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General Certificate od Education in Business AQA

A Level Business AQA

Business supports progression onto university in degrees such as Management, Accounting and Marketing. You will receive up to 56 UCAS points and expert guidance applying to Universities worldwide including the UK.
  • Awarding Body: AQA
  • A Level Business AQA: 7132
    AS Level Business AQA: 7131
  • Learning Hours: 360 Hours
  • Fast Track Available
  • Full A Level Qualification
General Certificate od Education in Business AQA
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Enrolment Fee £395

Overview

The AQA A Level Business Online course with Learn Now follows the AQA (7132) specification and is the same qualification you would achieve if attending mainstream college.  Once completed, you will obtain UCAS points which will support progression to university in degrees such as management, accounting, marketing and leadership.

This course would suit adult learners returning to education, students resitting exams or studying alongside other commitments, and learners looking to be accepted into University.

We also offer International A Level Business with Cambridge which would suit learners inside and outside the UK.

Looking to sit exams in 2028? We also have the new AQA Business (7138) specification available.  Please contact us for more information.

Get 10% discount when ordering multiple A Level courses. Use the coupon code: ALEVEL10 at checkout

Enrol Anytime | Enrolment Fee £395

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Syllabus

This A Level Business Course introduces you to all you need to know about working in business, providing a solid foundation for further study.  You will explore small and large organisations within the UK but also on a global scale too.

With a focus on helping you to become a good decision maker, you’ll learn essential managerial skills, alongside techniques to help you become an analytical problem solver. You will also be required to understand how technology affects decision-making and the way a business will operate and complete.

The Full A Level has ten topics you will need to cover and the AS Level has six topics.  These are listed below.

A Level Modules

For this topic, learners will explore business objectives including profit, growth and cash flow.  You will also learn about the relationship between a business’s mission and its objectives.  Learners will explore different business forms such as sole trader, partnership and limited companies along with the advantages and disadvantages to setting one of these up.  Finally, you will understand how businesses operate within an external environment and how competition, market conditions, interest rates and environmental factors can affect them.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Understanding the nature and purpose of business
  • Understanding different business forms
  • Understanding that businesses operate within an external environment
This topic explores the role of managers and leaders in decision making.  A range of leadership styles will be covered including autocratic, paternalistic, democratic, and laissez-faire.  You will also cover the importance of stakeholders and why managers must consider stakeholder needs and manage their relationship through effective communication.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Understanding management, leadership and decision making
  • Understanding management decision making
  • Understanding the role and importance of stakeholders
For this topic, learners will need to consider how technological developments are influencing marketing.  This could include digital marketing, social media, dynamic pricing and e-commerce.  You will develop an understanding of marketing objectives along with market research. Finally, learners will cover the marketing mix (7Ps) and how to make effective decisions about products, pricing, promotion and distribution etc.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Setting marketing objectives
  • Understanding markets and customers
  • Making marketing decisions: segmentation, targeting, positioning
  • Making marketing decisions: using the marketing mix
All businesses must run effectively and operational management focuses on how a business works.  Ways to improve operational management is generally focused on production and service processes.  A business will set operational objectives related to cost, quality, speed, flexibility and environmental impact. Another area in operational performance is improving quality through quality assurance and control.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Setting operational objectives
  • Analysing operational performance
  • Making operational decisions to improve performance: increasing efficiency and productivity
  • Making operational decisions to improve performance: improving quality
  • Making operational decisions to improve performance: managing inventory and supply chains
Accounting concepts are included in the A Level Business course and therefore learners will cover financial objectives  along with the distinction between cash flow and profit.  Budgets will also be covered in this section where you will learn about break-even.  You will also gain an understanding of finance and making decisions to improve cash flow and profits. For this topic, you will cover:

  • Setting financial objectives
  • Analysing financial performance
  • Making financial decisions: sources of finance
  • Making financial decisions: improving cash flow and profits
Most corporate companies will have a human resources department and in this section you will gain an understanding of what is actually involved in this division.  You will look at human resource objectives along with analysing human resource performance.  Finally, you will look at how to improve organisational structure and how to motivate and engage employees.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Setting human resource objectives
  • Analysing human resource performance
  • Making human resource decisions: improving organisational design and managing the human resource flow
  • Making human resource decisions: improving motivation and engagement
  • Making human resource decisions: improving employer-employee relations
Analysing the position of a business can involve tools such as SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).  It also requires businesses to evaluate the external environment, economic conditions and social/technological change.  Porter’s Five Forces are used to help functional decision making.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Mission, corporate objectives and strategy
  • Analysing the existing internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses: financial ratio analysis
  • Analysing the existing internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses: overall performance
  • Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats: political and legal change
  • Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats: economic change
  • Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats: social and technological
  • Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats: the competitive environment
  • Analysing strategic options: investment appraisal
When a business starts-up, it will decide what market it wants to trade in and what products or services it wants to offer.  This will be reviewed regularly to ensure market conditions are still right and resources are still available.  The Ansoff Matrix will be used to assess risks and benefits.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Strategic direction: choosing which markets to compete in and what products to offer
  • Strategic positioning: choosing how to compete
This section focuses on how a business can pursue strategies but also make decisions about changing scale through growth.  Growth can be achieved through mergers, takeovers and franchising.  Businesses must also assess the use of digital technology, e-commerce and automation due to pressures to improve efficiency and remain competitive.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Assessing a change in scale
  • Assessing innovation
  • Assessing internationalisation
  • Assessing greater use of digital technology
A business must understand internal and external causes for change.  This can include using Lewin’s Force Field Analysis, delayering and altering organisational structure.  Businesses must also be aware why certain attempts fail and the importance of evaluating performance.  For this topic, you will cover:

