02 Mar 2021
Key Facts
Qualification purpose
Prepare for further learning or training and/or develop knowledge and/or skills in a subject area
Qualification Grading Type
Pass/Merit/Distinction
Assessment Methods
Why choose this qualification?
The Pre-Access Certificate in Preparing for Further Study in Business is intended to support progression to an Access to HE Diploma in a related area.
The Certificate will provide learners with a firm foundation in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding of business, while at the same time giving them the opportunity to develop and practice their study skills. Individuals will have the chance to practise producing written work in the format expected when progressing to an Access to HE Diploma and to experience the same approach to assessment, making the learner better prepared for further study.
Each of the pre-Access qualifications has a single mandatory, graded unit which requires learners to complete an extended project in their chosen sector or subject. Learners can then choose the remaining units from a range of optional ungraded units, selecting those that match their interests and best fit with their planned progression route. They may also select a unit in effective learning skills, if they need an additional focus on these skills.
The Certificate and Diploma in Further Study in Business will support progression to Access to HE Diplomas including Business, Business and Information Systems, Business Management, Business Management and IT, Business Studies and Economics and Law and Business.
Rules of Combination
Learners must achieve a minimum of 25 credits with 6 credits taken from the Mandatory Group (M), and the remaining credits from the Optional Group (O).
Units
Learners must achieve the single mandatory unit totalling 6 credits.
Business Project
Learners must achieve a minimum of 19 credits from this group.
Budgeting and Managing Money
Business Ethics
Communication in Business
Customer Service
Effective Learning
Equal Opportunities, Prejudice and Discrimination
ICT for Business
Introduction to English Law
Introduction to Psychology
Introduction to Self-Employment
Introduction to Sociology
Law in Action: Tort
Leadership and Management for Business
Legal Requirements for Business
Planning a Career in Business
Promoting Products and Services
Rights and Responsibilities in the Workplace
Running an Enterprise Activity
The Marketing Environment
Understanding Business Organisations
Understanding Finance in a Business Context
Understanding Retail Consumer Law
What is the purpose of this qualification?
The primary purpose of this qualification is to support learner to progress to a higher level vocational qualification, specifically to an Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma relating to business. This qualification is designed for adult learners who are aspiring to higher education, lack the necessary qualifications to apply for a degree course but are not yet ready to embark on a preparatory Level 3 qualification, such as an Access to HE Diploma.
What skills, knowledge, or understanding does this qualification develop?
This qualification includes one mandatory unit:
• Business project
Learners must then select further units from a list of optional units. These include knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to all the possible progression routes from the Certificate, e.g.
• Understanding business organisations
• Business ethics
• Leadership and management for business
Learners can also choose units which are specific to the particular pathway you are planning, e.g.
• Promoting goods and services
• Understanding retail consumer law
• ICT for business.
Learners can also decide to take a unit, ‘Effective Learning’, which will give learners the opportunity to focus explicitly on developing the study skills learners will need to succeed on an Access to HE Diploma and on a degree course.
The minimum vocational content for this qualification is 84% (if learners choose to include the unit ‘Effective Learning’); the maximum is 100%.
How is this qualification different from other, similar qualifications?
The Certificate in Preparing for Further Study in Business is intended to support learners progression to an Access to HE Diploma in a related area. The Certificate will provide learner with a firm foundation in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding of business, while at the same time giving learner the opportunity to develop and practise your study skills. Learners will have the chance to practise producing written work in the format expected of learners when they progress to an Access to HE Diploma and to experience the same approach to assessment, making you better prepared for further study.
Depending on the combination of optional units that learners choose they could progress to an Access to HE Diploma in any of the following areas:
• Business
• Business and Information Systems
• Business Management
• Business Management and IT
• Business Studies and Economics
• Law and Business
There is a Level 2 Certificate and Diploma in Preparing for Further Study in Business.
Which sector does this qualification support?
This qualification is not intended to support progression to employment.
What are the progression options?
The Certificate in Preparing for Further Study in Business is intended to support learners progression to an Access to HE Diploma in a related area. The Certificate will provide with a firm foundation in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding of business, while at the same time giving individual the opportunity to develop and practise your study skills. Learners will have the chance to practise producing written work in the format expected of learners when they progress to an Access to HE Diploma and to experience the same approach to assessment, making you better prepared for further study.
Progression & entry requirements
There are no specific entry requirements, in the form of prior qualifications or levels of attainment, for this qualification. However, if at the start of your course you have not already achieved Level 2 English and maths (in the form of functional skills or GCSE), learners can expect to be offered the opportunity to include English and maths in your programme alongside the Certificate in Preparing for Further Study in Business. Learners must be aged 18 or over to take this qualification.Funding information
Learning Aims Search
The Hub provides a Learning Aims Search which you can use to check the funding status of any qualification or unit.
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Hub website
From 1st July 2021, the Hub will be replaced by a new Find a learning aim (FALA) service. This service is currently in BETA so if you experience any issues with finding funding details, please double check on the Hub above, or contact your account manager.
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Find a learning aim website
How to find a learning aim
If you’re not sure how to use the new find a learning aim website, we’ve created a handy walkthrough to help you:
How to Use: Find a learning Aim
We have done our best to collate and summarise the key information, and wherever possible we alert our providers to changes in funding policy.
This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.
The following support materials will help you to deliver this qualification.
Special Considerations and Reasonable Adjustment Forms