Quick answer: AQA publishes A Level Business past papers, mark schemes and examiners' reports free on its website, and most stay up for three years. Almost all of them are for the old specification, 7132, which is sat for the last time in summer 2027. The new specification, 7138, was first taught in September 2026 and is first examined in summer 2028, so for 7138 there are only AQA's sample assessment materials so far. Old 7132 papers are still useful practice for the new course because most of the topics carry over, but the question styles are different, so use them by topic and use the 7138 sample papers to practise the new format.
Which AQA A Level Business specification are you taking?
Check this first, because it decides which papers match your exam.
| 7132 (old specification) | 7138 (new specification) | |
|---|---|---|
| First taught | September 2015 | September 2026 |
| Exams | First sat in May/June 2017; last series June 2027, with no resits after | First series summer 2028 |
| Papers | Three, 2 hours each | Three, 2 hours each |
| Marks per paper | 100 | 90 |
| Weighting | 33.3% each | 33.3% each |
| Question types | Multiple choice, short answer, essays, data response and a case study | Two case studies per paper, each with five compulsory questions |
| Past papers | Yes, on AQA's website | Not yet; sample assessment materials only |
If you are taking your A Level in summer 2027, you are on 7132 and its past papers match your exam exactly. If you start now, your exams will be 7138, from summer 2028 at the earliest. Lift College teaches 7138.
Where to find AQA A Level Business past papers
AQA's past papers and mark schemes finder holds question papers, mark schemes and examiners' reports for 7132 Papers 1, 2 and 3. Search for Business, choose A-level and filter by series. AQA says most past papers stay on its website for three years, because of copyright restrictions.
New papers reach the public about a year after the exam. Schools can download them through AQA's Centre Services soon after each series, but for the public website AQA's timetable gives a release date in July of the following year: the June 2026 papers, mark schemes and reports are due on 9 July 2027.
For 7138, AQA has published sample assessment materials on the 7138 assessment resources page, with mark schemes and item commentaries showing how marks are awarded. Use the versions on AQA's site rather than older copies, because AQA finalised the sample papers after the specification was accredited in October 2025.
For how AQA past papers work across subjects, see our guide to AQA past papers.
How the 7132 papers are set out
Every 7132 paper is a 2-hour written exam worth 100 marks and a third of the A Level, and every paper can draw on any part of the specification.
- Paper 1 (Business 1): 15 multiple choice questions (15 marks), short answer questions (35 marks), then two essays chosen from two pairs (25 marks each).
- Paper 2 (Business 2): three compulsory data response questions of about 33 marks each, each in three or four parts.
- Paper 3 (Business 3): one compulsory case study followed by about six questions.
How the 7138 papers are set out
Every 7138 paper is also 2 hours and a third of the A Level, but worth 90 marks, which gives you more time per mark. Each paper is tied to one unit instead of the whole specification:
- Paper 1: Unit 3.1, What is business? Managing marketing and finance.
- Paper 2: Unit 3.2, Managing people and operations, with links to Unit 3.1.
- Paper 3: Unit 3.3, Business and society, the external environment and strategy, with links to Units 3.1 and 3.2.
All three papers have the same structure: two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks. There are no multiple choice questions and no essay choices. AQA describes the change as fewer question types, more time per mark and simplified command words, with the same structure across the papers.
How to use 7132 past papers if you are taking 7138
Most 7132 topic areas carry over into 7138, though some are renamed or regrouped: marketing, finance and operations management continue, human resource management becomes people management, and strategy and change sit together in Unit 3.3. That makes the old papers a good bank of practice questions, as long as you use them the right way.
- Use them by topic, not as whole papers. A 7132 paper mixes the whole specification. Sort its questions by the 7138 unit they belong to, so you revise Unit 3.1 questions for Paper 1, Unit 3.2 for Paper 2 and Unit 3.3 for Paper 3.
- Lean on the case study and data response questions. 7132 Paper 3 (one long case study) and Paper 2 (data response) are the closest to the 7138 format. The 7132 multiple choice and essay sections are still good for checking knowledge, but they are not how 7138 asks questions.
- Read the mark schemes for the levels, not just the answers. 7132 mark schemes show how examiners reward analysis and evaluation in the longer answers. That judgement carries over even though the 7138 questions and mark totals are different.
- Read the examiners' reports. They explain where candidates lost marks, such as not using the case study data or giving one-sided conclusions.
- Finish with 7138 sample papers under timed conditions. Once you have worked through the topics, sit AQA's 7138 sample papers in 2 hours each, so you practise the two-case-study format and the timing you will face.
Do not rely on 7132 papers alone, because AQA has updated the content as well as the papers. Check the 7138 specification and your course materials for anything the old papers do not cover.
Can you sit A Level Business as an adult?
Yes. Adults can study A Level Business online and sit the papers as a private candidate at an approved exam centre, with the same certificate as a school candidate. Lift College teaches AQA 7138 online with a named UK tutor who marks your practice answers, with timed mock papers and written feedback before you are entered. The course is open to anyone aged 14 or over (under 18s enrol with a parent or guardian's permission and support), and there are no formal entry requirements; GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 5 or above is recommended, not required.
It costs £49.99 a month on Study, or £89.99 a month on +Exams, which adds your AQA entry and centre fees and books your seat at one of ten Tutors & Exams centres in England. Paying annually saves 15%. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, with nothing charged until day 8, and there is no contract. Most learners study 8 to 12 hours a week and finish in 12 to 18 months, so learners starting now sit the 7138 exams in summer 2028 at the earliest. See the A Level Business Studies online course, A Level private exam centres, can you do A Levels online?, or how we compare in the best online A Level Business Studies courses in the UK. All our subjects are on the online A Levels page.
Sources checked
- AQA, A-level Business (7132), specification at a glance: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/a-level/business-7132/specification/specification-at-a-glance
- AQA, A-level Business (7132), scheme of assessment: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/a-level/business-7132/specification/scheme-of-assessment
- AQA, Exam series guide 2026/27 (subjects being withdrawn): https://www.aqa.org.uk/files/250c3739-8bd0-4cef-ba84-eb952633ae5a/f324cc38590d0d66ffae6da72da013c16ed3afb2.pdf
- AQA, A-level Business (7138): https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/a-level/business-7138
- AQA, AS and A-level Business accredited for teaching from 2026 (news, October 2025): https://www.aqa.org.uk/news/as-a-level-business-accredited-teaching-from-2026
- AQA, A-level Business (7138) assessment resources: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/a-level/business-7138/assessment-resources
- AQA, Past papers and mark schemes finder: https://www.aqa.org.uk/past-papers-and-mark-schemes-finder
- AQA, What's available when: https://www.aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/exams-guidance/find-past-papers-and-mark-schemes/whats-available-when
- Lift College, A Level Business Studies online (AQA 7138), course facts and prices as live on 12 October 2026: https://liftcollege.co.uk/qualifications/a-levels/a-level-business-studies