If you’re intrigued by the competitive world of business, studying it for A Level could be right up your street. But before deciding, you might be wondering… is Business A Level hard?
Well, it’s not exactly a walk in the park. But at the same time, it’s generally considered to be one of the more manageable A Level options. Here’s the lowdown.
Psst! Finding a Business A Level tutor is a great way to make sure you can keep up with your class and reach your full potential in the exams.
What is business studies like at A Level?
Studying business studies at A Level will give you a thorough understanding of the world of business.
You’ll learn about how modern businesses work, their place in society and the difficulties they face.
Plus, you’ll gain an insight into the ins and outs of how businesses function – learning about everything from finance and operations to marketing and strategy.
In this way, you’ll develop strong skills in strategic decision making, critical thinking and analysis – which will serve you well both in your further studies and throughout your working life.
Is A Level Business hard?
A Level Business has its challenges and it’s certainly not easy (after all, A Levels aren’t supposed to be!).
However, it’s generally considered to be one of the more manageable A Level options.
This is because it offers a blend of both theoretical knowledge and practical application – which can make it accessible to students who find the more academically rigorous courses challenging.
Having said that, it’s impossible to say exactly how hard you’d find Business A Level. After all, it’ll depend on what kind of learner you are, as well as your skill set, interests and work ethic.
Here are some aspects of the course that learners tend to find more challenging.
Quantity of Business A Level content
Many students find that the content itself isn’t too challenging – but that the difficulty lies in the sheer volume of content covered on the course.
Business A Level involves wrapping your head around a broad range of topics, ranging from business strategy to team structures and finances.
You’ll also need to be able to recall specific details and case studies, which will put your memory skills to the test!
Application
As with most A Level subjects, it’s not enough to simply learn the content when it comes to Business A Level.
Instead, you’ll need to make sure you have an in-depth understanding of the concepts covered – including the intricacies of various theories, models and principles.
This is because you’ll need to be able to put your knowledge into practice and apply it in diverse contexts.
Critical thinking
On a similar note, you’ll need to use your critical thinking and analytical skills to interrogate the various concepts and theories you come across – and develop your own arguments.
This includes examining the various considerations at play when it comes to strategic planning and decision making – such as technology, ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
And it also includes being able to critically think about various case studies you come across, using them to support your viewpoint.
Independent study
As well as keeping up with what’s covered in your textbook and in the classroom, the most successful students will carry out some of their own independent study.
In particular, it helps to keep on top of the latest business news and trends.
This is because real-world examples can help to add extra layers to your answers and show a deep understanding of business concepts all around you.
Mathematical aspects
If you’re not confident with maths, you might find some aspects of the Business A Level course a little tricky.
Don’t get us wrong, you’re not going to be learning about trigonometry or Pythagoras’ Theorem – and there’s no need to study A Level Maths to succeed in this subject.
However, there are some mathematical elements to the course – for instance, you’ll need to wrap your head around equations used to help businesses assess how they’re performing.
Essay writing skills
Last but not least, you’ll need to develop your essay writing skills to succeed in this subject.
Don’t worry, this isn’t English Literature and not every question in the exam will require an essay answer.
However, you will need to be able to build and support a cohesive argument in writing, using both your theoretical knowledge and relevant case studies to back up points you make and demonstrate your understanding.
What Business A Level topics will you study?
Exactly which topics you’ll cover during the Business A Level course will vary depending on your exam board and sixth form or college.
However, you’ll generally study business functions such as marketing, operations, human resources and finance.
Plus, you’ll learn about different approaches to decision making, as well as looking at business feasibility and risk.
To give you some idea, here are the topics covered by the exam board AQA (the most popular exam board for Business A Level in the UK):
- What is business?
- Managers, leadership and decision making
- Marketing management
- Operational management
- Financial management
- Human resource management
- Analysing the strategic position of a business
- Choosing strategic direction
- Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
- Managing strategic change
Is Business Studies A Level hard compared to other subjects?
Business Studies has a fairly average pass rate.
In 2024, 97.7% of Business Studies A Level students got at least a grade E – compared to 97.2% across all subjects (according to FFT Education Datalab).
However, fewer students tend to reach the top grades, suggesting that students find it harder to obtain the in-depth understanding they need to get a grade A or above.
Here’s how grades were distributed in 2024 for business studies, compared with the average across all subjects.
| E or above | C or above | A or above | A* | |
| Business studies | 97.7% | 74.5% | 16.2% | 4.1% |
| All subjects | 97.2% | 76.4% | 27.8% | 9.3% |
So, does this make business studies harder than average?
Well, it’ll all depend on your skill set and preferences – but we don’t think so.
Rather, the lower grades are likely to do with the reputation that business studies has for being a more manageable subject compared to others – meaning some students may choose it expecting it to be the ‘easy option.’
Consider, for instance, that A Level Maths and Further Maths have some of the highest grades out of all the most popular subjects – despite the fact that they’re widely accepted to be amongst the hardest options.
With that in mind, we’d advise against looking at pass rates alone when picking your A Level options.
Instead, consider which subjects most closely match your skills, interests and future aspirations – and remember that any A Level requires hard work, dedication and perseverance if you’re hoping to access the top grades!
