specification overview
AQA A-Level Business (7138) is the new accredited specification, replacing 7132. It is first taught from September 2026, with first A-level exams in summer 2028. It is a two-year linear qualification: students sit three 2-hour papers of 90 marks each at the end of year 13, and every paper is worth 33.3%. Content is organised into three units rather than the ten topics of the old specification. Every paper follows the same format, two case studies each followed by five compulsory questions. If you are teaching a cohort sitting exams in 2027 or earlier, you need the outgoing 7132 specification instead.
Replaces 7132 for students starting from September 2026. View the 7132 specification
subject content
3.1.1. Business and objectives
Paper 1- Entrepreneurs: reasons for setting up, characteristics, and how the role changes as a business grows
- Business planning and decisions, competitiveness, and influences on decision making
- Business objectives and the characteristics of effective (SMART) objectives
3.1.2. Forms of business and stakeholders
Paper 1- Sole traders, private and public limited companies, co-operatives and social enterprises
- Comparing forms of business: control, objectives, sources of finance, distribution of profits, liability
- Market capitalisation, dividends per share and dividend yield
- Internal and external stakeholders, and ethical responsibilities to them
3.1.3. Marketing management
Paper 1- Understanding customers, markets, marketing data, demand and target markets
- Marketing objectives and planning
- The marketing mix: product, price, distribution (place) and promotion
- Digital technology in marketing, plus international marketing and marketing ethics (A-level only)
3.1.4. Financial management
Paper 1- Managing finance, and internal and external sources of finance
- Break-even, profit, budgets, cash flow and liquidity
- Financial reporting and its limitations
- Assessing financial position and performance, plus ethics in finance (A-level only)
3.2.1. People management
Paper 2- HR objectives and planning, HR data and organisational design
- Leadership, developing people, teamwork and motivation
- Employee wellbeing, and employer and employee relations
- Ethics in HR (A-level only)
3.2.2. Operations management
Paper 2- Managing operations, operations data, efficiency and quality
- Matching output to demand, supply chain and inventory management
- Innovation, project management, scale of operations and the impact of technology
- Environmental impact of operations, plus ethics in operations (A-level only)
3.2.3. Managing business culture
Paper 2- Business values and culture (A-level only)
3.3.1. Business and society
Paper 3- Sustainability and the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit)
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
- Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and performance
3.3.2. Business and the external environment
Paper 3- Competitive environment
- Political and legal environment
- Economic environment
- Social environment and technological change
3.3.3. Strategy
Paper 3- Strategy and planning, and influences on strategy
- Selecting a strategy, including SWOT analysis
- Implementation of strategic decisions
- Strategic investment decisions
3.3.4. Change
Paper 3- Managing change, including force field analysis
- Risk and uncertainty, and the types of risk businesses face
assessment structure
| Paper | What's assessed | Length | Marks | Weight | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Unit 3.1: what is business, managing marketing and finance | 2h | 90 | 33.3% | Two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks in total |
| Paper 2 | Unit 3.2: managing people and operations, with links to Unit 3.1 | 2h | 90 | 33.3% | Two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks in total |
| Paper 3 | Unit 3.3: business and society, the external environment and business strategy, with links to Units 3.1 and 3.2 | 2h | 90 | 33.3% | Two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks in total |
All three papers share the same format: two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks. Command words carry fixed tariffs, Analyse is 6 marks, Assess is 9 marks and Evaluate is 15 marks. Raw marks are not scaled (270 marks in total). Papers 2 and 3 are synoptic, so question end points can require content from earlier units, including calculations. One 15-mark question on Paper 3 draws on the full course.
assessment objectives
| AO | What it means | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 | Demonstrate knowledge of terms, concepts, theories, methods and models to show an understanding of how individuals and organisations are affected by and respond to business issues. | 24.44% |
| AO2 | Apply knowledge and understanding to various business contexts to show how individuals and organisations are affected by and respond to issues. | 24.44% |
| AO3 | Analyse issues within business, showing an understanding of the impact on individuals and organisations of external and internal influences. | 26.66% |
| AO4 | Evaluate quantitative and qualitative information to make informed judgements and propose evidence-based solutions to business issues. | 24.44% |
key tips for success
Check which specification you are on
7138 is only for students who started in September 2026 or later, sitting exams from summer 2028. If your exams are in 2027, you are on the outgoing 7132 specification and its content is different.
Learn the command word tariffs
Every question type has a fixed mark allocation: Analyse is 6 marks, Assess is 9, Evaluate is 15. Recognising the command word tells you immediately how much to write and which AOs are in play.
Application means using the case study
AO2 is 24.44% and is only awarded for genuinely using the context, selecting relevant figures, weaving detail into the argument. Simply repeating lines from the case study earns nothing.
Build chains of reasoning
AO3 is the largest AO at 26.66%. Analysis marks come from complete chains, if a question asks about profit, do not stop at sales. Practise writing each logical step out in full.
Judgements need support
AO4 rewards weighing arguments and reaching a supported conclusion. The strongest answers also challenge the data itself, questioning its source, currency and reliability.
Practise the quantitative skills
Calculations run through every unit, from market capitalisation and dividend yield to break-even, budgets and ratios. The annexes list the required quantitative skills and formulae, work through them until they are automatic.
Where to next
Start your learning journey today...
Work through every point on this spec in Cognito – notes, questions, flashcards and exam practice – or browse related specifications.
