AQA GCSE Business
Explore your course, one topic at a time.
Course 8132Official specification (opens in a new tab)
Course version · 8132Version from Sept 2017Change version
Choose the version your school teaches. Your teacher can confirm which one, including for resits.
Explore your topics
34 study areas
The purpose and nature of businesses1 topic
Business ownership1 topic
Setting business aims and objectives1 topic
Stakeholders1 topic
Business location1 topic
Business planning1 topic
Expanding a business1 topic
Influences on business7 study areas
Business operations5 study areas
Human resources5 study areas
Marketing5 study areas
Assessment and exam guidance
Assessment Objectives
AO1
35%Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of business concepts and issues.
AO2
35%Apply knowledge and understanding of business concepts and issues to a variety of contexts.
AO3
30%Analyse and evaluate business information and issues to demonstrate understanding of business activity, make judgements and draw conclusions.
Exam Structure
AQA GCSE (8132)
Paper 1: Influences of operations and HRM on business activity
1h 45m
Duration
90
Marks
50%
Weighting
Paper 2: Influences of marketing and finance on business activity
1h 45m
Duration
90
Marks
50%
Weighting
Tips and common mistakes
Common Exam Mistakes
Pitfalls to avoid in your exams
- •Stating that all businesses exist only to maximise profit; correction: many businesses also pursue survival, growth, social or community purposes.
- •Confusing purpose with a specific objective, such as 'to increase sales by 10%'; correction: purpose is the overall reason for existing, while objectives are measurable targets that support it.
- •Describing inputs and outputs without linking them to customer needs; correction: explain that the purpose is to create value by satisfying customer needs and wants.
- •Assuming everyone starts a business solely to become rich; correction: many are motivated by independence, passion, flexibility or social aims.
- •Listing reasons without explaining them; correction: develop each reason by stating why it matters to the entrepreneur and what it leads to.
- •Confusing a reason for starting with a business objective; correction: a reason is the underlying motivation, while an objective is a measurable target such as survival in the first year.
- •Confusing types of business (start-ups, SMEs, large, local, national, international, multinational) with business ownership structures (sole traders, limited companies); correction: types refer to size and scale, ownership refers to legal structure.
- •Treating marketing as only advertising; correction: marketing also covers market research, pricing, distribution and product decisions.
Top Examiner Tips
Expert advice for exam success
- •Use the phrase 'meet customer needs and wants' when defining purpose, then add one other purpose to show range.
- •Apply your answer to a named business or type of business to make the explanation concrete.
- •If asked to explain, develop each point with a consequence, such as how purpose affects whether profit is reinvested or taken as income.
- •Choose two or three distinct reasons and explain each one rather than listing many briefly.
- •Link each reason to a consequence for the business, such as how wanting independence might lead an entrepreneur to remain a sole trader.
- •Use a real or hypothetical example to show understanding, but keep the focus on the reason and its effect.
- •Read the command word carefully: describe requires features, whereas explain requires reasons or consequences.
- •Use a named or realistic business context to make function and type links concrete.
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