Cambridge Technical in Business

This vocational CTEC qualification covers a wide range of business topics and follows the Marketing pathway. Ten units are completed over two years, with 4 units being assessed externally through exams that are sat throughout the programme. This is a huge benefit for pupils as material is assessed soon after it is learned, rather than the entire course content being assessed at the end as is mostly the case with A levels and the IBDP.

The exam for Unit 1 (The Business Environment) is sat in the January of Poetry year (first year), followed by exams for Unit 2 (Working in Business) and Unit 3 (Business Decisions), which are sat in the summer of Poetry. This leaves just one formal exam for Rhetoric year (second year), sat in January, for Unit 15 (Change Management). Another benefit of the CTEC is that exams can be resat each exam series if pupils feel a second attempt would be advantageous.

The remaining 6 units - covering topics such as market research, communication and project management - are all internally assessed by teachers and then externally moderated by OCR. Pupils are taught the content required for each unit and then complete the coursework, following the unit specification, to meet the criteria for each element, as well as working towards delivering their own project for the final unit. There are 3 levels to each unit: Pass, Merit and Distinction. 

Pupils who follow this course become independent learners as they are required manage their own workload and meet ongoing deadlines, making it a great foundation for either a university degree, apprenticeship or entering the world of work.