AP Business with Personal Finance Syllabus
AP Business with Personal Finance is an introductory, college-level business and personal finance course. Students explore the business disciplines of entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, accounting, and management through real-world business application, case studies, and project-based learning. In addition, students learn and apply all the National Standards for Personal Financial Education created by the Council for Economic Education and the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.
This course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester college introduction to business course and a one-semester college personal finance course.
Signature Projects
- Business Canvas Project (Units 1โ4) โ Students build a complete Business Model Canvas for their own business idea, including market research, financial projections, and a SWOT/Porter's Five Forces analysis.
- Financial Advisor Project (Unit 5) โ Students prepare and communicate financial advice for a fictional household covering budgeting, education funding, home-buying, and retirement.
Projects are completed in groups of 1โ3 students. Create or join your group, submit your Business Canvas link, and view assigned projects, deadlines, and your individual scores on the Project Groups page โ
| Course: | APยฎ Business with Personal Finance |
| Academic Year: | 2026โ2027 |
| Instructor: | Feng Gao |
| Email: | york@ghedu.com |
| Office: | ๆไฝ106 |
| First Day: | August 31, 2026 |
AP Classroom Join Codes
Sign in to myap.collegeboard.org and enter your section's join code to enroll online. Codes can be copied with one click.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand business fundamentals โ Explain how businesses create value, operate, compete, and make ethical decisions.
- Apply marketing concepts โ Analyze how businesses use market research, consumer behavior, and marketing strategies.
- Master personal finance โ Apply concepts of saving, borrowing, credit, debt, and investing.
- Analyze business finance โ Interpret financial statements and understand business accounting.
- Evaluate management strategies โ Use strategic frameworks like SWOT and Porter's Five Forces.
- Develop professional skills โ Demonstrate communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills.
Textbook
College-level Introduction to Business textbook.
Course Materials (Provided)
- Course and Exam Description (CED)
- Business Canvas Project Guide
- Financial Advisor Project Guide
- Business Case Handouts (by unit)
- Slides for each topic
- Vocabulary Review Materials
Supplementary Resources
- AQA Business past papers (additional practice)
- Business documentaries and case study videos
- Online financial calculators and tools
Business Cases by Unit
- Unit 1: Bombas, VANCL/ๅกๅฎข, Labubu, Copa Di Vino, Pop Mart, Patagonia, Ctrip, Zara
- Unit 2: HEYTEA, Luckin Coffee, ่ถ้ขๆฆ่ฒ, New Coke, Dyson, ๅ ๆฐๆฃฎๆ, Costco, Stanley, ่ฑ่ฅฟๅญ
- Unit 3: DK Coffee Lab (Parts 1โ3), Hershey (3.6), DCH (3.7), AANE (3.8), Yardley (3.9)
- Unit 4: Canva, BREAUX Capital, ExpressionMed, Square Meal Feeds
Case Study Videos
Each unitโs cases are paired with the video clips used in the course slides. Suggested use: play a 5โ10 minute clip, then identify the business concept it illustrates. Videos load only when scrolled into view.
Unit 1 โ Business Foundations
1.1 Bombas โ โBetter Socks, Bigger Missionโ
โBuy one, donate oneโ athletic socks. Gap, social enterprise, and riskโreturn (deal with Daymond John).
1.1 VANCL ๅกๅฎข โ โไบบๆฐๅฟซๆถๅฐโ
Affordable apparel e-commerce that grew huge, then collapsed โ a cautionary case.
1.1 ofo ๅฐ้ป่ฝฆ โ bike-share collapse
Dockless bikes everywhere, but upkeep cost more than revenue; burned through billions and collapsed in 2018โ19.
1.2 Cola vs Chinese Soda โ cost advantage
Why can Coca-Cola profit at 3 yuan a bottle while domestic sodas lose money at 7?
1.2 ๅพ็ฉ Dewu โ differentiation through trust
The same sneakers sell elsewhere for less, yet Dewu charges more โ authentication as the edge.
1.2 ๆตทๅบๆ Haidilao โ service advantage
The same hot pot, but legendary service that commands premium pricing.
1.2 ๅ ๆฐๆฃฎๆ Genki Forest โ marketing positioning
โ0 sugarโ positioning, KOL blitz, and ๆฅ็ณป packaging built a $15B brand.
1.2 ้่้ซ Zhong Xue Gao โ hype without substance
Premium ice cream (20โ60 yuan) via branding and social-media hype; no real differentiator, bankrupt 2024.
