivalent standard to two GCSE grades A*A* - GG.

The specification has been designed to equip students with practical knowledge, skills and understanding of modern business organisations, which will help prepare them for employment, further education and training.

Students will study three mandatory units:

Unit 1 - Investigating business
Unit 2 - People and business
Unit 3 - Business finance

Opportunities for developing Keys Skills are indicated within each unit.

The scheme of assessment consists of one tier covering the whole of the ability range GG - A*A*. To obtain an award students must submit a coursework portfolio (66 2/3%) and complete an externally set assignment (33 1/3%).

Units 1 and 2 will be assessed by means of a portfolio of evidence for each unit. The portfolio will be assessed and moderated by ICAAE.

Unit 3 will be assessed by an externally set assignment of 1½ hours, taken under examination conditions. This will be set and marked by ICAAE. The assignment will require students to complete a number of "in-tray" exercises and is designed to represent the typical work of the finance department of a business organisation.

Candidates have the opportunity to sit the Finance Unit 3 paper in both January and June. If candidates take a January examination and re-sit in June they will be able to carry forward the best mark achieved.