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.
| Course: | AP® Business with Personal Finance |
| Academic Year: | 2026–2027 |
| Instructor: | Feng Gao |
| Email: | york@ghedu.com |
| Office: | 文体106 |
| First Day: | August 31, 2026 |
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
College-level Introduction to Business textbook.
Each unit’s cases are paired with the video clips used in the course slides. Suggested use: play a 5–10 minute clip, then identify the business concept it illustrates. Videos load only when scrolled into view.
“Buy one, donate one” athletic socks. Gap, social enterprise, and risk–return (deal with Daymond John).
Affordable apparel e-commerce that grew huge, then collapsed — a cautionary case.
Dockless bikes everywhere, but upkeep cost more than revenue; burned through billions and collapsed in 2018–19.
Why can Coca-Cola profit at 3 yuan a bottle while domestic sodas lose money at 7?
The same sneakers sell elsewhere for less, yet Dewu charges more — authentication as the edge.
The same hot pot, but legendary service that commands premium pricing.
“0 sugar” positioning, KOL blitz, and 日系 packaging built a $15B brand.
Premium ice cream (20–60 yuan) via branding and social-media hype; no real differentiator, bankrupt 2024.
Double-reduction policy forced a pivot to livestream commerce — a legal/environmental factor reshaping a business.
A toy whose viral social trend (collecting, sharing, status) created a Southeast Asian resale market.
Ultra-cheap fashion across 150+ countries — one of the world’s most downloaded and controversial shopping apps.
From a small blind-box shop to a multi-billion-dollar company — how a business idea originates.
Single-serve premium wine; rejected by every shark twice, yet built a $60M+ business.
A company that actually lives its environmental values. Mission-Driven Company (related ▶)
What remains of a specialty-coffee brand after it chases a price war?
When a business has the data to charge loyal customers more — should it? (Big-data price discrimination.)
小Lin说 case study on how modern supply chains developed (3.6M views).
How Zara’s vertically integrated supply chain powers its speed-to-market.
Product innovation story illustrating the product life cycle and product-led growth.
An explainer on how and why firms set low initial prices to gain market share.
Costco loses $40 million a year on its rotisserie chicken — 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:
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Attendance | 15% |
| Class Participation | 15% |
| Homework | 20% |
| Midterm Exam | 50% |
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Attendance | 15% |
| Class Participation | 15% |
| Homework | 20% |
| Final Exam | 50% |
| Week | Dates | Topic / Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 31 – Sep 4 | 1.1 What Is a Business? (Unit 1) |
| 2 | Sep 7–11 | 1.2 Markets and Competitive Advantage |
| 3 | Sep 14–18 | 1.3 PESTEL Factors |
| 4 | Sep 21–24 | 1.4 How Business Ideas Originate |
| 🌙 Mid-Autumn Festival — Sep 25–27 (No class) | ||
| 5 | Sep 28 – Oct 2 | 1.5 Vision; 1.6 Business Ethics |
| 6 | Oct 8–9 | Monthly Exam |
| 🇨🇳 National Day Holiday — Oct 1–7 (No class) | ||
| 6 | Oct 12–16 | 1.7 Organization; 1.8 Supply Chains — Unit 1 Complete |
| 7 | Oct 19–23 | 2.1 Marketing to Customers (Unit 2) |
| 8 | Oct 26–30 | 2.2 Consumer Behavior |
| 9 | Nov 2–6 | 2.3 Market Research — Midterm Exam |
| 📝 Midterm Exam Week — Nov 6–11 | ||
| 🍂 Autumn Outing — Nov 12 (No class) | ||
| 10–11 | Nov 16–27 | 2.4–2.7 Product, Price, Place, Promotion — Unit 2 Complete |
| 12–13 | Nov 30 – Dec 11 | 3.1 Saving; 3.2 Borrowing, Credit, Debt (Unit 3 Part 1) |
| 14–16 | Dec 14–31 | 3.3–3.8 Accounting, Financial Statements — Unit 3 Complete |
| 📝 Monthly Exam — Dec 14–18 (Monthly Exam Week) | ||
| 🎆 New Year Holiday — Jan 1 (No class) | ||
| 17 | Jan 4–8 | 4.1 Management and Leadership (Unit 4 Part 1) |
| 18 | Jan 11–15 | Final Exam Week |
| Winter Break: January 16 – February 28, 2027 | ||
| 19–20 | Mar 1–12 | 4.2 KPIs; 4.3–4.4 Strategy, SWOT, Porter's — Unit 4 Complete, Final Business Canvas due Mar 12 |
| 21 | Mar 15–19 | Unit 5: Taxes, Budgeting, Risk, Investing — Unit 5 Complete (all instruction done Mar 19) |
| 22–24 | Mar 22 – Apr 9 | Financial Advisor Project & Comprehensive Review |
| 📝 Monthly Exam — Mar 29 – Apr 2 (Monthly Exam Week) | ||
| — | Apr 26–30 | Mock Exams |
| 🎉 Labor Day Holiday — May 1–3 (No class) | ||
| — | May 3–14 | AP Business Exam |
| 📝 Final Exam Week — Jun 7–11 | ||
| Oct 16 | Unit 1 completed |
| Nov 27 | Unit 2 completed |
| Dec 31 | Unit 3 completed |
| Mar 12 | Unit 4 completed; Final Business Canvas Project due |
| Mar 19 | All instruction complete |
| Apr 9 | Financial Advisor Project due |
| Apr 26–30 | Mock Exams |
| May 3–14 | AP Exam |
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 2–4 | 3 questions | 65 min | 25% |