A Level Business
Whether you're aiming for a high-flying corporate role or your own successful small enterprise, the A Level Business online course is the place to start.
You'll learn the basic principles of business and much more, looking at the importance of a business plan and the strategies you can put in place to maximize the chances of success.
Effective financial planning is a priority in business, and you'll discover ways to calculate, estimate and review costs, set budgets and assess future financial needs.
For the Business A Level you will also learn the principles of sound business management, including marketing, personnel management, operations and finances.
And with an eye on the current business climate, you'll learn how change affects business and develop techniques for setting and achieving corporate objectives so that you make the most of change rather than fall victim to it.
This course prepares candidates for the AQA Business A Level syllabus (7132).
The A Level Business course is split into 10 individual units:
Units Covered
- What is business?
- Management
- Marketing performance
- Operational performance
- Financial performance
- Human resource performance
- Analysing the business environment
- Marketing strategy
- Strategic change
- Change and culture
Unit 1 - What is business?
- Understanding the nature and purpose of business
- Understanding different business forms
- Understanding that business operate within an external environment
Unit 2 - Management
- Understanding management, leadership and decsion making
- Understanding management decision making
- Understanding the role and importance of stakeholders
Unit 3 - Marketing Performance
- Setting marketing objectives
- Understanding markets and customers
- Making marketing decisions: segmentation, targeting, positioning
- Making marketing decisions: using the marketing mix
Unit 4 - Operational Performance
- 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
Unit 5 - Financial Performance
- Setting financial objectives
- Analysing financial performance
- Making financial decisions: sources of finance
- Making financial decisions: improving cash flow and profits
Unit 6 - Human Resource Performance
- 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
Unit 7 - Analysing the Business Environment
- Mission, corporate objectives and strategy
- Analysing the existing internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses: financial ration analysis
- Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats
- Overall performance
- Political and legal change
- Economic change
- Social and technological
- The competitive environment
- Analysing strategic options: investment appraisal
Unit 8 - Marketing Strategy
- Strategic direction: Choosing which markets to compete in and what products to offer
- Strategic positioning: Choosing how to compete
Unit 9 - Strategic Change
- Assessing a change in scale
- Assessing innovation
- Assessing internalisation
- Assessing greater use of digital technology
Unit 10 - Change and Culture
- Managing change
- Managing organisational culture
- Managing strategic implementation
- Problems with strategy and why strategies fail
The A Level Business course is perfect if you're looking to fill gaps in your school education or prepare for college or university. It's also a suitable foundation if you're thinking about studying Business or business-related subjects at a higher level.
You don't need any previous experience or qualifications to enrol on this course.
An A Level in Business can be the stepping stone to further education in business, including at college and university. Continuing your study of business to a higher level could lead you to a number of well-paying corporate positions or running your own company.
In the workplace, you'll find your Business A Level will demonstrate to employers that you have the ability to commit to learning, and have acquired good reasoning and analytical skills - essential in practically every walk of life.
Your A Level in Business can count towards entry to college or university for many subjects. You should contact the institution you're interested in attending to find out their entry requirements.
Students who complete this course often go on to study a Business degree.
You can either pay for your course in full or opt for an interest-free payment plan. You'll pay a small deposit and the rest by monthly direct debit. Our plans are flexible, so you can extend the terms or pay your balance off sooner if you choose.
Speak to our course advisors for more information on our payment plans.
Once you enrol, you’ll have access to our Student Community, which will allow you to see your course materials, contact your tutor, submit your assignments and connect with your fellow students.
You’ll also have access to a huge range of resources that will aid your studies:
- Live Induction Webinar
- Interactive Quizzes
- Progress Checks
- Peer Discussions
- E-books
- Personal Journal
- AQA Resources
Your course materials have been specially designed for online learning by experts in the field. Supporting textbooks aren’t provided with this course; however, we strongly recommend that you purchase the following e-books due to the additional resources they’ll give you:
- AQA Business for AS (Marcousé) Authors: Ian Marcousé, Andy Hammond, Nigel Watson Publisher: Hodder Education
- AQA Business for A level (Marcousé) Authors: Ian Marcousé, Andy Hammond, Nigel Watson Publisher: Hodder Education
You’ll be assigned an expert academic tutor who will be with you from enrolment to graduation. They’ll answer questions about coursework, study materials, assessments and exams, and help you work through any part of the course you’re stuck with.
They’ll also give you test papers and mock exams to ensure you’re ready to pass your assessments. All your papers will be marked and given constructive feedback so you know exactly what your strengths are and what you can improve.
Our dedicated student support team will be on hand to assist you with administrative tasks, using the Student Community, and any other non-academic queries you may have.
Exams take place in June each year.
There are three final assessments for the A Level Business specification 7132:
- Paper 1: Business 1 (Multiple-choice questions, short answer and two essays)
- Paper 2: Business 2 (Three compulsory data response questions)
- Paper 3: Business 3 (One compulsory case study consisting of six questions)
These exams are set nationally by AQA, and all assessments must be taken in one exam diet.
Important Exam Information
Please be aware that you're responsible for making your own exam arrangements. We'll help you find a suitable exam centre, usually a nearby school or college, and give you all the information you need to book your place. You'll have to pay an examination fee as well as a centre fee which will vary depending on exam centre.
Find out more information about arranging your AQA examination.
Exam centre and registration fees are additional to your course fees. The cost will vary according to the exam centre you use.
Contact our course advisors for more information on additional fees.
Find out more information about arranging your examinations.