  • Managing change
  • Managing organisational culture
  • Managing strategic implementation
  • Problems with strategy and why strategies fail

AS Modules

  • Understanding the nature and purpose of business
  • Understanding different business forms
  • Understanding that businesses operate within an external environment
  • Management, leadership and decision making
  • Management decision making
  • The role and importance of stakeholders
  • Setting marketing objectives
  • Understanding markets and customers
  • Making marketing decisions: segmentation, targeting, positioning
  • Making marketing decisions: using the marketing mix.
  • Setting operational objectives
  • Analysing operational performance
  • Making operational decisions to improve performance: increasing efficiency and productivity
  • Making operational decisions to improve performance: improving quality
  • Making operational decisions to improve performance: managing inventory and supply chains.
  • Setting financial objectives
  • Analysing financial performance
  • Making financial decisions: sources of finance
  • Making financial decisions: improving cash flow and profits
  • Setting human resource objectives
  • Analysing human resource performance
  • Making human resource decisions: improving organisational design and managing the human resource flow.
  • Making human resource decisions: improving motivation and engagement
  • Making human resource decisions: improving emploer-employee relations

What can you do with A Level Business?

The skills you gain from A Level Business will allow you to go into Industries as diverse as chemicals, utilities, fashion, health, grocery and construction. All these require managers with a clear understanding of systems, efficiency and operational issues.

If you are looking to progress onto University, students in the past have taken subjects in marketing, finance, human resources, computing/ICT and international business management.

Alternatively, you might have ambitious plans to start your own business!

Previous Knowledge Required

There are no previous entry requirements for this course, however students are expected to have a reasonable standard of literacy. 

You have the freedom to start the course at any time and continue your studies at your own pace for a period of up to 24 months from initial registration with the full support of your Tutor.

Enrolment Fees

Our Enrolment fee for this course is noted at the top of this page where you can enrol directly onto the course.  This fee includes access to your course including tutor support for 2 years.

Our enrolment fee includes:

  • All study materials covering the full specification.
  • Full support where you can also message your tutor as many times as you need to.
  • Access to our online Library with a full range of eBooks.
  • Help completing university applications including UCAS and The Common Application.
  • Reference and predicted grade for University.
  • Assignment marking and feedback
  • Marked and graded practise examination papers
  • Eligibility for a Totum Card if you reside within the UK
  • Fast Track A Level if required and flexible learning from home 24/7.

The only other fee you will need to pay is for your exams which is due approximately six months prior and this will be paid directly to the exam centre.

Assessments

Students will be required to arrange and pay for their examinations at an AQA approved centre. We can provide an extensive list of these centres for you.

A Level Exams

There are three exams for the full A Level qualification. The length of each exam is two hours long.

Paper 1 Paper 1 Paper 1 A Level Qualification

AS Level Exams

There are two exams for the AS Level qualification. The length of each exam is 1 hour 30 minutes long.

Paper 1 Paper 1 AS Level Exams

This A’ Level Business course forms part of the linear qualifications and therefore learners will sit exams for their particular qualification at the end of the completed course in the June series.

You will not be able to carry forward your AS qualification to the A’ Level qualification as they are now classed as entirely independent qualifications and you will sit either AS or A’ Level exams.

A Level Business Online Course Outcome

On successful completion of all your exams, you will be awarded one of the following qualifications:

A Level in Business with AQA | AS Level in Business with AQA

Click here for more information about AQA and to be taken to their official website

Still unsure? Look through our FAQs

A Level Business is moderately challenging.  The content will follow on from GCSE Business but include real-life examples and case studies. 

If you were to compare Business to subjects such as Maths, Physics and Accounting, most learners would say that Business is less demanding but it still requires some practise when it comes to the exams.  If you can concentrate on clear, well-structured answers along with some basic maths experience such as analysing data and working out break-even, you will do just fine.

You will not be required to purchase any books with this course.  We automatically include logins to our online e-Library which includes access to eBooks such as:

AQA A-Level Business Book 1 (Hachette Learning) – Coates, Gwen, Wolinski, John

AQA A-Level Business Book 2 (Hachette Learning) – Coates, Gwen, Wolinski, John

Many learners may start with IGCSE Business, in order to form the basis of the business environment but even if you have not studied business at GCSE level, you will still be able to take advantage of this comprehensive course. Many learners will also study A Level Economics, which will delve deeper into the labour markets and the difference between success and failure.

The AQA Business course can only be taken within the UK and some British Overseas Territories. If you are located outside the UK, please take a look at our Cambridge or Edexcel A Level Business courses.

AS and A levels are standalone qualifications, however the Full A Level carries more UCAS points than the AS Level.  It also requires more study hours as follows:

  • AS Level = 180 hours
  • A Level = 360 hours
You will see the difference in the content above under ‘syllabus’ but you can also refer to our article on ‘what is as level’ for more information.

You will receive access and support for two years, however you can complete it much sooner if you want to.  Exams for this subject fall in May/June each year and therefore you are able to choose which exam sitting you want to apply for.  We have more information on exam timetables here.

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