A Level Business at LMSC follows the new AQA 7138 specification, first taught from September 2026, and is taught live by specialist teachers in small groups, on campus in London, fully online, or hybrid. Every question on every paper is compulsory, there is no coursework and no multiple choice, and the highest mark allocations go to evaluation.
A Level Business is the study of how organisations are set up, financed, marketed, staffed and grown, and how the people running them make decisions when the information is incomplete and the outcome is uncertain.
This is the new specification. Students starting in September 2026 are taught AQA 7138, which replaces the outgoing 7132. First A Level examinations are in summer 2028. The structure has changed genuinely, not cosmetically: multiple choice has been removed entirely, the essay choice has gone so every question is now compulsory, and each of the three papers is tied to its own unit rather than every paper drawing on all the content.
Taught by specialists. Lessons are led by subject specialists in small groups, in real time, structured around the AQA specification and built on current company case studies. Every session is recorded.
The marks are in the judgement, not the definition. On every paper the largest single question is worth 15 marks and asks you to assess, not to describe. Naming a theory earns little. Applying it to the business in front of you, weighing what it misses, and committing to a supported conclusion earns most of the paper.
Three ways to study, one qualification. On campus in London, fully online, or hybrid, with the same specification, teachers and assessment schedule.
We teach you and we examine you. LMSC is a specialist college and a private exam centre, so teaching and exam entry sit under one roof.
Frequently asked questions
Which AQA specification will I be taught?
AQA 7138. It is the new specification, first taught from September 2026, and it replaces 7132. Your A Level examinations will be in summer 2028.
What is different about the new Business specification?
Four things. Multiple choice has been removed entirely. The choice of essay has gone, so every question is compulsory. Each paper is now tied to a single unit rather than every paper covering all the content. And papers are 90 marks each rather than 100.
Does A Level Business have coursework?
No. It is assessed entirely by three written examinations, which makes it straightforward for private candidates and online learners.
Is Business easier than Economics?
It is less mathematical — a 10% minimum mathematical content against Economics' 20%. That does not make it easy. The largest questions on every Business paper are 15-mark evaluation questions, and students who cannot write to a judgement struggle regardless of the maths.
Should I take Business or Economics?
Business is about decisions inside an organisation. Economics is about markets and whole economies, and it is more quantitative. If you are aiming at an economics degree, you need A Level Mathematics far more than you need either. Taking both Business and Economics is a common combination.
Do you need A Level Maths for A Level Business?
No, and we do not require it. You need a secure GCSE grade 5, because at least 10% of the marks assess mathematics at Level 2 or above and you will use break-even, ratios and investment appraisal throughout.
Do you need to have studied Business before?
No. Most students begin with no prior background and are not disadvantaged.
Can you study A Level Business online?
Yes. There is no practical or coursework component to arrange, so the qualification is identical however it is taught, and LMSC can enter you for the examination as your centre.
AQA 7138 organises A Level Business into three units. All content is compulsory. Units 3.1 and 3.2 are shared with the AS; Unit 3.3 is A Level only.
Unit 3.1 — What is business? Managing marketing and finance
Unit 3.2 — Managing people and operations
Unit 3.3 — Business and society, the external environment, and strategy (A Level only)
This course suits you if you:
Business or Economics?
They are not the same subject and students often pick the wrong one. Business is about decisions inside an organisation: what to launch, how to fund it, who to hire, whether to expand. Economics is about the behaviour of markets and whole economies, and it is substantially more quantitative — a minimum 20% mathematical content against 10% for Business, a Department for Education requirement in both cases.
If you enjoy the applied, organisational side, take Business. If you want the theory and the mathematics, take Economics. Taking both is a common and sensible combination.
Do you need A Level Maths as well?
Not for this course. But if you are aiming at a quantitative business or finance degree, or at economics, check the specific requirement — selective economics departments require A Level Mathematics, and Business does not substitute for it.
This course may not suit you if you:
Awarding body and qualification
AQA A-level Business, specification code 7138. Graded A* to E. This is the new specification, first taught from September 2026, with first A Level examinations in summer 2028. It replaces AQA 7132, whose final examinations are in summer 2027.
Three written papers, no coursework
270 marks in total.
The format of every paper is now identical
Each paper presents two case studies. Each case study is followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks in total. In the sample assessment materials that tariff runs 6, 6, 9, 9 and 15 marks, with the 6-mark questions asking you to analyse and the 9 and 15-mark questions asking you to assess.
What has changed from the old specification
Mathematics in the papers
A minimum of 10% of the marks assess mathematics at Level 2 or above, a Department for Education requirement. This is half the minimum for A Level Economics.
No coursework
A Level Business is assessed entirely by written examination. There is no non-exam assessment, which makes it fully accessible to private candidates and online learners.
Calculators and formulae
A calculator is permitted in every paper, and AQA provides a formulae sheet in the examination.
Exam series
Normally the May/June series. LMSC students sit their examinations in London.
GCSE or IGCSE Mathematics
Grade 5 or above. A minimum of 10% of the marks assess mathematics at Level 2 or above, and you will work with ratios, percentages, break-even and investment appraisal throughout.
GCSE or IGCSE English Language
Grade 5 or above. The highest mark allocations on every paper are extended written evaluation.
Prior study of Business
Not required. Most students start A Level Business with no previous background and are not disadvantaged.
International qualifications
Strong performance in Grade 10 Mathematics and a written subject, or local equivalent.
Diagnostic assessment
A short diagnostic may be used to confirm readiness, particularly for students joining from a non-UK curriculum.
If you are close to these requirements but not quite at them, speak to us. We would rather assess your readiness properly than turn you away on a single grade.
On completion you are awarded the AQA A-level Business qualification (7138), graded A* to E, on the basis of three externally assessed written papers.
By the end of the course you will have:
You also leave with a portfolio of assessed work, including timed papers and marked scripts, which supports predicted grades, academic references and your UCAS application.
Where A Level Business leads
Business, management, marketing, international business, accounting and finance, entrepreneurship, human resource management, hospitality and event management, and law with business. It also supports degree apprenticeships in accountancy, banking and professional services, which are an increasingly competitive route.
Be clear about what it does not do
A Level Business is not a substitute for A Level Mathematics or A Level Economics. Selective economics departments require A Level Mathematics specifically, and some quantitative finance and management degrees do too. If a degree in economics is your goal, take Mathematics, and consider Economics alongside it. Always check the stated requirement on the university's own page rather than assuming Business will cover it.
Subject combinations that work
Careers
Management and consultancy, marketing and brand, accountancy and audit, banking and financial services, human resources, supply chain and operations, entrepreneurship and small business, and the commercial side of the public and charity sectors.
Progression support at LMSC
UCAS guidance and subject-combination advice, predicted grades supported by assessed evidence, academic references, support with degree apprenticeship applications, and results-day support including Clearing.
University entry requirements change each cycle. Always check the current requirement on the university's own website before making decisions.
Explore other programmes that pair well with A Level Business or extend your specialist focus.
Book a consultation for tailored guidance on admissions, timetable planning and portfolio preparation. We will map a personalised progression route for your ambitions.
Course highlights
What the course covers, how it is taught and what is included. These pages answer the other questions people ask about the same subject.
