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A Level On the Ofqual register · 7138From £49.99/mo

A Level Business Studies Online Course

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Study the AQA A Level Business 7138 online with a named UK tutor, and sit the same A Level taken in UK schools and colleges at a Tutors & Exams centre near you. Three equally weighted written papers built around case studies.

Course facts
QualificationA Level Business Studies
LevelLevel 3
Awarding bodyAQA
Qualification number610/6449/X
ExamsExam entry and seat booking are through Tutors & Exams, and only on the +Exams plan.
Price£49.99 a month, or £509.99 a year
Typical duration12 to 18 months, or faster if you study more each week
AgeOpen to anyone aged 14 or over. Under 18s enrol with a parent or guardian's permission and support.
Who it suitsYou want A Level Business for a business, management, marketing, finance or economics degree, or a degree apprenticeship.

Studying A Level Business Studies online as an adult

Yes. Adults of any age can study AQA 7138 online with Lift College and sit the same papers as school candidates (three 2-hour papers of 90 marks each, all case-study based, with no coursework), as a private candidate at a Tutors & Exams centre. 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 qualifications. The recommended starting point is GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 5 or above, because the papers use extended writing and quantitative data; this is recommended, not required, and GCSE Business is not needed. A Levels are examined once a year, in the May/June series, and all papers are sat in the same series. There is no coursework or non-exam assessment, so the A Level is 100% examined. Most learners spend 8 to 12 hours a week and finish in 12 to 18 months, or faster if they study more each week. On +Exams we enter you before AQA's deadline and book your seat at one of ten Tutors & Exams centres in England; exam entry is only on +Exams. Our guide to A Level private exam centres explains the process, and can you do A Levels online? covers how online study and in-person exams fit together.

What A Level Business Studies costs online

A Level Business Studies at Lift College costs £49.99 a month on Study or £89.99 a month on +Exams. Paying annually saves 15%: £509.99 a year for Study or £917.99 a year for +Exams. Study gives you the full course, your named UK tutor, marked practice in every unit, mock papers and AI Study Support; exam entry is only on +Exams. +Exams adds your AQA exam entry and Tutors & Exams centre fees, with your seat booked for you. Monthly +Exams has a 9-month expected term because exam fees are built in: you can cancel any time with no exit fee, but unused exam credit is forfeited and unbooked exams are void; no term applies if you pay annually. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, with nothing charged until day 8, no contract, no credit check and a 14-day money-back guarantee on every payment. Start now without the trial and every payment is 15% lower for life. We do not offer Advanced Learner Loans or third-party finance.

Comparing providers? Our guide to the best online A Level Business Studies courses in the UK sets Lift College alongside NEC, Open Study College, ICS Learn, CloudLearn and Oxbridge Home Learning, with each provider's price, exam board and exam arrangements as published on 11 October 2026.

How exams work£0 today. Nothing is charged until day 8. Cancel any time from your account.
AQA
Awarded by AQAQualification number 610/6449/X. Same papers, same certificate as school candidates.
Tutors and Exams, exam centre partner
Exams at 10 Tutors & Exams centresOur official exam centre partner. On +Exams we enter you and book your seat.
Independent reviewsEvery review on our Trustpilot page is from a Lift College learner.
AQA
Awarding
body
When do you want to start?
£89.99/month · +Exams
Start 7-day free trial
£0 today. Nothing is charged until day 8. Cancel any time from your account.
7-day free trial
14-day money back on every payment
No contract, cancel any time from your account
No credit check
Exams sat at 10 Tutors & Exams centres
LevelLevel 3
SpecificationAQA 7138
Exams3 written papers, 2 hours each
UCAS pointsUp to 56
Exam seriesMay/June
Typical duration12 to 18 months
CourseworkNone. 100% examined
How paying works

Try it free. Stay while it works for you. Leave whenever you like.

