BUS4A6 Financial Knowledge and Skills for Modern Business Assessment Brief 1 2025/26

1. Module Details

Module Name:	Financial Knowledge and Skills for Modern Business
Module Code:	BUS4A6
Level	4
Credit Value	30
Module Leader:	Dr Ashiq Zaman
Academic Year	2025-26

2. Assessment Structure

Item of Assessment:	Portfolio (Scenario & TCA)
Weighting:	This assessment is worth 70% of the module grade
Word Limit:	2,100 words equivalent
TCA Period:	w/c 1 December 2025
Submission Deadline:	Friday 5 December 2025, 3pm
Acceptable Formats for Submission:	Microsoft Word
Feedback and Provisional Grade 1:	Feedback and provisional grades will normally be due 15 working days after the submission deadline

3. Assessment 1 Details

3.1 Task

This portfolio consists of two tasks (1 and 2). Students are expected to read both tasks thoroughly and answer all the required questions in a structured and organised manner. The word length for this assessment is 2,100 words which excludes table of content, cover page, references and any appendices.

Task 1 Scenario (70 Marks – 1400 marks)

You are a financial analyst for an investment company that advises businesses and individuals on investment in the share market. Your line manager has asked you to select an FTSE 100 company from the following table and write a report to the company’s Board of Directors.

Ocado Group PLC	AstraZeneca	Tesco	Aviva PLC
JD Sports Fashion Plc	B&M European Value Retail	M&S	Next
GSK PLC	Sainsbury	Compass Group PLC	Shell PLC

Obtain a copy of the latest annual reports (2024) for the selected FTSE 100 Company.
Use these annual reports and other relevant information such as Regulatory News Service (RNS), Journals, and Newspaper articles to answer the following tasks:
You are required to use the financial statements in the annual reports of the company selected to:

1. Calculate and interpret the changes in the following key financial ratios for 2023 and 2024.

Profitability Ratio (Gross profit and Net profit ratios) (4 marks)
Liquidity Ratios (Current and Acid test ratios) (6 marks)
Efficiency Ratios (Inventory Turnover, Accounts Receivable and Accounts payable (9 marks)
Capital Structure and Investment Ratios (Gearing ratio, dividend cover ratio) (6 marks)

2. Detailed calculations should be done in Excel and shown in the appendix. (10 marks)

3. Using the ratios calculated above, comment on the company’s overall financial performance from 2023 to 2024. (8 marks)

Task 2: Computer-Based MCQ Assessment (30 marks, equivalent of 700 words)

– A 45-minute timed online quiz covering the following topics:
– Theoretical foundations of financial analysis
– Ratio interpretation scenarios
– Identification of appropriate financing methods
– Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements
– Interconnections within financial statements

Additional Information:

Use graphs and tables to present key findings.
Provide Excel screenshots in the appendices.
You should refer to the recommended sources for information within your course materials and beyond.
Apply the Harvard referencing style.
You may use bullet points, graphs, charts, and similar visual representations in the report.
The portfolio should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file.

Recommended Structure:

Cover Page
Table of contents (on a separate page)
Introduction
Calculation of financial ratio
Use of Excel to calculate financial ratio (Appendix)
Interpretation of financial ratio
Comments on the overall financial performance of the company
Analysis of key sources of finance
Identification and justification of the best sources for the company
Conclusion
Use of Harvard Referencing, Structure and Presentation
Reference list
Appendix

1.1 Submission requirements

You must submit your assignment by using the Turnitin gateway in the module’s Canvas site.

Please Note: When you submit you will be asked to confirm you have referred to the Submission Checklist (see Appendix 2) and the act of submitting your work electronically will be taken as an acceptance of the Declaration of Authorship (see Appendix 3 and Appendix 4). Guidance on Academic Integrity can be found on our Policies webpage.

If you are experiencing technical issues with submitting your work, you must email your Module Leader/Tutor, IT Services (ITSupport@bil.ac.uk) and the Assessment team (assessment.admin@bil.ac.uk) before the submission deadline with a copy of your work file attached. Your file will not be accepted if you do not do so.

You can find the Guide to Assessment Submission on our website.

4. Learning Outcomes for the assessment

This item of assessment covers the following learning outcomes. For the full list of learning outcomes for the module, please refer to the Module Study Guide.

Describe financial markets and institutions and essential financial products, and explain common financial terms used in modern businesses.
Interpret basic financial statements, make recommendations for financial planning, and prepare a financial budget.
Complete basic financial tasks using technological solutions where appropriate