Which brings us onto…
Business A Level revision tips
Like any A Level subject, business studies has its challenges. But there’s no reason why you can’t succeed in this subject with hard work and the right approach to revision.
Here are our top seven tips for revising ahead of your Business A Level exams.
1. Know what to expect
First things first, it’s important to know exactly what to expect in your Business A Level exams.
This way, you can make sure to cover every element in your preparation.
Plus, you can lower your exam stress knowing that there won’t be any unexpected surprises on the big day.
Each exam board will work a bit differently. However, regardless of which exam board you’re with, you won’t usually have any coursework to complete.
Instead, you’ll have several exam papers to sit at the end of the course – with a variety of question formats including multiple-choice, short answer, and essay-style questions.
In this way, the exams are designed to test your recall of factual information, as well as your understanding and ability to analyse, evaluate and apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios.
2. Start revision early
It can be tempting to leave your Business A Level revision until just a few months – or even weeks – before the exams.
But you’ll get the best results if you start early.
After all, there’s a lot to learn. And this way, you can spread out your learning across the year instead of panicking when your exams are around the corner.
Taking 10 minutes to review what you’ve learned after each lesson can also help to keep everything at the front of your mind and save you a lot of formal revision time!
3. Master your Business A Level formulas
If you’re daunted by the mathematical aspects of the Business A Level course, getting those formulas under your belt early will be key to building your confidence ahead of the exams.
There are lots of different tips and tricks you can try to help them stick.
For instance, consider using resources like Quizlet flashcards or your exam board’s formulae sheets (like this one from AQA).
There’s no right or wrong. It’s all about working out your learning style and using the revision techniques that help you to retain the information the best.
4. Get the help of a tutor
Although your college or sixth form will prepare you for the Business A Level exams, nothing beats one-to-one attention.
A Business A Level tutor is an experienced professional who’ll know how to help you fulfil your potential. In fact, many are trained teachers and examiners too!
Your tutor will create tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths, weaknesses and learning style.
In this way, they’ll help to prepare you fully for the exams and will be able to guide you to the best marks possible. In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade!
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
5. Make the most of Business A Level past papers
Past papers are an invaluable tool to help you prepare for your A Level Business exams.
Not only will they familiarise you with the types of questions you might come across in the real thing.
But when you answer them under timed conditions, they’re also an opportunity to practise managing your time and dealing with exam pressure – which can boost your confidence and reduce exam fear when the big day rolls around.
Just bear in mind that marking your own answers to essay questions can be a challenge.
That’s why we’d always recommend getting a teacher or tutor to mark your practice papers for you. This will give you a real understanding of the areas you need to work on most before the real thing.
6. Decide how you’ll use your time
Effective time management is key when it comes to succeeding in this course – both in the lead up to your exams and during the exams themselves.
Firstly, make sure to take the time to create an effective revision timetable that gives a fair weighting to all the different topics you’ll need to learn.
Plus, remember to keep your eye on the clock in the exam room, as time can be tight.
With such a big mix of question formats, it’s important to divide your time appropriately between them. As a general rule, you’ll want to spend the most time on the questions that are worth the most, and vice versa.
This will give you the best chance of unlocking all available marks and getting the highest grade possible.
7. Don’t panic!
Last but not least, don’t panic.
Work through the exam paper calmly and methodically, and read each question twice to be absolutely certain you’ve understood it properly. The last thing you need is to make any silly mistakes.
With hard work and the right support, we believe you can achieve anything!
Find a tutor to bring A Level Business to life
To give yourself the best chance of passing your Business A Level with flying colours, why not find an A Level tutor to support you every step of the way?
A Business Studies A Level tutor will give you one-on-one attention you won’t get at college, to help you hone your skills and practise applying your knowledge in an exam situation.
From week-by-week plans to practice exams, they’ll tailor their teaching to suit your strengths, weaknesses and learning style, and help you reach your full potential.
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
FAQs
Is business the easiest A Level?
No, business is unlikely to be the easiest A Level, although it tends to be one of the more manageable subjects for many.
To give you an idea, the pass rate for Business A Level in 2024 was a decent 97.7% (according to FFT Education Datalab).
Is business one of the hardest A levels?
No, business isn’t usually considered to be a particularly difficult A Level. However, few students tend to reach the top grades in this subject. Only 4.1% of business students got an A* in 2024, compared to 9.3% across all subjects (according to FFT Education Datalab).
How hard is a Business A Level?
Business is generally seen as one of the more manageable A Level subjects. However, exactly how hard you’ll find it will depend on lots of different factors, such as your skill set, learning style, interests and work ethic.
Wondering how it compares to other A Level options? Have a browse of more of our A Level difficulty guides:
- Politics A Level
- Economics A Level
- History A Level
- Geography A Level
- English Literature A Level
- English Language A Level
- Psychology A Level
- Maths A Level
- Further Maths A Level
- Chemistry A Level
- Physics A Level
- Biology A Level
Is Business A Level worth it?
Yes! Business A Level can be very worthwhile for the right student.
As well as giving you a strong understanding of the world of business, the course will also help you to develop valuable skills – such as analysis, critical thinking and strategic decision making.
In this way, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a range of different settings – whether your goal is to start your own business, take a specialised business degree or gain employment in a modern business you can thrive in.