1.3 ๆฐไธๆน / ไธๆน็้ โ PESTEL pivot
Double-reduction policy forced a pivot to livestream commerce โ a legal/environmental factor reshaping a business.
1.3 Pop Mart / Labubu โ social trend
A toy whose viral social trend (collecting, sharing, status) created a Southeast Asian resale market.
1.3 Shein โ global fast-fashion giant
Ultra-cheap fashion across 150+ countries โ one of the worldโs most downloaded and controversial shopping apps.
1.4 Pop Mart โ how blind boxes began
From a small blind-box shop to a multi-billion-dollar company โ how a business idea originates.
1.4 Copa Di Vino โ rejected on Shark Tank
Single-serve premium wine; rejected by every shark twice, yet built a $60M+ business.
1.5 Patagonia โ values-driven company
A company that actually lives its environmental values. Mission-Driven Company (related โถ)
1.5 Seesaw Coffee โ abandoning vision
What remains of a specialty-coffee brand after it chases a price war?
1.6 ๆบ็จ Ctrip โ business ethics
When a business has the data to charge loyal customers more โ should it? (Big-data price discrimination.)
1.8 Supply Chain โ a century of evolution
ๅฐLin่ฏด case study on how modern supply chains developed (3.6M views).
1.8 Zara โ fast-fashion supply chain
How Zaraโs vertically integrated supply chain powers its speed-to-market.
Unit 2 โ Marketing
2.4 Dyson โ from vacuum revolution to global brand
Product innovation story illustrating the product life cycle and product-led growth.
2.5 Penetration Pricing Strategy
An explainer on how and why firms set low initial prices to gain market share.
2.5 Costco โ the $40M loss-leader chicken
Costco loses $40 million a year on its rotisserie chicken โ completely intentionally.
Each semester is graded independently using the same standard. The midterm assessment accounts for 40% of the semester grade and the final assessment for 60%. Each is composed as follows:
Midterm Assessment โ 40% of Semester Grade
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Attendance | 15% |
| Class Participation | 15% |
| Homework | 20% |
| Midterm Exam | 50% |
Final Assessment โ 60% of Semester Grade
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Attendance | 15% |
| Class Participation | 15% |
| Homework | 20% |
| Final Exam | 50% |
Late Work Policy
- 10% deduction per day late; maximum 50% after 3 days late.
- Exceptions made for excused absences and emergencies.
Course Schedule
This table follows the 2026โ27 pace as it is actually running: topics move at roughly two decks a week, so a week can carry two topics and a topic can spill into the next week. Units 1โ3 finish before the winter break โ 3.9 closes Unit 3 on Jan 5 and 4.1 opens Unit 4 in the same week โ which leaves the spring for the rest of Unit 4, Unit 5, the Financial Advisor Project and the mock-exam window in late April.
| Week | Dates | Topic / Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 31 โ Sep 4 | 1.1 What Is a Business? (Unit 1) |
| 2 | Sep 7โ11 | 1.2 Markets and Competitive Advantage |
| 3 | Sep 14โ18 | 1.3 PESTEL Factors |
| 4 | Sep 21โ24 | 1.4 How Business Ideas Originate |
| ๐ Mid-Autumn Festival โ Sep 25โ27 (No class) | ||
| 5 | Sep 28โ30 | 1.5 Vision; 1.6 Business Ethics; 1.7 Organization โ 1.1โ1.7 finished before the October break |
| ๐จ๐ณ National Day Holiday โ Oct 1โ7 (No class) | ||
| 6 | Oct 8โ9 | Monthly Exam |
| 6 | Oct 12โ16 | 1.8 Supply Chains โ Unit 1 Complete |
| 7 | Oct 19โ23 | 2.1 Marketing to Customers; 2.2 Consumer Behavior (Unit 2) |
| 8 | Oct 26โ30 | 2.3 Market Research; 2.4 Product โ through 2.4 by the end of October |
