Business A Level

Applications Open: - 28th November 2025

Applications Close: - 30th January 2026

How to Apply: - via Kent Choices

Entry Requirements: - Students must meet the following academic criteria:

(a) Applicants must achieve at least an average GCSE grade of 5.7 from eight subjects (this must include at least one modern foreign language, at least one science and at least one humanity).

(b) Applicants must also have GCSE Mathematics and at least one English GCSE at a minimum of grade 5.

In addition to the above requirements, applicants wishing to be accepted on to a particular subject must achieve the requirements set down for that particular course in the Sixth Form Curriculum booklet

https://mgs.kent.sch.uk/admission/sixth-form-entry/

All students study 4 A Levels in Year 12 (Choose 5 subjects on the application form, with the 5th being a reserve). It is important that students refer to the 6th Form Curriculum booklet to ensure that they choose their courses appropriately. (There is the option to drop one of these subjects at the end of Year 12 and undertake an EPQ).

We do not require applicants to write a Personal Statement.

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ): Alongside our extensive A level offering, students are offered the opportunity to gain an Extended Project Qualification (Level 3). This research based qualification is an ideal way to prepare ahead of further academic studies and / or the working world. Students are able to research, plan and realise a 5000 word study on a topic of their choosing. Topics are wide ranging. Many students choose to explore topics that either complement their interests and academic studies or create a bridge to future career aspirations, for example in law or medicine. An EPQ provides ideal content for CVs, university applications and is worth up to 28 UCAS points. Importantly, many universities will lower their offer to students studying an EPQ because they recognise the skills and expertise students gain from studying an EPQ.

From September 2015, students have been following the new 2 year linear AQA course for A Level Business. Business is front-page news. The way companies operate is under greater scrutiny than ever before, while TV programmes like ‘The Apprentice’ and ‘Dragon’s Den’ have raised the profile of Business to a new generation. The new specifications bring the subject up-to-date, enabling students to engage with, explore and understand business behaviour and develop a critical understanding of what business is and does.

Year 12 (first year): An introduction to key business areas: marketing, operations, finance and human resource management. This includes a special focus on decision making – particularly how decisions made in one area can affect the rest of the business. Content Topic 1 – What is business? Topic 2 – Managers, leadership and decision-making Topic 3 – Decision-making to improve marketing performance Topic 4 – Decision-making to improve operational performance Topic 5 – Decision-making to improve financial performance Topic 6 – Decision-making to improve human resource performance.

Year 13 (second year): An investigation of the strategic decisions that all businesses have to make. Content Topic 7 – Analysing the strategic position of a business Topic 8 – Choosing the strategic direction Topic 9 – Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies Topic 10 – Managing strategic change.

A Level Assessment: A Level assessment consists of three two hour written exams taken at the end of the two year course. Each exam will be worth a third of the A Level. All three papers will draw on material from the whole course, and will feature a range of question styles including multiple choice questions, short answer questions, essay questions, data response questions and case studies.

As above.

There is no requirement to have taken Business Studies at GCSE. If you have studied GCSE Business Studies then at least a Grade 5 is required. Also, at least Grade 5 in GCSE Maths and English.

You could take this course to complement other Advanced Level courses such as Accounting, which could lead onto Higher Education in areas of Business, Marketing, Accounting or more general Higher Education courses. With further training, you could go into a job related to Business Studies, Marketing, Finance and Accounting, Human Resources and Public Relations.