Short answer: a 25-mark AQA Business essay rewards judgement more than knowledge. Evaluation (AO4) carries 10 of the 25 marks, and the top level needs judgements built on your analysis, balanced, and focused on the question throughout [2]. Plan two developed arguments in context, weigh them, then reach a conclusion that says what your answer depends on.
Where the 25-mark essays sit
AQA A-Level Business (7132) has three papers. Paper 1 lasts 2 hours and carries 100 marks. Section A is 15 multiple-choice marks and Section B is 35 marks of short answers. Sections C and D each give you a choice of two essays, and you write one from each, for 25 marks apiece [1].
So the essays are 50 of the 100 marks on Paper 1. The paper allows 120 minutes for 100 marks, which gives roughly 30 minutes per essay. Leave that time. Students who run out of time almost always lose it on the last essay.
June 2027 is the last exam series for this specification. Students who started Year 12 in September 2026 sit a new course with a different format. We explain it in AQA A-Level Business is changing.
Where the 25 marks come from
AQA's mark scheme splits each 25-mark essay across the four assessment objectives [2]:
| Objective | What it rewards | Marks out of 25 |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 Knowledge | Accurate terms, theories and models | 5 |
| AO2 Application | Using them in the business context of the question | 4 |
| AO3 Analysis | Explaining causes and effects in linked steps | 6 |
| AO4 Evaluation | Weighing the arguments and reaching a judgement | 10 |
Evaluation is the single biggest block. An essay full of correct definitions can still finish in the middle levels, because knowledge carries only 5 marks.
What separates the levels
Essays are marked in five levels. The difference between the middle and the top is mostly about how your judgements are built [2]:
- Level 3 (11–15 marks): analysis covers only some issues. Judgements follow from the analysis but lack balance and do not fully answer the question as a whole.
- Level 4 (16–20 marks): a range of issues, well analysed. Judgements are balanced and address the whole question.
- Level 5 (21–25 marks): precise, well-chosen knowledge and a balanced range of issues. Judgements are built effectively on the analysis, and the focus on the question holds throughout.
One more rule matters. When a question names a factor, you must analyse that factor. In June 2025, answers that ignored the named factor were capped at Level 2, a maximum of 9 marks [2].
A five-part plan that reaches Level 5
- Define and frame (2 minutes of writing). Define the key term in one sentence. Say what the question is really asking you to decide.
- Argument one, fully developed. Make a point, apply it to the business, then build a chain of three or four linked steps to an outcome such as profit, market share or costs.
- Argument two, the other side. Do the same for a competing factor or a downside. This is where balance starts.
- Weigh as you go. After each argument, add one or two sentences that judge it: how big is the effect, over what time period, and for which stakeholders?
- Conclude with a supported judgement. Answer the question directly. Say which argument matters most here, and what it depends on.
Two well-developed arguments beat five thin ones. Breadth earns AO1 marks, but depth earns AO3 and AO4, which together carry 16 marks.
A worked example
Practice question, in our own words: Assess whether investing in artificial intelligence (AI) is the best way for a UK retailer to improve its competitiveness. AI is a live topic. Around 35% of UK businesses with 10 or more staff now use at least one AI technology. In late 2023 the figure was around 12% [3].
Analysis (AO2, AO3): AI can forecast demand from sales data, so a retailer can order closer to what customers will buy. Because it holds less excess stock, it cuts storage costs and reduces markdowns on unsold items. Therefore its unit costs fall, which allows lower prices or higher margins, and both improve competitiveness.
Evaluation (AO4): However, the benefit depends on the retailer's data and skills. ONS reports that a lack of expertise is one of the most common barriers to adoption [3]. A retailer with poor sales data, or staff who do not trust the forecasts, may pay for the system and see little change. The gain is also likely to be larger for a discount grocer with thin margins and high stock costs than for a retailer that competes mainly on brand. On balance, AI is the best route to competitiveness only where the firm already has good data and the skills to act on it. Otherwise, staff training or a clearer pricing strategy may deliver more for less.
Notice what makes this Level 5. The analysis is a chain of linked steps, not a list. The evaluation names the condition, explains why it changes the outcome, uses evidence, and ends with a judgement that answers the exact question.
Five common mistakes
- Ignoring the factor in the question. If the question names one factor, analyse it first and in depth [2].
- Generic answers. Every paragraph should mention the business, market or situation in the question.
- Saving all judgement for the end. Level 5 needs focus on the question throughout, so weigh after each argument [2].
- "It depends" with no follow-up. Always say what it depends on, and which way it probably goes.
- Running out of time. Keep to about 30 minutes per essay, and plan for three of them.
Build the knowledge underneath the essay
Strong essays need secure basics. Our free Business starter pack covers marketing, finance, people and operations with real UK businesses and practice questions.
Get the free packFor essays marked against the AO grid with written feedback, see the Exam Intensive programme. Most tutors teach the subject. We teach the criterion.
Sources
- AQA (2026). A-level Business 7132: specification at a glance.
- AQA (2025). A-level Business 7132/1 Paper 1, June 2025: mark scheme.
- Office for National Statistics (2026). Artificial intelligence in UK businesses: 2023 to 2026, 20 July 2026.