Business Studies

Business 

Business studies aims to stimulate students’ interest in the business environment and how they interact with it. It develops skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that allow them to make informed and responsible decisions with all of the resources available to them, ensuring their and society’s well-being, while becoming more self-aware as learners.  

Junior Cycle Business 

The specification for junior cycle business studies focuses on improving students’ understanding of the business environment and on developing skills for life, work and further study through the three inter-connected strands: Personal finance, Enterprise and Our economy 

Personal finance  

Personal finance focuses on students developing a set of skills, knowledge and values that allows them to make informed decisions to effectively and responsibly manage their financial resources.  

Enterprise  

Enterprise encourages students to identify opportunities and turn them into practical and targeted activities within business and wider society through the development and application of their understanding, skills and values. It develops students’ basic understanding of the financial, marketing and operational functions of an organisation.  

Our Economy  

Our economy enables students to understand the dynamic relationship between the local, national and international economic situation. It develops students’ ability to identify and understand basic economic concepts as they relate to personal finance, enterprise and the Irish economy. While the learning outcomes associated with each strand are set out separately in this specification, this should not be taken to imply that the strands are to be studied in isolation. The students’ engagement and learning are optimised by a fully integrated experience of Personal finance, Enterprise and Our economy. To give further emphasis to the integrated nature of learning, the outcomes for each strand are grouped by reference to three elements:  

• Managing my resources 

• Exploring business 

• Using skills for business.  

Assessment: 

Junior certificate business studies is examined through two classroom-based assessments (CBA), one in second year and one in third year. The final examination paper is assessed at a common level at the end of third year and is two hours long. 

Leaving Certificate Business 

Leaving Certificate business creates an awareness of the importance of business activity and develops a positive and ethical attitude towards enterprise. The learning experiences in business develop students’ critical thinking, creative and organisational skills while enhancing literacy and numeracy skills using real-life examples. Business provides students with a learning foundation for a wide range of careers in business, marketing, law, enterprise and management.  

There are 7 core units covering the following topics: People in Business, Enterprise, Managing 1 and 2, Business in Action, Domestic Environment and International Environment. 

Assessment: 

Students are examined through one final examination at the end of 6th year. This examination will consist of short questions, a compulsory applied business question (ABQ) and long questions. The ABQ will assess 3 specific core units which students will be aware of at the start of 5th year.