Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma In Business

PearsonBTEC Level 3 NationalDiploma inBusinessSpecificationFirst teaching from September 2016First certification from 2018Issue 4

PearsonBTEC Level 3 NationalDiploma in BusinessSpecificationFirst teaching September 2016Issue 4

Edexcel, BTEC and LCCI qualificationsEdexcel, BTEC and LCCI qualifications are awarded by Pearson, the UK’s largest awarding bodyoffering academic and vocational qualifications that are globally recognised and benchmarked.For further information, please visit our qualifications website at qualifications.pearson.com.Alternatively, you can get in touch with us using the details on our contact us page atqualifications.pearson.com/contactusAbout PearsonPearson is the world's leading learning company, with 35,000 employees in more than 70 countriesworking to help people of all ages to make measurable progress in their lives through learning.We put the learner at the centre of everything we do, because wherever learning flourishes, so dopeople. Find out more about how we can help you and your learners at qualifications.pearson.comThis specification is Issue 4. Key changes are sidelined. We will inform centres of any changes tothis issue. The latest issue can be found on our website.References to third-party material made in this specification are made in good faith. We do notendorse, approve or accept responsibility for the content of materials, which may be subject tochange, or any opinions expressed therein. (Material may include textbooks, journals, magazinesand other publications and websites.)ISBN 978 1 446 94519 3All the material in this publication is copyright Pearson Education Limited 2015

WelcomeWith a track record built over 30 years of learner success, BTEC Nationals are widely recognisedby industry and higher education as the signature vocational qualification at Level 3. They provideprogression to the workplace either directly or via study at a higher level. Proof comes fromYouGov research, which shows that 62% of large companies have recruited employees with BTECqualifications. What’s more, well over 100,000 BTEC students apply to UK universities every yearand their BTEC Nationals are accepted by over 150 UK universities and higher education institutesfor relevant degree programmes either on their own or in combination with A Levels.Why are BTECs so successful?BTECs embody a fundamentally learner-centred approach to the curriculum, with a flexible,unit-based structure and knowledge applied in project-based assessments. They focus on theholistic development of the practical, interpersonal and thinking skills required to be able tosucceed in employment and higher education.When creating the BTEC Nationals in this suite, we worked with many employers, higher educationproviders, colleges and schools to ensure that their needs are met. Employers are looking forrecruits with a thorough grounding in the latest industry requirements and work-ready skills suchas teamwork. Higher education needs students who have experience of research, extended writingand meeting deadlines.We have addressed these requirements with: a range of BTEC sizes, each with a clear purpose, so there is something to suit eachlearner’s choice of study programme and progression plans refreshed content that is closely aligned with employers’ and higher education needs for askilled future workforce assessments and projects chosen to help learners progress to the next stage. This meanssome are set by you to meet local needs, while others are set and marked by Pearsonso that there is a core of skills and understanding that is common to all learners. Forexample, a written test can be used to check that learners are confident in using technicalknowledge to carry out a certain job.We are providing a wealth of support, both resources and people, to ensure that learners and theirteachers have the best possible experience during their course. See Section 10 for details of thesupport we offer.A word to learnersToday’s BTEC Nationals are demanding, as you would expect of the most respected applied learningqualification in the UK. You will have to choose and complete a range of units, be organised, takesome assessments that we will set and mark, and keep a portfolio of your assignments. But youcan feel proud to achieve a BTEC because, whatever your plans in life – whether you decide tostudy further, go on to work or an apprenticeship, or set up your own business – your BTECNational will be your passport to success in the next stage of your life.Good luck, and we hope you enjoy your course.

