Specifications that use this resource:

Switching to AQA: from OCR

To save you time and help you compare our A-level Business with the OCR specification, we’ve created some comparison tables.

These tables highlight the content and requirements side by side, so you can make the right choice for your students.

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Assessment structure

Paper 1

AQA – A-level Business

OCR – A-level Business

Business 1

Operating in a local business environment

Written exam

Written exam

2 hours

2 hours

100 marks (33.3% of A-level)

80 marks (33.3% of A-level)

Paper 2

AQA – A-level Business

OCR – A-level Business

Business 2

The UK business environment

Written exam

Written exam

2 hours

2 hours

100 marks (33.3% of A-level)

80 marks (33.3% of A-level)

Paper 3

AQA – A-level Business

OCR – A-level Business

Business 3

The global business environment

Written exam

Written exam

2 hours

2 hours

100 marks (33.3% of A-level)

80 marks (33.3% of A-level)

Subject content

Paper 1

AQA – A-level Business

OCR – A-level Business

Section A:

Multiple choice questions, worth 15 marks.

Section B:

Short answer questions, worth 35 marks.

Sections C and D:

Two essay questions (there is a choice of one from two for each essay), worth 25 marks each.

  • 3.1 What is business?
  • 3.2 Managers, leadership and decision making
  • 3.3 Marketing management
  • 3.4 Operational management
  • 3.5 Financial management
  • 3.6 Human resource management
  • 3.7 Analysing the strategic position of a business
  • 3.8 Choosing strategic direction
  • 3.9 Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
  • 3.10 managing strategic change

Section A:

Multiple choice questions, worth 15 marks drawn from the whole subject content.

Section B:

Data response questions which relate to the Resource booklet.

  • Introduction to business
  • Business objectives and strategy
  • External influences
  • Change
  • Accounting and finance within a business   environment
  • Management accounting
  • Financial accounting
  • Accounting and finance within the external   environment
  • The finance strategy
  • Human resource management within a business   environment
  • The workforce
  • Management
  • Human resources within the external environment
  • The human resources strategy
  • Marketing within a business environment
  • Customer needs
  • The marketing strategy
  • Marketing within the external environment
  • Operations management within a business environment
  • The production process
  • Productive efficiency
  • Productive quality (fit for purpose)
  • Operations management within the external   environment
  • The operations strategy

Paper 2

AQA – A-level Business

OCR – A-level Business

Three data response compulsory questions worth approximately 33 marks each and made up of three or four part questions.

Content as Paper 1.

Section A:

Short answer questions worth a total of 20 marks that are drawn from the whole subject content.

Section B:

Extended response questions which relate to the Resource booklet.

Content as Paper 1.

Paper 3

AQA – A-level Business

OCR – A-level Business

One compulsory case study followed by approximately six questions.

Content as Paper 1.

Data response questions and extended response questions which relate to the Resource booklet.

Content as Paper 1.