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Best online A Level Business Studies courses in the UK (2026 comparison)

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Last reviewed 9 min readBy Lift College

A Level guide

The best online A Level Business Studies course for most adults is one that teaches the same specification as schools, gives you a named tutor who marks your work, and books your exam for you so you are not left hunting for a centre. Lift College's online A Level Business Studies course follows AQA 7138 (QAN 610/6449/X) and costs £49.99 a month on the Study plan or £89.99 a month on +Exams, which adds exam entry and centre fees with your seat booked at one of 10 Tutors & Exams centres. You sit the written papers in the May/June series, start with a 7-day free trial (nothing charged until day 8), and can enrol from age 14 (under 18s with a parent or guardian's permission and support). Below we compare Lift College with five other providers, using each provider's own page as read on 11 October 2026.

What to look for in an online A Level Business Studies course

  1. The qualification itself. Check the exact specification and awarding body. Lift College teaches AQA 7138; other providers may teach a different board with different papers and set content.
  2. Whether exam entry is included. Many course prices exclude exam entry and centre fees, which you pay to a centre yourself.
  3. Who books the exam. Every A Level is sat in person. A provider that books your seat saves you finding a centre that accepts private candidates.
  4. Tutor support and marking. Look for a named tutor who marks your practice and returns it quickly, not just access to videos.
  5. Commitment and refunds. Compare a cancellable monthly plan with a fixed price or credit agreement, and check trial or refund terms.
  6. Which specification. AQA 7138 (Lift College) and Edexcel 9BS0 (Open Study College, CloudLearn) are different specifications with different papers and set content, and NEC's page says its AQA course moves to Pearson Edexcel International after 31 October 2026. If you are resitting, match the board you sat before.

2026 comparison table

2026 comparison table
ProviderPriceExam board and specificationExam entry includedTutor supportFree trial or refund
Lift CollegeStudy £49.99 a month or £509.99 a year; +Exams £89.99 a month (9-month expected term) or £917.99 a year. Annual billing saves 15%AQA 7138 A Level, QAN 610/6449/XYes on +Exams: entry and centre fees included, seat booked at a Tutors & Exams centre. Exam entry is only on +ExamsNamed UK tutor, marked practice, marking in 5 to 7 working days7-day free trial, nothing charged until day 8; 14-day money-back guarantee on every payment; no contract, no credit check
NEC (National Extension College)£730 single payment, or £73 deposit then £54.75 a month for 12 months at 0% APR (six or 12 month plans)AQA 7132 (the page says the last AQA enrolment date is 31 October 2026, after which it moves to Pearson Edexcel International)No. "Any fees in relation to exam entries or assessments are not covered by your course fee"; a guaranteed exam place is listed, and NEC says it is a JCQ-approved exam centre24 months 1-2-1 tutor guidanceNo free trial on the page; refund terms not on the course page (Check provider)
Open Study CollegeCourse only £449 (shown against £499), or from £15.88 a month; Course + exams (Birmingham) £1,249; Course + exams (other centres) £1,289Edexcel 9BS0On the exam packages OSC books and pays: "we will take care of booking and paying for your exams for you"; course only does not include examsUnlimited tutor support throughout the course; 24 months to complete14-Day Money-Back Guarantee; no free trial on the page
ICS Learn£440 total: £62 deposit then £63 a month over 6 months, interest freeAQA 7132No. "Your exam fees aren't included in the course cost as you'll pay these directly to your exam centre"; you book your own centre about six months aheadExtended support until summer 2028 results; tutor-marked practice testsNot on the page (Check provider)
CloudLearn£399 (the page also shows £499), or from £14.12 a month; 3-month plans interest free, longer plans subject to interestEdexcel 9BS0No. "Additional exam fees apply"; CloudLearn finds the centre and books the exam for youUnlimited 1:1 support from a dedicated tutor for 24 monthsFree trial lesson; 14-day money-back guarantee
Oxbridge Home LearningCourse Only £395 or Oxbridge Experience £597 (shown against £995); its A Level listing shows "From £495"AQA 7132Not stated as included: "You can purchase your exams when you enrol on a course, or you can book them later via MyOxbridge"; guaranteed exam spaces at partnership centres, or register as a private candidate at a centre of your choiceUnlimited support for 24 months (48-hour responses on Course Only)No free trial or refund terms on the page (Check provider)

