AQA GCSE Business guide FAQ (8132)
Guide overview All 6 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
AQA GCSE Business: questions and answers
Specification 8132. Two sets, because students and parents ask different things.
For students
Which topics are on which paper?
Paper 1 is Business in the Real World, Influences on Business, Business Operations and Human Resources. Paper 2 is Business in the Real World, Influences on Business, Marketing and Finance.
The first two appear on both. The full breakdown is here.
Are the calculations covered?
Yes. Revenue, fixed and variable costs, total costs and profit, break-even point and margin of safety, cash flow forecasts, gross and net profit margins, average rate of return, and market share and percentage change.
Do I need real business examples?
The papers set questions around a business described on the paper itself, so you do not need your own case studies. What you need is the concept, the definition and the calculation, which is what the guide drills.
How long does one session take?
About twenty minutes for one subtopic, all three steps. Topics here run from 64 to 164 questions.
Can I do it in my head instead of writing?
Write. Business marks turn on precise definitions and on working shown for calculations. The method page sets out the evidence.
When should I start?
Any point in Year 10 or Year 11. Both papers are sat at the end of Year 11 and cover the whole course.
Do I still need past papers?
Yes. This guide handles recall. Past papers train applying it to the business on the paper and the extended evaluative answers. AQA publishes them free.
For parents
What is this, in plain terms?
A PDF of 659 exam-style questions covering the whole of AQA GCSE Business, with the answers printed after each topic.
How do I check it is the right course?
The specification code is on the exam timetable. AQA GCSE Business is 8132.
How do I know if it is being used properly?
There should be handwritten answers on paper and three passes over the same questions, and two scores per session to compare.
My child revises for hours and the grades have not moved.
Rereading and highlighting are the two most common revision activities and both were rated low utility in Dunlosky and colleagues’ 2013 review of ten techniques. The method page sets out what to do instead.
How much is it compared with a textbook?
£7.00 for the whole specification. A GCSE Business revision guide is usually £6 to £10 and a textbook £20 to £30.
How much time does it take?
41 subtopics at roughly twenty minutes each is about 14 hours for a full first pass of the course.
What else does my child need?
Past papers, free from AQA, a calculator, and their own notes for anything not yet taught.
AQA GCSE Business Active Recall Guide
659 questions with their answers, 41 subtopics, one file.