A-level Business: topics, exams and grades
What A-level Business (once called Business Studies) covers, how it is examined with case studies, and how it compares with Economics.
A-level Business, once called Business Studies, looks at how organisations are run: marketing, finance, people and operations, and the strategy that ties them together. It had nearly 47,000 entries in 2026. Exams are built around real and fictional case studies, so you apply ideas rather than just learn them.
What you study
- What businesses do, and managers, leadership and decision-making.
- Marketing, operations, finance and human resources.
- Analysing a business’s strategic position.
- Choosing strategic direction, strategic methods and managing change.
The exact topics depend on the exam board your school or college uses, so check its specification.
How it is examined
Like all reformed A-levels, it is a linear two-year course: you sit all the exams at the end of Year 13, and an AS taken along the way does not count towards the A-level.
| Exam board | Code | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| AQA | 7132 | Three 2-hour papers. |
| Pearson Edexcel | 9BS0 | Three 2-hour papers, including a pre-released context. |
| OCR | H431 | Three papers. |
Coursework: None. Calculator: A calculator is allowed.
Grades and how hard it is
In summer 2026, 46,977 students took A-level Business in the UK. 4.2% were awarded an A* and 16.2% an A* or A, compared with about 28% across all A-levels in England. See how subjects compare in the hardest and easiest A-levels.
Entry requirements: Usually grade 5 or 6 in English and Maths; you do not need GCSE Business.
Where it can lead
A-level Business is useful for business and management, marketing, accounting, human resources, and degree apprenticeships.
Goes well with: Economics, Maths, Psychology, Geography, Computer Science.
Work out what your predicted grades are worth with our UCAS points calculator.
Tips for doing well
- Learn the financial calculations: ratios, break-even and investment appraisal.
- Use real business examples in essays.
- Practise judging what a business should do, not just describing options.
Questions people ask
Is A-level Business easy?
It is accessible, but top grades are relatively rare: only 16.2% of entries got an A* or A in 2026.
Business or Economics?
Business looks inside organisations; Economics looks at markets and the whole economy. Economics is more often asked for by selective universities.
Do universities accept A-level Business?
Yes, for almost all courses, including business, management and law.
