LNF Cymru Literacy and numeracy for Wales

← All qualifications

GCSE Business

GCSE Business asks learners to calculate and interpret costs, revenue, profit, break-even, cashflow forecasts and profit margins, and to collect, present and judge market research data in two NEA reports worth 40% together. Literacy centres on reading business sources, using business terms precisely and writing reasoned judgements in extended answers and reports. The single biggest thing Key Stage 3 should build is confidence with money calculations in a business setting, followed by a written sentence saying what the answer means for the business.

Awarding body
WJEC
Level
Level 1 and Level 2
First taught
September 2025
Amount of literacy work
Medium
Amount of numeracy work
High
Specification
Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1: Introduction to the Business World: Written examination 1 hour 15 minutes, 30%, 60 marks
  • Unit 2: Key Business Considerations: NEA 5 hours, 15%, 48 marks, set and marked by WJEC
  • Unit 3: Business Strategies for Success: Written examination 1 hour 15 minutes, 30%, 60 marks
  • Unit 4: Business Creation: NEA 8 hours, 25%, 60 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC

Skills that use Connectives and syntax

  1. Extended evaluative writing on business issues

    Assessed: In the exam and in coursework (NEA)

    Learners write short and extended answers that apply knowledge to business situations and reach judgements. AO3 (analyse, evaluate, judge) is 25% of the qualification across all four units.

    Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Connectives and syntax

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils write one paragraph explaining whether a new café would do well on Aberdare's Commercial Street, using 'because' and 'therefore' to link each reason to a result.
    Year 8
    Pupils write a two-sided answer on whether a local bakery should switch to eco-friendly packaging, giving an advantage, a disadvantage and a final judgement.
    Year 9
    Pupils answer a 'recommend' question on a short case study of a Rhondda Cynon Taf business, weighing two options against its aims and justifying one in a conclusion.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Section 3.1 Assessment objectives, AO3, page 39

    “Analyse, evaluate, or make judgements on business issues using business concepts, theories, and business data”
    Progression step 3

    • I can adapt my writing style and structure to suit the audience, purpose and context, e.g. suitable balance between facts and viewpoints, a precise conclusion.

    • I can use paragraphs and make links between them.

    • I can use an increasing range of connectives to organise my ideas in sentences, paragraphs and whole texts.

    Progression step 4

    • I can use summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.

    • I can organise and construct my writing effectively, connecting and developing my ideas for a range of different contexts.

    • I can use a range of connectives specifically when organising my ideas in whole texts for different purposes.

    Progression step 5

    • I can write extended pieces which include detailed evidence and information for different purposes and audiences within and across different disciplines.

    • I can organise writing in an appropriate form, ensuring content is detailed within and between paragraphs or sections, developing and sustaining ideas coherently.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

Appendix A (pages 45 and 46) maps all four literacy strands to every unit and the number system and statistics numeracy strands to every unit, with no geometry or measurement.

Source: WJEC GCSE Business specification, Version 4, September 2025 (teaching from 2025, for award from 2027).