Oxbridge Ltd, trading as Oxbridge Home Learning, entered administration on 1 October 2025 according to Companies House; its website continues to trade.

Each cell reflects the provider's own page on 11 October 2026; confirm before you enrol. For how Lift College's plans work, see A Level funding and costs.

How the exam works for adults

A Level Business cannot be sat online. Adults sit the same written papers as school candidates, in person at an approved centre, as private candidates, and receive the same certificate. On AQA 7138 there are three written papers of 2 hours, each 90 marks and worth 33.3%. 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, and Paper 3 covers Unit 3.3 with links to Units 3.1 and 3.2. There is no non-exam assessment, so the A Level is 100% examined.

There is one series a year for A Levels, May/June. All papers are sat in the same series, and any non-exam assessment is submitted in the same year. On Lift College's +Exams plan, Lift enters you before AQA's deadline and books your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre in Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Mitcham, Newcastle, Romford, St Neots and Taunton. If you would rather find a centre yourself, our guide to A Level private exam centres explains the process, and retaking A Levels in 2026/27 covers resits.

Who should choose which

  • You want the exam booked for you and a low monthly cost: Lift College +Exams at £89.99 a month, with entry and centre fees built in. Monthly +Exams has a 9-month expected term; you can cancel any time with no exit fee, but unused exam credit is forfeited.
  • You want to study first and decide on the exam later: Lift College Study at £49.99 a month, or the course-only options at Open Study College, CloudLearn or ICS Learn.
  • You prefer one fixed price and long tutor access: NEC (£730, 24 months of tutor guidance) or Lift College's annual plan (£509.99 on Study, £917.99 on +Exams). Remember NEC's price excludes exam fees.
  • You are resitting: match the specification you sat before. Lift College teaches AQA 7138; see the table for which boards the other providers use.

All 11 Lift College A Level subjects are listed on the A Level hub, and can you do A Levels online? explains how online study and in-person exams fit together.

Your next step

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best online A Level Business Studies course in the UK?
The best course is the one that matches your goal, but for most adults that means the current AQA specification, a named tutor and an exam that is booked for you. Lift College's AQA 7138 course offers all three on the +Exams plan at £89.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial.
How much does an online A Level Business Studies course cost in the UK?
On 11 October 2026 one-off course prices were £399 (CloudLearn), £440 (ICS Learn), £449 (Open Study College, course only) and £730 (NEC), all before exam fees, while Open Study College's course with exams was £1,249 (Birmingham) or £1,289 (other centres); Oxbridge Home Learning's A Level listing showed "From £495". Lift College is £49.99 a month on Study, or £89.99 a month on +Exams with entry and centre fees included.
Can I study A Level Business Studies online and sit the exam as a private candidate in the UK?
Yes. You study online and sit the written papers in person at an approved exam centre as a private candidate. On Lift College's +Exams plan your entry is made for you and your seat is booked at one of 10 Tutors & Exams centres in England; on Study you can enter yourself at a centre that accepts private candidates.
Do I need GCSE Business to start A Level Business Studies online?
No. Lift College recommends GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 5 or above because the papers use extended writing and quantitative data, but this is recommended rather than required, and GCSE Business is not needed.
Does Lift College's A Level Business Studies price include the exam?
Only on +Exams. At £89.99 a month it includes exam entry and centre fees, with your seat booked at a Tutors & Exams centre; exam entry is only on +Exams, and the Study plan is £49.99 a month.

Sources checked