Level 3 Financial Studies (1 A Level Equivalent)

Equivalent to 1 A Level

You will look at a range of topics such as short term to long term financial needs and investigating the personal financial life cycle recommending suitable financial products to meet individual needs. You will also look at the impact of debt on individuals and explore the ethical and sustainable nature of the financial services industry.

Units covered in this course are:

Unit 1

• The Purposes of Money
• The Personal Life Cycle
• Payment Methods
• Everyday Banking
• Savings Products
• Borrowing Products
• Providers
• Consumer Protection
• Budgets and Forecasts
• Dealing with Unexpected Events
• Dealing with Debt
• Earnings

Unit 2

• Needs, Wants and Aspirations
• Savings and Investment Products
• Borrowing Products
• Dealing with Long Term Risks
• Financial Planning
• Financial Planning and Informed Choices
• Dealing with Unforeseen Events
• Ethics and Sustainability
• Sources of Information and Advice
• Making an Informed Choice

Unit 3

• Personal Financial Sustainability
• How the State Can Help
• The Impact of External Factors
• Monitoring and Adapting Personal Financial Plans
• Good Debt, Bad Debt
• The Impact of Global Events and Ethics
• The Impact of Recent Changes

Unit 4

• Financial Service Providers
• Sustainability for Financial Service Providers
• Impact of External Factors on Financial Service Providers and the Products Offered
• Effectiveness of Marketing Materials Produced by Financial Service Providers
• Approaches by Financial Service Providers to Attract, Retain and Satisfy Consumers.
• Financial Market Segmentation and Product Development

Unit 1 January and Unit 2 May

Two exams per unit – Paper A is 35 multiple choice questions and Paper B is assessed by essay style questions based on a pre-issued case study.

5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including Maths and English

Attracts the same amount of UCAS points as an A level once the Diploma is completed in Year 2.

Degree Courses: such as Banking and Finance, Data Analysis, Economics and Finance, Business and Management, Marketing Management, Accountancy and International Business

Career progression: Business owner, Accountant, Analyst, Management Consultant, Marketing Manager, Economist, Investment Banker, Financial Controller, Financial Advisor.