Courses
Accounting (ACC) – NCEA Level 1
Minimum Entry Standard: None, though Year 10 Business Studies provides an introduction.
Level 1 Accounting introduces basic accounting processing, financial statements and decision making. Processing is covered through the Accounting cycle – journals, ledgers, bank reconciliations and balance day adjustments. Income Statements, Balance Sheets (Statement of Financial Position), budgets and basic Cash Flow Statements are constructed from the Trial Balance and other data. Students analyse Financial Statements through ratios and percentages and interpret these to explain the consequences for a business. The context is mainly the sole proprietor. A set of accounts for a Club or Society alongside a Treasurer’s report are also produced.
Level 1 Accounting is suitable for those wishing to study Accounting or other Commerce subjects in the future and for students who want a basic understanding for running their own business. Accounting introduces some of the language and concepts that are essential for running a successful business such as profitability, liquidity and cashflow.
Course Content: refer to the senior curriculum handbook to review the achievement standards offered in this course
Progression on to NCEA Level 2: To study Accounting at Level 2 it will be necessary to have achieved 16 credits in Level 1 Accounting which must include ACC 1.3, or upon negotiation with the HOD Commerce. Students who have achieved NCEA Level 1 endorsed with Excellence including Mathematics and/or Economics endorsed with Excellence will be considered.
FAQ:
Please refer to the FAQ panel below.
Economics (ECO) – NCEA Level 1
Minimum Entry Standard: None, although Year 10 Business Studies does provide an introduction.
Level 1 Economics provides an introduction to important concepts such as Opportunity Cost, Economic decision making, Producer decisions, Interdependence, Supply, Demand and Market Equilibrium. The course focuses on micro-economic issues taken from the perspective of individual consumers and producers. It builds on the concepts studied in Year 10 Business Studies, but is also suitable to be taken by students with no prior knowledge. Level 1 Economics is suitable for anyone interested in gaining an understanding of the interactions within New Zealand markets and how this affects the wider society.
Course Content: refer to the senior curriculum handbook to review the achievement standards offered in this course
Progression on to NCEA Level 2: To study Economics at Level 2 it will be necessary to have achieved 15 credits in Level 1 Economics or by negotiation with the HOD Commerce. Some students who have not studied Economics at Level 1 but have achieved highly in other subjects and have a proven work ethic may apply to enter Level 2 Economics.
FAQ:
Please refer to the FAQ panel below.
Accounting (ACC) – NCEA Level 2
Minimum Entry Standard: 16 credits in Level 1 Accounting including ACC 1.3, or in negotiation with the HOD Commerce. Students who have achieved NCEA Level 1 endorsed with Excellence, including Mathematics and/or Economics endorsed with Excellence may apply to the HOD Commerce.
Level 2 Accounting builds on the skills and knowledge from Level 1. Students complete more complex financial statements. Processing of transactions is studied through the use of Xero computer Accounting software. There is also an emphasis on Management Accounting and internal control methods and procedures. Inventory and Accounts Receivable subsystems are analysed. Analysis and decision-making is developed and expanded. Skills learnt in Level 2 Accounting are used widely in Level 3 Accounting.
Course Content: refer to the senior curriculum handbook to review the achievement standards offered in this course
Progression on to NCEA Level 3: To study Accounting at Level 3 it will be necessary to have achieved 15 credits in Level 2 including ACC 2.3, and ideally at least 7 credits at Merit level. Students who achieve NCEA Level 1 Accounting endorsed with Excellence but did not complete Level 2 may apply to the HOD for entry.
FAQ:
Please refer to the FAQ panel below.
Business Studies (BUS) – NCEA Level 2
Minimum Entry Standard: Level 1 NCEA including a minimum of 12 credits in English.
The Level 2 Business Studies course provides students with the knowledge of how to operate a business enterprise within New Zealand. The business achievement standards will take students through the steps of carrying out market research, business planning, carrying out and reviewing a business activity within a community context. Students will also learn about external influences on businesses. As part of the course students will be introduced to Barista training. This will help them run a café as their business activity and provide skills useful for future employment.
Course Content: refer to the senior curriculum handbook to review the achievement standards offered in this course
Progression on to NCEA Level 3: This course leads to Level 3 Business Studies but is not a prerequisite.
FAQ:
Please refer to the FAQ panel below.
Economics (ECO)– NCEA Level 2
Minimum Entry Standard: 17 credits in Level 1 NCEA Economics or in negotiation with the HOD Commerce. Students who have achieved NCEA Level 1 endorsed with Excellence will be considered.
