Entry Requirements: There are no specific entry requirements for this course.
Subject Area:
Certificate
Assessment:
Exam
Location:
Woldgate
Entry Requirements: As an Applied General qualification, the Certificate in Financial Studies (CeFS) provides a comprehensive introduction to personal finance. Its purpose is to prepare students for further study through the development of the core skills of critical analysis and evaluation, synthesis, verbal communication (through classroom discussion) and written communication.
Personal Finance CeFS develops the knowledge and skills required for young people to make informed financial decisions by introducing them to the risks and challenges involved in personal finance and the tools for effective planning.
Within this, it provides a solid basis for creating financial inclusion, by exploring social-economic trends and their relationship with an individual’s circumstances and attitudes.
Additional Course Information
There are two compulsory units that must be taken to achieve the qualification:
Unit 1 – Financial Capability for the Immediate and Short Term
- This unit highlights the importance of financial capability in meeting immediate and short-term financial needs. It introduces students to the financial services industry by focusing on the interaction between money, personal finance and the financial services market place.
- Students will gain an understanding of cash flow to meet immediate and short-term financial needs through balancing income against expenditure and will also gain an appreciation of the differentiation of financial products for savings and the key features of interest and charges on borrowing.
Unit 2 – Financial Capability for the Medium and Long Term
- This unit highlights the importance of planning for medium- and long-term financial needs, with particular reference to the importance of the need to budget for future aspirations and life events. It introduces students to the features of risks and reward in managing personal finances.
- Students will understand the features of different types of financial services product, how to make informed choices about these financial services products, and when, where and how they can get financial help and advice whilst gaining an appreciation of the differentiation of financial products for investment and borrowing, and the charges attached to them.
- Both units are assessed by written exam with a combination of multiple choice questions and longer written responses.
- The written paper for each unit synoptically assesses the students’ ability to integrate the skills, concepts and knowledge from the unit.
- The overall qualification will be graded A* – E.
- To achieve a pass, students must achieve a mark of 40% of the UMS in both units.
The financially related content of this qualification provides a foundation for continued study within the finance sector and a wide range of other business-related disciplines; many students go on to study subjects such as accounting, business, finance and banking at university or through further vocational training.
