Specification points

Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) Commerce 4CM1

101 points in 4 topics, with Edexcel's codes and titles.

Codes and titles are read by a script from Edexcel's published specification and have not been checked by a person. What each point covers is in the specification itself: Edexcel’s specification.

1 Commercial Operations

1.1 Production
1.1.1 Production
1.1.2 Factors of production
1.1.3 Industrial sectors and commerce
1.1.4 Division of labour
1.2 Buying and selling
1.2.1 Sources of buying in commerce
1.2.2 Costs associated with buying
1.2.3 Costs associated with selling
1.3 Commercial enterprises
1.3.1 Types of commercial enterprise
1.4 Retail
1.4.1 Functions of retailers, including services provided
1.4.2 Types of retailer
1.4.3 Location factors for retail outlets
1.4.4 Techniques in retail
1.4.5 Developments in retailing
1.4.6 Small retailers
1.4.7 Changes in the retail trade and the impact on businesses and individuals
1.5 Wholesale
1.5.1 Wholesalers’ role in the chain of distribution
1.5.2 Functions of wholesalers, including services provided
1.5.3 Types of wholesaler
1.5.4 Changes in wholesaling and their impact on manufacturers, retailers and consumers
1.6 Ecommerce
1.6.1 Characteristics of ecommerce
1.6.2 Effects of ecommerce
1.6.3 Ecommerce location factors
1.7 International trade
1.7.1 Benefits of international trade
1.7.2 International trade
1.7.3 Balance of trade and balance of payments
1.7.4 Trading blocs
1.7.5 Difficulties facing exporters
1.7.6 Multinationals

2 Commercial Risks

2.1 Insurance
2.1.1 Purposes of insurance
2.1.2 Insurance principles
2.1.3 Insurance business risks
2.1.4 Effecting insurance cover and renewal
2.1.5 Effecting a claim
2.2 Consumer protection legislation
2.2.1 Consumer protection
2.2.2 Complaints, faulty goods and poor quality goods or services
2.3 Trade
2.3.1 Trade protection
2.3.2 Exchange rates
2.4 Bad debts
2.4.1 Bad debts

3 Finance for Commerce

3.1 Financial institutions to support commerce
3.1.1 The role and function of different financial institutions for commercial operations
3.1.2 Banking services
3.1.3 Trends in banking
3.2 Sources of finance
3.2.1 Short-term finance
3.2.2 Long-term finance
3.2.3 The process of issuing shares and debt
3.3 Methods of payment
3.3.1 Methods of payment
3.4 Commercial calculations
3.4.1 Gross profit, net profit, mark-up and inventory turnover
3.5 Measuring commercial performance
3.5.1 Profit margins, expenses ratio and ROCE
3.6 Improving commercial performance
3.6.1 Methods to improve commercial performance

4 Aids for Commerce

4.1 Communications
4.1.1 Effective communication in commerce
4.1.2 Types of communication
4.1.3 Methods of oral communication
4.1.4 Methods of written communication
4.1.5 Methods of electronic communication
4.2 Transport
4.2.1 The importance of transport in the chain of distribution
4.2.2 Different forms of transport available to commerce
4.2.3 Modes of transport for each form of transport
4.2.4 The benefits to a business of having its own transport
4.2.5 Efficiency of different forms of transport
4.3 Warehousing
4.3.1 The role of warehousing
4.3.2 The types and functions of different types of warehouse
4.4 Promotion
4.4.1 The purpose of advertising and promotion in commerce
4.4.2 Main methods of advertising and promotion, appropriate to different purposes and contexts
4.4.3 Approaches to advertising
4.4.4 The role of social media
4.4.5 The impact of changing consumer preferences on advertising
4.4.6 The impact of technology on the advertising and the promotion
4.5 Trading documents
4.5.1 Trade documents in home trade
4.5.2 Completing trade documents
4.5.3 Interpreting trade documents
4.6 Types of consumer credit
4.6.1 Different types of credit available to consumers
4.6.2 Appropriateness of different forms of credit in different situations
4.6.3 Calculations of cost associated with different forms of credit – interest
4.7 Aids to exports
4.7.1 Sources of support when exporting