Level 2 Economics builds on the ideas introduced in Level 1 but also introduces a number of new concepts and economic models. The course focuses on macroeconomic issues such as Growth, Inflation, Unemployment and International Trade. How Government policies impact on these issues will also be looked at. The Achievement Standards will be taught as six units of work (including an introductory concepts unit). Level 2 Economics is suitable for anyone who wishes to know more about the New Zealand Economy or who may want to study Commerce subjects in the future.
Course Content: refer to the senior curriculum handbook to review the achievement standards offered in this course
Progression to NCEA Level 3: To study Economics at Level 3 it will be necessary to have achieved a minimum of any 16 credits in Level 2 Economics. Students who have achieved NCEA Level 2 endorsed with Excellence will be considered.
FAQ:
Please refer to the FAQ panel below.
Accounting (ACC) – NCEA Level 3
Minimum Entry Standard: 16 credits in Level 2 Accounting including ACC 2.3, including at least 7 credits at Merit level. Students who achieve NCEA Level 1 Accounting endorsed with Excellence but did not complete Level 2 may apply to the HOD for entry.
Level 3 Accounting continues to build on the skills and knowledge from Level 2. Formation and accounts for Partnerships are studied. The main context is Companies. Students cover the formation of a Company, Company specific balance day adjustments (dividends, tax, asset revaluations) and financial statements (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, Notes to the Accounts). Within the Concepts unit, a publicly listed Companies Annual Report is studied through the application of The Accounting Framework and Statutory reporting requirements. Accounting processing for a Manufacturing business is completed and decision making using Cost-Volume-Profit analysis.
Level 3 Accounting provides an excellent background for first year University Accounting courses and a first year Accounting paper is compulsory in most Commerce Degrees. Accounting develops not only technical skills but also problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Course Content: refer to the senior curriculum handbook to review the achievement standards offered in this course
FAQ:
Please refer to the FAQ panel below.
Business Studies (BUS) – NCEA Level 3
Minimum Entry Standard: 16 credits in Level 2 Business Studies or NCEA Level 2 with a minimum of 12 credits in English and 12 credits in Mathematics.
The Level 3 Business Studies course is based around the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES). It is assessed by completing Achievement Standards throughout the year. The Young Enterprise Scheme is a vocational course which aims to develop experiential knowledge of running a business. As a Company, students will be expected to elect Directors, raise capital, carry out market research, prepare and present a business plan, develop a product, have a product launch, participate in trade fair, market and sell their products, complete a Company Annual Report and review their success. This course requires students to be self-directed and the teacher’s role is to facilitate and provide advice when appropriate. Students also complete two external examinations focusing on the issues faced by modern businesses operating in a global environment.
Course Content: refer to the senior curriculum handbook to review the achievement standards offered in this course
FAQ:
Please refer to the FAQ panel below.
Economics (ECO)– NCEA Level 3
Minimum Entry Standard: 16 credits in NCEA Level 2 Economics or by negotiation with the HOD Commerce.
Level 3 Economics involves an in-depth look at the basic supply, demand and markets covered in Level 1, as well as further development of key macro-economic issues such as inflation, trade, growth and employment covered in Level 2. It adds the analysis of consumer and producer surplus to determine whether a market is allocatively efficient, and the impact of government intervention. These same ideas are also covered when looking at government intervention to correct market failure, as well as when analysing profit for firms operating in different market structures, such as perfect competition and monopoly. Micro-economics concepts, such as price elasticity, marginal utility and diminishing returns are also included. Level 3 Economics provides an excellent background for first year university Economic courses.
Course Content: refer to the senior curriculum handbook to review the achievement standards offered in this course
FAQ:
Please refer to the FAQ panel below.
FAQ:
1. I only did Business Studies at Year 9. Am I disadvantaged when starting Year 11 Economics and Year 11 Accounting?
Although it would be ideal that you have completed the Year 10 Business Studies, all Level 1 Courses in Commerce assume that you have no experience in these courses and therefore begin with the basics in each course so no student is disadvantaged.
2. In Year 10 Business Studies, what do we learn? Does it help for Year 11 Economics and Year 11 Accounting?
The Year 10 Business Studies course is designed so that students will receive a taster in all subjects (Economics, Accounting and Business Studies) accumulating in the ‘Trade Fair’ at the end of the year. The Trade Fair experience is a Level 1 Business Studies assessment and students are able to obtain 6 credits on the successful completion of this task.
3. I have just completed the Year 10 Business Studies and are trying to choose between Year 11 Economics and Year 11 Accounting? Which one should I choose?
