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Awarding Body: AQA
Earn up to 56 UCAS
Receive help applying to University
Full A Level - 360 hours
AS Level - 180 hours
Complete within one year
Access and support for two years including marked practise exam papers
A Level Business AQA: 7132
AS Level Business AQA: 7131
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.
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!
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.
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.
There are three exams for the full A Level qualification. The length of each exam is two hours long.
There are two exams for the AS Level qualification. The length of each exam is 1 hour 30 minutes long.
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.
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
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