Collaborative developmentStudents completing their BTEC Nationals in Business will be aiming to go on to employment, oftenvia the stepping stone of higher education. It was, therefore, essential that we developed thesequalifications in close collaboration with experts from professional bodies, businesses anduniversities, and with the providers who will be delivering the qualifications. To ensure that thecontent meets providers’ needs and provides high-quality preparation for progression, we engagedexperts. We are very grateful to all the university and further education lecturers, teachers,employers, professional body representatives and other individuals who have generously sharedtheir time and expertise to help us develop these new qualifications.Employers and professional bodies that have worked with us include:BarclaysJohn LewisLet’s Talk ShopNpowerPeter Jones FoundationThese qualifications have also been approved by the following professional bodies as suitablequalifications for learners wanting to progress onto their approved courses at the appropriate level.The professional bodies include:CIPD – Chartered Institute of Personnel & DevelopmentCIPS – Chartered Institute of Procurement and SupplyCMI – Chartered Management InstituteIn addition, universities, professional bodies and businesses have provided letters of supportconfirming that these qualifications meet their entry requirements. These letters can be viewed onour website.

Summary of Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Businessspecification Issue 3 and 4 changesSummary of changes made between previous issues and thiscurrent issuePagenumberAn additional section has been added which gives details on the Total QualificationTime (TQT) allocated to this qualification.Page 2In the summary of external assessment table, in the description for Unit 2:Developing a Marketing Campaign, the second bullet point has changed to ‘Learnerswill be given a context two weeks before a supervised assessment period to carry outresearch’.Page 14The third bullet has changed to: ‘The supervised assessment period is undertaken in asingle session of three hours.’The fourth bullet has changed to: ‘Submission completed using a computer’.In the summary of external assessment table, in the description for Unit 6: Principlesof Management, the second bullet point has changed to ‘Learners will be given a casestudy one week before a supervised assessment period, in order to carry outpreparatory work.Page 14The third bullet has changed to: ‘The supervised assessment period is undertaken in asingle session of three hours.’The fourth bullet has changed to: ‘Submission completed using a computer’.In Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Campaign, under the Summary Of Assessmentheading, paragraph one has been changed to:Page 31‘This unit is assessed under supervised conditions. Part A is released two weeksbefore Part B is scheduled for learners to carry out research. Part B is a supervisedassessment of three hours taken in a single session during the two-day periodtimetabled by Pearson. The assessment is set and marked by Pearson.’In Unit 4: Managing an Event, in the Assessment Criteria table, the words ‘of the’have been added to BC.D2 between ‘feasibility’ and ‘plan’.Page 53In Unit 5: International Business the word ‘internally’ has been changed to‘internationally’ in the Recommended Assessment Approach for learning aims A and B.Page 58In Unit 6: Principles of Management, under the Summary of Assessment heading,paragraph 1 has been changed to:Page 65‘This unit is assessed under supervised conditions. Part A is released one week beforePart B is scheduled for learners to prepare. Part B is a supervised assessment of threehours taken in a single session during the two-day period timetabled by Pearson. Theassessment is set and marked by Pearson.’If you need further information on these changes or what they mean, contact us via our website s.html.

ContentsIntroduction to BTEC National qualifications for the business sector1Total Qualification Time2Qualifications, sizes and purposes at a glance3Structures of the qualifications at a glance5Qualification and unit content7Assessment7Grading for units and qualifications9UCAS Tariff points91 Qualification purpose102 Structure123 Units16Understanding your units16Index of units194 Planning your programme2395 Assessment structure and external assessment241Introduction241Internal assessment241External assessment2416 Internal assessment243Principles of internal assessment243Setting effective assignments245Making valid assessment decisions247Planning and record-keeping2497 Administrative arrangements250Introduction250Learner registration and entry250Access to assessment250Administrative arrangements for internal assessment251Administrative arrangements for external assessment252Dealing with malpractice in assessment254Certification and results256Additional documents to support centre administration2568 Quality assurance2579 Understanding the qualification grade25810 Resources and support263Support for setting up your course and preparing to teach263Support for teaching and learning264Support for assessment264Training and support from Pearson265Appendix 1 Links to industry standards267Appendix 2 Glossary of terms used for internally-assessed units268