What You Need to Know about AQA A-Level Business
- Why Study A-Level Business?
- How Is A-Level Business Assessed?
- Tips and Strategies for Studying A-Level Business
- Making Effective Use of the A-Level Business Syllabus
- Tips for handling A-Level Business’s Trickiest Topics
- Using A-Level Business Exam Papers
- How a BartyED Tutor Can Help Support Your A-Level
Why Study A-Level Business?
The A-Level (Advanced Level) business course has proven a consistently popular choice among students, as it provides an excellent opportunity to develop problem solving and decision making skills.
A-Level business students are introduced to the diverse elements of business management, including the marketing and financial considerations of businesses; strategies on how to manage both people and operations; and the numerous environmental and ethical dilemmas that businesses face in the modern world. The A-Level business course explores the needs of businesses and their stakeholders, alongside teaching students how to challenge assumptions in the corporate world. Throughout the course, students gain a holistic understanding of the diverse world of business, and leave school well prepared to apply their knowledge to the real world.
Why Study A-Level Business?
The AQA A-Level business syllabus is being updated, with the revised specification coming into effect for those starting their A-Level business studies in September 2026. This new A-Level business course is assessed over three written exams, each lasting two hours. All three of these exams are equally weighted, with 90 marks available on each paper. Each exam contains two case studies, followed by five compulsory exam questions. 45 marks are available for the case study questions, and the other 45 marks are allocated across the five compulsory questions.
Due to the syllabus update, it is important to be aware that, for candidates beginning their A-Level business studies in September 2026, past papers and information regarding the course’s assessment structure may not be 100% applicable to their syllabus.
Tips and Strategies for Studying A-Level Business
A strong strategy for studying A-Level business is to actively make connections across topics and concepts as they are introduced. This is a particularly beneficial way to revise as one of the most challenging elements of A-Level business is the ‘synoptic assessment’ style in exam Paper 3. Put simply, Paper 3 requires students to use knowledge, skills and understanding from across the entire course of study to answer individual questions. Rather than having assessment questions that target specific study units, Paper 3 requires learners to demonstrate a holistic understanding of business in order to gain the top marks. Drawing links between different elements of the course can be tricky for many students. Framing units as causes, consequences, and impacts can help bring ideas together, for example understanding how a change in the legal environment of a business (cause) may affect profit (consequence), which has an impact on shareholders and their dividends (impact).
Making Effective Use of the A-Level Business Syllabus
Understanding the Assessment Objectives (AOs) for A-Level business is fundamental to succeeding in the A-Level business exams.
AO1 requires students to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of business terms, concepts, theories, methods, and models.
AO2 requires students to apply this knowledge and understanding to various business contexts: students need to be able to explain how individuals and organisations are affected by issues and how they respond to them.
AO3 requires students to analyse the issues within businesses, in order to explain how these issues impact both internal and external individuals and organisations.
AO4 requires students to evaluate quantitative and qualitative data to make informed judgements and propose evidence-based solutions to business issues.
AO1, 2 and 4 are all weighted equally across the three exams, whilst AO3 represents a slightly larger percentage of the course's assessment.
Tips for handling A-Level Business’s Trickiest Topics
One of the more difficult aspects of A-Level business is learning and accurately applying the financial calculations and sophisticated business concepts. There are over 40 formulae and key data calculations listed on the AQA specification, alongside 40+ ‘sophisticated concepts’, and A-Level business students need to be confident in their application of all of them. Given their complexity and quantity, understanding and effectively using all of these calculations and concepts can be challenging. An effective way to tackle this element of the A-Level business course is to set up a concepts and theories glossary and a calculations document at the very beginning of the course. As new concepts and calculations are introduced, A-Level business candidates add these into their lists with a corresponding example that demonstrates the concept or formula. Turning these lists into flashcards means that, when it’s time to revise the A-Level business content, students have a bulk of revision resources ready to help consolidate this material.
Using A-Level Business Exam Papers
Revising for the A-Level Business exam with past papers (for the 2026 and 2027 exam sitting) or the published specification papers (for the AQA 2028 exam sitting) is a highly effective way for students to prepare. Timed practice exams allow students to become familiar with the wording of exam questions, the layout of exam papers, and exam timing. Understanding how to hit the marks for each question, and how to time the exam effectively, is fundamental to honing exam technique. Importantly, using the A-Level business mark scheme to go over written practice paper answers in detail, is an essential part of this process: noting what content marks have not been met, as well as what mark scheme requirements have been missed, allows A-Level business learners to hone their revision and essay structure.
The specification update for September 2026 teaching onwards does mean that past A-Level business papers will not precisely reflect the requirements for the 2028 exams. However, this does not mean that past exam papers are not valuable to A-Level business students. Finding questions on the concepts and theories students have covered, as well as locating past extended response questions offer the opportunity to practice applying the knowledge learnt in class.
How a BartyED Tutor Can Help Support Your A-Level
Mastering the A-Level business course is no easy feat. Tackling considerable quantitative formulae and sophisticated business concepts can be challenging in isolation, with applying them to various business models and situations an even greater task. An experienced A-Level business tutor can, therefore, be pivotal in supporting a student's comprehension of quantitative data and conceptual models, and make all the difference in guiding a student in their application of their business knowledge.
At BartyED, our team of highly trained tutors have experience working with students across all levels and learning styles. Our A-Level business tutors have assisted innumerable students in developing their mastery of business models and financial calculations, have guided students to hone their application of these concepts to real-life examples, and have developed their holistic understanding of the A-Level business course, so that they can accurately apply their knowledge from across the course to any exam question put in front of them.
If you think that you or your child could benefit from a BartyED A-Level tutor, contact us today via email at enquiries@bartyed.com, or through our contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A-Level business is an Advanced Level course spanning two years, teaching students how to manage the marketing, finance, people and operations of a business, alongside teaching students how to employ business strategies to tackle ethical and environmental challenges.
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The AQA A-Level business paper is assessed across three exam papers. Each paper opens with questions based on two case studies, and is followed by a further five compulsory questions not related to the case studies.
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Some of the best ways to study for an A-Level business exam is to flashcard key business terms, concepts, theories, methods and models; complete practice equations on financial formulas; and establish the cause, consequence, and impact links across the A-Level business syllabus.
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To achieve top marks on an A-Level business exam, it is imperative that candidates have a strong foundational knowledge of key financial calculations and business concepts, and that they are able to apply this knowledge to an array of diverse business needs and business scenarios.