Foundation academic-business practice pack

Practice material. The café, its figures and the sources are fictional and were written by LSBUK for practice. This is not an ATHE assessment or marking scheme.

Step 1: ask one focused question

Why does demand at a small café fall on rainy weekdays? A focused question is easier to answer well than a broad one such as "how does weather affect business?"

Step 2: take notes from sources

Record each point in your own words and note where it came from. In this example the sources are the café's till records for four weeks, local weather records and a short article on footfall.

Step 3: build one evidence-based paragraph

Part	Example
Claim	Rain appears to reduce weekday walk-in demand more than weekend demand.
Evidence	Till records show weekday sales were about 30% lower on rainy days, compared with 10% lower at weekends.
Explanation	Weekday customers may be passing commuters who avoid stopping in the rain.
Limitation	Four weeks of data from one café is a small sample, and other factors (such as school holidays) were not controlled.
Reference	Every source listed in full, in one consistent style.

Step 4: check it with a practice rubric

This is an illustrative self-review checklist, not an awarding-body marking scheme.

Criterion	Developing	Secure	Strong
Claim	Vague	Clear	Clear and directly answers the question
Evidence	General statements	Specific figures	Specific figures, correctly interpreted
Explanation	Missing	Present	Links the evidence to the claim logically
Limitation	Missing	Mentioned	Explained, with what would make the evidence stronger
Referencing	Missing	Present	Complete and consistent

Step 5: keep a progression record

Before relying on the diploma for your next course, record the exact award (ATHE Level 3 International Foundation Diploma in Business, 610/3256/6), the receiving course and what its provider confirmed in writing. A receiving university must confirm whether the award meets the requirements of the course you want.

Field guide