There is no course fee to find, no finance agreement to sign and no debt to worry about. Your first 7 days are free, then you pay for the month you are in, and every payment is covered by the 14-day money back guarantee. Prefer to start now? Pay today instead of taking the trial and every payment is 15% lower for life, with the same 14-day guarantee.

+Exams on Monthly: Monthly comes with a 9-month expected term because exam fees are built in. Cancel any time, no exit fee; exam credit you have not used is forfeited and unbooked exams are void. Pay annually and no term applies.

The Lift College promise

You never sign a credit agreement with us, so there is no debt and nothing for anyone to chase. If you stop paying, you simply stop studying. No finance company, no loan and no letters.

Start your free trial
Your exams, handled

Ten centres across England. One partner. Your seat booked for you.

The hardest part of studying an A Level outside school has always been the exam. Lift College and Tutors & Exams remove it: you study online with us, and you sit the same AQA papers as any school candidate at a professional Tutors & Exams centre, with your entry, venue and invigilation arranged through the partnership.

Tutors and Exams, exam centre partner
Specialist private-candidate exam centres. Lift College's official exam centre partner.
10dedicated exam centres across England, 10 approved for A Levels
95%+of GCSE and A Level specifications assessed
63%of UK adults live within reach of a centre
DBSevery centre staff member trained and enhanced DBS checked
JCQ compliant and approved by
JCQ, Joint Council for QualificationsAQAPearson EdexcelCambridge OCREduqas, part of WJECCambridge International Education
Figures and approvals published by Tutors & Exams, tutorsandexams.uk, September 2026.
May/June seriesMay to June

Runs from May to June. The one series each year; all papers are sat in the same series.

On +Exams we enter you before AQA's deadline for the series you choose.

1
Enrol and study online

Start your free trial, meet your named UK tutor and work through the AQA specification at your own pace.

2
We enter you and book your seat

On +Exams, Lift College submits your AQA entry and books your place at the Tutors & Exams centre you choose, before the entry deadline.

3
Sit the same papers, get the same certificate

Trained invigilators, a room built for formal assessment, and a AQA certificate identical to a school candidate's.

BirminghamBoltonCoventryDoncasterHigh WycombeMitchamNewcastleRomfordSt NeotsTauntonFind your nearest centre →
On +ExamsYour AQA entry fee and centre fee are included in the monthly price. We enter you before the deadline and confirm your seat by email.
Access arrangementsExtra time, a reader or scribe, rest breaks or a separate room are arranged by Tutors & Exams' in-house SEN team, free at the point of delivery, with evidence of your normal way of working.
“The one thing we could not control was the exam day itself, and now we can. Our learners are in the safest possible hands.”Kate Strohm, Managing Director, Lift College
“No learner should find their opportunities limited simply because they study outside of a traditional school or college setting.”Ben Connors, Managing Director, Tutors & Exams
Who this is for

This course is for you if

  • You want A Level Business for a business, management, marketing, finance or economics degree, or a degree apprenticeship.
  • You are resitting or returning to study and want the same A Level, from the same awarding body, that is sat in UK schools and colleges, with UCAS points on results day.
  • You run or work in a business and want the frameworks, finance and strategy behind the decisions you already make.
  • You are an adult returning to study who wants a recognised A Level at your own pace, with a tutor who marks your work and a clear route to the exam.
What you will need

Entry requirements

  • Open to anyone aged 14 or over. Under 18s enrol with a parent or guardian's permission and support. There are no formal entry qualifications.
  • Recommended starting point: GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 5 or above, because the papers use extended writing and quantitative data. This is recommended, not required. GCSE Business is not needed.
  • A computer, tablet or phone with internet access, and a notebook or a way to write and upload your practice answers. A calculator is allowed in all three papers.
  • The ability to attend a Tutors & Exams centre in England for your written papers.

There is no minimum study time. Most learners spend 8 to 12 hours a week and finish in 12 to 18 months, or faster if you study more each week. Assignments are for feedback and do not count towards your grade; the qualification is 100% examined.

