CIE A level prefers generalised legal provisions or specific laws outlined?

Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) for a level is an international exam targeted worldwide. It does not prefer to check any local laws and specific country-based or state-based legal provisions. CIE A-level Business candidates are business students rather than law students. Thus, CIE searches business concepts rather than country / state based legal specifications. 

Note that: CIE A-level Business candidates might be only focusing on specific legal provision within a country but escaping to include the impact on a business. This might reduce their score to lower level. CIE A-level Business prefers to check understanding on generalised legal provision rather than specific legal provision within a country. However, CIE A-level Business candidates can exemplify specific legal provision to show his / her better understanding.

For a clear understanding, let's check some examples.

Example 1:

Partnership is an unincorporated business where two or more people undergo an agreement, verbal or written, with a motive to earn profit. The agreement outlines each partner’s investment, profit sharing ratio, responsibility, authority etc. Here, 'CIE a-level Business' prefers to check basic concept. That is, requirement of at least two partners for unincorporated legal structure as a partnership business. CIE a-level business does not prefer to check legal provision of maximum number of partners specific to a country’s law. 

It's also seen that CIE a level has not included limited liability partnership, a common legal structure under UK, in its A-level Business syllabus.

Example 2:

CIE prefers to check the concept of minimum wage rate in general. A business has legal constraint. It must provide minimum wage rage as outlined by law. It is the right of workers to earn minimum wage rage. UK has set minimum wage rate of £6.50 per hour for any workers of 21 years or above. US have variations in minimum wage rate in different states. For large employers in Minnesota State, minimum wage to be paid is USD 9.00 per hour and for small employers it is USD 7.25 per hour. 

Note that: CIE A-level Business does not prefer to check what UK law says or US law says. In fact, CIE wants to check CIE A-level Business candidates understanding on concept of minimum wage rate and its impact on business rather than specific legal outlines. It checks what happens if minimum wage rate is changed or if business moves to country with higher minimum wage rate. It might also check effect on workers’ rights for fixation of minimum wage rate. However, as mentioned above, A-level Business candidate can demonstrate conceptual understanding with illustration of real specific legal provisions.

Example 3:

CIE a-level business might prefer to check conceptual understanding on work time directives. Every country has developed work time directives including maximum working hours. UK has developed maximum working hours of 48 hours per week for adults.  In Netherlands, maximum working hour per day is 12 hours per day and maximum working hour per week is 60 hours. Business cannot enforce anyone to work beyond the limit outlined by work time directives without consent of relevant staffs. Even with consent, he / she has to be paid overtime pay which will be higher than normal pay.

Note that: CIE A-level Business prefers to check general concepts on work time directives and its impact on business and workers’ rights. It will not check specific work time limits in a country and specific overtime pay rate.

Example4:

CIE a level business might prefer to check concepts on age bar relating with availability of specific age groups in the market. There is restriction with regard to consumption of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes etc. for under-aged children. Even purchasing of some products might be limited with age bar. Business has to be conscious for age-bar-limiting product with the size of specific age range in the market. Age bar might vary in different country between 16 years to 21 years. UK and Australia takes age bar of 18 years to purchase alcohol or enter night bar. Pub or night clubs cannot serve people who are 17-year-old or below that.

Note that: CIE A-level Business prefers to check general theme on impact of age bar on business rather than specific age limit of a county. However, if A-level Business candidate explains concept with specific legal reference, it is considered good.

(To be continued... Next posting is coming soon.)