| 9 | Nov 2โ6 | 2.5 Price; midterm review |
| ๐ Midterm Exam Week โ Nov 6โ11 | ||
| ๐ Autumn Outing โ Nov 12 (No class) | ||
| 10 | Nov 9โ13 | Midterm exams and Autumn Outing โ no new topic |
| 11 | Nov 16โ20 | 2.6 Place and Channels; 2.7 Promotion โ Unit 2 Complete |
| 12 | Nov 23โ27 | 3.1 Saving; 3.2 Borrowing, Credit, and Debt โ Unit 3 Part 1 Complete |
| 13 | Nov 30 โ Dec 4 | 3.3 Accounting and Financial Management |
| 14 | Dec 7โ11 | 3.4 Business Expenses |
| ๐ Monthly Exam โ Dec 14โ18 (Monthly Exam Week) | ||
| 15 | Dec 14โ18 | Monthly Exam; 3.5 Financial Capital |
| 16 | Dec 21โ25 | 3.6 The Income Statement |
| ๐ New Year Holiday โ Jan 1 (No class) | ||
| 17 | Dec 28 โ Jan 1 | 3.7 The Balance Sheet and Net Worth; 3.8 The Cash Flow Statement |
| 18 | Jan 4โ8 | 3.9 Ethics and Financial Reporting (Jan 4โ5) โ Unit 3 Complete; 4.1 Management and Leadership (Jan 6โ8, Unit 4) โ semester content ends at 4.1 |
| 19 | Jan 11โ15 | Final Exam Week (Units 1โ3, through 3.9) |
| Winter Break: January 16 โ February 28, 2027 | ||
| 20 | Mar 1โ5 | 4.2 Evaluating Performance Using KPIs (Unit 4 Part 2) |
| 21 | Mar 8โ12 | 4.3 Strategy and Decision Making; 4.4 Strategic Frameworks (Porter's Five Forces, SWOT) โ Unit 4 Complete; Final Business Canvas due |
| 22 | Mar 15โ19 | Unit 5: 5.1 Taxes, Net Income, and Budgeting; 5.2 Managing Personal Risk |
| 23 | Mar 22โ26 | Unit 5: 5.3 Saving and Investing โ Unit 5 Complete; Financial Advisor Project workshop |
| ๐ฟ Spring Outing โ Mar 24โ26 (No class) ยท ๐ฟ Qingming Festival โ Apr 5 (No class) | ||
| ๐ Monthly Exam โ Mar 29 โ Apr 2 (Monthly Exam Week) | ||
| 24 | Mar 29 โ Apr 2 | Monthly Exam; Financial Advisor Project workshop |
| 25 | Apr 5โ9 | Financial Advisor Project presentations; Units 1โ5 review โ Financial Advisor Project due |
| โ | Apr 12โ23 | AP review window โ MCQ/FRQ practice, and any Unit 5 slack folds in here |
| ๐ Mock Exams โ Apr 26โ30 (Comprehensive Review) | ||
| 26 | Apr 26โ30 | Mock Exams and review of Units 1โ5; any slack left in the earlier weeks is folded in here |
| ๐ Labor Day Holiday โ May 1โ3 (No class) | ||
| โ | May 3โ14 | AP Business Exam |
| ๐ Final Exam Week โ Jun 7โ11 | ||
Key Dates
| Sep 30 | 1.1โ1.7 taught (late-September pace) |
| Oct 16 | Unit 1 completed |
| Oct 30 | Through 2.4 |
| Nov 20 | Unit 2 completed |
| Nov 27 | 3.1โ3.2 (Unit 3 Part 1) completed |
| Jan 5 | Unit 3 completed (3.9) |
| Jan 8 | Taught through 4.1 โ semester content ends |
| Jan 11โ15 | Final Exam (Units 1โ3, through 3.9) |
| Mar 12 | Unit 4 completed; Final Business Canvas Project due |
| Mar 26 | Unit 5 completed |
| Apr 9 | Financial Advisor Project due |
| Apr 26โ30 | Mock exams and comprehensive review |
| May 3โ14 | AP Exam |
Exam Window: May 3โ14, 2027
Fully digital exam via the Bluebook Testing App. Total duration: 2 hours 40 minutes.
| Section | Questions | Time | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I: Multiple Choice | 60 questions | 70 min | 60% |
| Section II Part A: FRQ 1 (Business Canvas Validation) | 1 question | 25 min | 15% |
| Section II Part B: FRQs 2โ4 | 3 questions | 65 min | 25% |
Skill Categories Assessed
- Concept Application โ Explain and apply business and personal finance concepts.
- Entrepreneurship โ Develop and assess business ideas, test hypotheses.
- Decision Making โ Analyze scenarios, evaluate alternatives, recommend actions.
- Communication โ Create written and visual communications for business purposes.
- Collaboration โ Work with others to accomplish business goals.