What you'll study

Every topic in the AQA 7138 specification, in one course

The AQA 7138 specification has three units. Unit 3.1 covers the core of business and how marketing and finance are managed; Unit 3.2 covers people and operations; Unit 3.3 covers business and society, the external environment and strategy. Open each topic to see what it covers.

Three equally weighted papers, 2 hours and 90 marks each

1What is business? Managing marketing and finance
Unit 3.1 · Paper 1
  • The nature and purpose of business, forms of business and the business environment
  • Managers, leadership and decision making
  • Decision making to improve marketing performance
  • Decision making to improve financial performance
2Managing people and operations
Unit 3.2 · Paper 2, with links to Unit 3.1
  • Decision making to improve operational performance
  • Decision making to improve human resource performance
3Business and society, the external environment and strategy
Unit 3.3 · Paper 3, with links to Units 3.1 and 3.2
  • Analysing the strategic position of a business
  • Choosing strategic direction and how to pursue strategies
  • Managing strategic change
Step 1Learn through case studies

Every unit works through real and realistic businesses, so you practise the data response and evaluative writing the papers reward.

Step 2Practise under exam conditions

Every unit ends with marked, exam style questions. Before entry you sit full timed mock papers with written feedback returned within 5 to 7 working days.

Step 3Sit all three papers in one series

On +Exams your entry and your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre are booked for you and the fees are included.

Read the full AQA specification ↗Lift College teaches to the current AQA specification, so what you study is exactly what is examined.
Assessment

How you are assessed

Three written papers of 2 hours, each 90 marks and worth 33.3%, all sat in the same May/June series. Each paper presents two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks. Paper 1 covers Unit 3.1; Paper 2 covers Unit 3.2 with links to Unit 3.1; Paper 3 covers Unit 3.3 with links to Units 3.1 and 3.2. There is no non-exam assessment. Grades run from A* to E, with U below E.

PaperLengthMarksWeightingContent
Paper 12 hours90 marks33.3%Unit 3.1 What is business? Managing marketing and finance. Two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks.
Paper 22 hours90 marks33.3%Unit 3.2 Managing people and operations, with links to Unit 3.1. Two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks.
Paper 32 hours90 marks33.3%Unit 3.3 Business and society, the external environment and strategy, with links to Units 3.1 and 3.2. Two case studies, each followed by five compulsory questions worth 45 marks.
Study support

A named UK tutor from enrolment to exam day

Your named tutor

The same qualified UK subject expert supports you from enrolment through to your exam series.

Marked practice in every unit

Exam style tasks with individual written feedback within 5 to 7 working days.

Progress you can see

Unit scores and topic strengths on your dashboard, which your tutor uses to tailor feedback.

Exam readiness check

A timed mock paper and a written summary of what to focus on before you are entered.

Pricing

Choose how you want to study

Every option includes the full course, tutor marking and study support. The difference is whether we handle your exams. Pick your option, then try it free for 7 days or start now and every payment is 15% lower for life.

Free 7-day trial

£0 today

Full access for 7 days. Your first payment is on day 8, and you can cancel any time before then from your account.

£89.99/month from day 8

£0 today

Start 7-day free trial

14-day money back guarantee. Request a refund within 14 days of any payment.

Start now

15% off for life

Skip the trial and pay today. Every payment is 15% lower for as long as you study.

£89.99£76.49/month, for life

£76.49 today

Start now and pay £76.49

14-day money back guarantee. Request a refund within 14 days of any payment.

Both options include
  • Full course content and tutor marking
  • Named UK tutor and study support
  • Exam entry and centre fees included
  • Exam booking handled for you

Studying more than one course? Save 5% with two, 10% with three, 15% with four or more. Add them in the basket.

What learners say

Reviews from Lift College learners

Read our reviews onTrustpilot

“The flexibility was a game changer for me. I studied around my shifts and my tutor was incredibly supportive throughout.”