We would recommend that the student determines which course in Year 10 Business Studies they enjoyed the most or were the most comfortable doing. It may be possible to switch courses in Year 12, but please review the comment above regarding that. Students can choose to study both Economics and Accounting.
4. Is there a lot of crossover between Economics and Accounting?
No. There is almost no crossover. They both look at very different parts of the Commerce world and complement each other.
5. If I had to choose one between Year 11 Economics or Year 11 Accounting, which subject is best suited for Year 12 Business Studies?
Either subject is suitable for Year 12 Business Studies as the skills in both courses are transferable. We would recommend that the student determine which course in Year 10 Business Studies they enjoyed the most or were the most comfortable doing.
6. If I don’t do Year 11 Economics or Year 11 Accounting, can I do Year 12 Economics, Accounting or Business Studies?
Year 12 Business Studies:
Achieving NCEA Level 1 is the entry requirement for Year 12 Business Studies, however it would be an advantage to have completed the Year 10 Business Studies course. If either of the Year 11 Economics and Year 11 Accounting have been completed then these provide additional background that is useful for Business Studies.
Year 12 Economics:
If you have not completed the Year 11 Economics requirements, you will need to have a discussion with the HOD Commerce in terms of preparation for this course over the summer holidays. To pick up Economics successfully at Level 2 we would expect students to have achieved Level 1 with Merit or higher and to have achieved well in English and/or History.
Year 12 Accounting:
Year 11 Accounting is usually required as Level 2 carries on from Level 1 and this is the most challenging of the three Commerce subjects to pick up in Level 2. There will be significant work to catch up on in your own time if you do not have this background. To successfully pick up Level 2 Accounting we would expect a very high Level of academic achievement in Level 1 NCEA and we would look at English, Maths and Economics (if relevant) results. If you have not completed the Year 11 Accounting requirements, you will need to have a discussion with the HOD Commerce in terms of preparation for this course over the summer holidays.
7. Is there a practical component for Year 12 and Year 13 Business Studies?
Yes, in Year 12 Business Studies you would be running the café and have the opportunity to learn how to make coffee. This practical component of the course is worth 9 Level 2 credits. In Year 13, students will be completing the Young Enterprise Scheme course, where students will be running their own business, with guidance. This part of the course is worth 9 Level 3 credits.
8. Can I do all three Commerce subjects in Year 12 and Year 13?
Yes. This can be an advantage to you in terms of the transferable skills between the subjects. A number of past students have been very successful in all three subjects.
9. Can I pick up Year 13 Accounting/Economics/Business Studies?
Year 13 Business Studies:
Entry to Level 3 Business Studies is achieving Level 2 NCEA. You do not need to complete Accounting, Economics or Business Studies at Level 1 or 2 though they provide additional background that is useful for Business Studies. Business Studies offers cross-curricula study that allows students to use their own specialized talents in a business setting and, as working as part of a team.
Year 13 Economics:
Students can apply to the HoD for entry. Recommended background would be successful completion of Level 1 Economics and a high Level of achievement in a Level 2 language rich subject.
Year 13 Accounting:
Students can apply to the HoD for entry. We would expect students to have completed Level 1 Accounting with at least 14 Merit or Excellence credits including the ‘Statements’ achievement standard.
10. Can I get UE in Year 13 Business Studies doing just the Internally based credits?
Yes. The Internally assessed component of the course, which is two Internal achievements (9 and 6 credits respectively) allows you to have University Entrance for this subject (14 credits is needed for a UE subject, there are no rules as to whether they have to be Internal or External credits).
11. Do I need to study Economics or Accounting at school to study them at University?
No. You can pick them up at University but this is true for most subjects including Foreign Languages, humanities like Geography and History, and even some Sciences. However, like these other subjects, studying them at school is an advantage as it allows you to try them before you commit to University study and it will help you achieve better results in these subjects in your first year at University.
12. Are Commerce subjects any use if I don’t plan to study Commerce at University?
Yes, as they introduce you to the Business world. Many students will follow a path to Business Management and ownership, whether it be a Plumbing firm, an Art Gallery or a GP practice. Commerce subjects introduce students to the language of Business. Accounting teaches the financial jargon and concepts of Business such as profitability and liquidity, and practical skills like record keeping on financial software and managing inventory, and the ability to understand an Income Statement and a Balance Sheet. Economics gives a perspective on the wider economic world view allowing students to critically analyse Government policies and their impact on our country and our inter-relationships with other countries. Business Studies gives students an opportunity to have practical Business experiences and to learn from doing.