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Study the AQA GCSE (9 to 1) Business 8132 online with a named UK tutor, and sit the same GCSE taken in UK schools at a Tutors & Exams centre near you. Two written papers built around case studies and data.
| Qualification | GCSE Business Studies |
|---|---|
| Level | Level 1/2, grades 9 to 1 |
| Awarding body | AQA |
| Qualification number | 603/0304/9 |
| Exams | Exam entry and seat booking are through Tutors & Exams, and only on the +Exams plan. |
| Price | £39.99 a month, or £407.99 in total |
| Typical duration | 12 to 18 months, or faster if you study more each week |
| Age | Open to anyone aged 14 or over. Under 18s enrol with a parent or guardian's permission and support. |
| Who it suits | You want a GCSE that connects to work, whether you are heading for a business apprenticeship, a college course or your own venture. |
Yes. Adults of any age can study AQA GCSE Business 8132 online with Lift College and sit the same two papers as school candidates, as a private candidate at a Tutors & Exams centre. There are no formal entry qualifications and no upper age limit. It suits adults heading for a business apprenticeship or a college course, or planning their own venture, and the papers are built around case studies and data, so experience of work helps but is not required. Both papers are 1 hour 45 minutes, untiered, and sat in the May/June series, which is the only series for Business. There is no coursework. Most adults study 6 to 12 hours a week and finish in 12 to 18 months, or sooner with more weekly study. On +Exams we enter you before the AQA deadline and book your seat; exam entry is only on +Exams. Our guide on sitting GCSEs as a private candidate explains the process.
GCSE Business at Lift College costs £39.99 a month on Study or £69.99 a month on +Exams. Paying annually saves 15%: £407.99 a year for Study or £713.99 a year for +Exams. Study gives you the full course, your named UK tutor and marked practice; 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. 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.
Comparing providers? Our guide to the best online GCSE Business courses in the UK sets Lift College alongside the other main providers.
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 and +Exams & CPAC 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.
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.
The hardest part of studying a GCSE 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.
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.
Start your free trial, meet your named UK tutor and work through the AQA specification at your own pace.
On +Exams, Lift College submits your AQA entry and books your place at the Tutors & Exams centre you choose, before the entry deadline.
Trained invigilators, a room built for formal assessment, and a AQA certificate identical to a school candidate's.
There is no minimum study time. Most learners spend 6 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.
The AQA 8132 specification has six content areas. Business in the real world and Influences on business appear on both papers; the other four are split between them. Open each content area to see what it covers.
Two equally weighted papers, 1 hour 45 minutes and 90 marks each
Every unit works through a real or realistic business, so you practise the data response and extended answer skills the papers reward.
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.
On +Exams your entry and your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre are booked for you and the fees are included.
Two written papers of 1 hour 45 minutes, each 90 marks and worth 50%, both sat in the same May/June series. Each paper has a Section A of multiple choice and short answer questions and two case study or data response sections. There is no coursework and no tiering. Grades run from 9 to 1.
| Paper | Length | Marks | Weighting | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Influences of operations and HRM on business activity | 1 hour 45 minutes | 90 marks | 50% | Business in the real world; Influences on business; Business operations; Human resources. Section A: multiple choice and short answer (20 marks). Section B: case study or data response (approximately 34 marks). Section C: case study or data response (approximately 36 marks). |
| Paper 2: Influences of marketing and finance on business activity | 1 hour 45 minutes | 90 marks | 50% | Business in the real world; Influences on business; Marketing; Finance. Same section structure as Paper 1. |
The same qualified UK subject expert supports you from enrolment through to your exam series.
Exam style tasks with individual written feedback within 5 to 7 working days.
Unit scores and topic strengths on your dashboard, which your tutor uses to tailor feedback.
A timed mock paper and a written summary of what to focus on before you are entered.
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.
Full access for 7 days. Your first payment is on day 8, and you can cancel any time before then from your account.
£69.99/month from day 8
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£69.99£59.49/month, for life
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“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.”
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Aisha K. · LondonAccess to HE Diploma (Nursing)Yes. It is the same AQA 8132 specification, the same papers, the same grading and the same certificate as the GCSE sat in UK schools and colleges. The only difference is how you study: online, at your own pace, with a named tutor.
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.
Some. You will calculate percentages, averages, revenue, costs, profit, break-even and cash flow, and interpret charts and tables. A calculator is allowed in both papers and the course teaches every calculation from scratch.
No. GCSE Business is 100% examined through two written papers of 1 hour 45 minutes each. Each paper mixes multiple choice, short answer and extended response questions built around business case studies.
Every GCSE on this page apart from English Language and Mathematics is examined once a year, in the May/June series. All papers are sat in the same series. 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.
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 GCSE can be sat online.
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 AQA or Eduqas entry fee and the Tutors & Exams centre fee are included in the price. GCSEs are Level 2 qualifications, so Advanced Learner Loans do not apply and we do not offer them.
The full course, your named UK tutor, marked practice in every unit, mock papers and AI Study Support.
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.
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 and the fees.
Most learners take 12 to 18 months from enrolment to sitting the exams, studying 6 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.
On Lift College's +Exams plan, GCSE Business is £69.99 a month or £713.99 a year, with your AQA entry and Tutors & Exams centre fees included and your seat booked for you. The Study plan is £39.99 a month or £407.99 a year; exam entry is only on +Exams.
No. There are no formal entry qualifications, and the course is open to anyone aged 14 or over. Under 18s enrol with a parent or guardian's permission and support.
A UK adviser calls you back within 2 working hours, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. No sales script.