Sarah M. · ManchesterAccess to HE Diploma

“I was nervous about going back to study after 15 years, but the platform is so easy to use and the feedback I got on assignments was genuinely useful.”

James P. · BirminghamA Level Biology

“Got into my first-choice university with a place on a Nursing BSc. The Access to HE Diploma gave me exactly what I needed.”

Aisha K. · LondonAccess to HE Diploma (Nursing)
Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same A Level Business as in schools?

Yes. It is the same AQA 7138 specification, the same papers, the same grading and the same certificate as the A Level sat in UK schools and colleges. The only difference is how you study: online, at your own pace, with a named tutor.

How old do I need to be?

Open to anyone aged 14 or over. Under 18s enrol with a parent or guardian's permission and support. There are no formal entry qualifications.

Do I need GCSE Business first?

No. AQA 7138 assumes no prior study of business; the course starts with what a business is and builds from there. A comfortable grasp of percentages and simple graphs helps with the quantitative skills, which make up about 10% of the marks. This is recommended, not required.

Is this the current AQA specification?

Yes. Lift College teaches the current AQA A Level Business specification 7138, with three written papers of 2 hours and 90 marks each, every paper built around two case studies with five compulsory questions on each. Your tutor tells you if AQA announces changes that affect the series you are aiming for.

When can I sit the exams?

A Levels are examined once a year, in the May/June series. All papers are sat in the same series, and any non-exam assessment is submitted in the same year. On +Exams we enter you and book your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre for the series you are ready for; on Study you can arrange your own entry as a private candidate.

Where will I sit the exams?

At one of the ten Tutors & Exams centres across England: Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Mitcham, Newcastle, Romford, St Neots and Taunton. Use the centre finder on this page to see your nearest. Exams are always sat in person at an approved centre; no A Level can be sat online.

How does paying work?

You pay monthly by subscription, or annually up front at the price shown in the plan card, which saves 15% against paying monthly. Every option starts with a 7-day free trial, there is no contract and no credit agreement, and you can cancel from your account at any time. Every payment is covered by 14-day money back. On +Exams the awarding body entry fee and the Tutors & Exams centre fee are included in the price. We do not offer Advanced Learner Loans, student finance or third-party credit; the subscription is the only way to pay.

What does the Study option include?

The full course, your named UK tutor, marked practice in every unit, mock papers and AI Study Support.

What if I stop paying?

You simply stop studying. There is no contract, no credit agreement and no debt. You can cancel from your account at any time and there is 14-day money back on every payment.

Can I sit the exams as a private candidate?

Yes. Lift College learners are entered as private candidates. On +Exams we handle the entry and book your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre, and the entry and centre fees are included. On Study you can enter yourself at a centre that accepts private candidates; you are responsible for that entry, the fees and any non-exam assessment arrangements.

How long does the course take?

Most learners take 12 to 18 months from enrolment to sitting the exams, studying 8 to 12 hours a week. There is no minimum study time and no term dates: you can go faster if you study more each week, or take longer, and your subscription runs for as long as you need it. Marked work is returned within 5 to 7 working days.

How much does A Level Business Studies cost online with the exams included?

On Lift College's +Exams plan, A Level Business Studies is £89.99 a month or £917.99 a year, with your AQA entry and Tutors & Exams centre fees included and your seat booked for you. The Study plan is £49.99 a month or £509.99 a year; exam entry is only on +Exams.

Can I study A Level Business Studies online and sit the exam as a private candidate in the UK?

Yes. You study AQA 7138 online with a named UK tutor and sit the written papers in person at an approved centre as a private candidate, in the May/June series. On +Exams Lift College makes the entry and books your seat at one of ten Tutors & Exams centres in England, with the fees included; on Study you can enter yourself at a centre that accepts private candidates.

Not sure if A Level Business Studies is right for you?

A UK adviser calls you back within 2 working hours, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. No sales script.

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