Short answer: On AQA's new Business course (7137 AS and 7138 A-level), the 15-mark Evaluate question gives you two options. You must analyse both in the context of the case study, weigh them, and then recommend one [1]. It tests all four assessment objectives. Without a clear recommendation, the answer has not done the task.
Where the 15-mark question sits on the new course
AQA's new AS and A-level Business courses started in September 2026. The first AS exams are in May/June 2027 and the first A-level exams in May/June 2028 [1].
Every paper is built around case studies, and every question is compulsory. There is no essay choice [1].
| Qualification | Papers | Each paper | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS (7137) | 2 | 1 hour 45 minutes, 80 marks | Two case studies, each with six compulsory questions worth 40 marks |
| A-level (7138) | 3 | 2 hours, 90 marks | Two case studies, each with five compulsory questions worth 45 marks |
So time is tight. On 7138, each A-level paper gives you 120 minutes for 90 marks, about 1.3 minutes a mark. That makes a 15-mark answer roughly 20 minutes, including planning.
The five question types, and what each one rewards
The specification fixes a mark for each command word, and links each one to assessment objectives (AOs) [1]. An AO is one of the four skills examiners mark.
| Command word | Marks | Where it appears | AOs tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Define | 2 | AS only | AO1 |
| Explain | 4 | AS only | AO1, AO2 |
| Analyse | 6 | AS and A-level | AO1, AO2, AO3 |
| Assess | 9 | AS and A-level | AO1 to AO4 |
| Evaluate | 15 | AS and A-level | AO1 to AO4 |
Notice the step up. Assess asks you to weigh the case for and against one action and reach a judgement [1]. Evaluate asks you to compare two courses of action and choose between them. So a 15-mark answer is not a longer 9-mark answer. It has a different job.
Calculation questions worth 9 or 15 marks
Calculations are not a separate question type. They sit inside the 9-mark and 15-mark questions [1]:
- AS: each paper has two quantitative questions, worth 9 or 15 marks.
- A-level: Papers 1 and 2 have two quantitative questions each. Paper 3 has one, worth 9 or 15 marks.
AQA expects you to calculate and then use the result in your analysis and evaluation [1]. A correct number that you never use in an argument earns far less than it could.
The AO weightings
The four AOs are knowledge (AO1), application to the business context (AO2), analysis (AO3) and evaluation (AO4) [1].
| Objective | AS (7137) | A-level (7138) |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 Knowledge | 32.5% | 24.44% |
| AO2 Application | 27.5% | 24.44% |
| AO3 Analysis | 20% | 26.66% |
| AO4 Evaluation | 20% | 24.44% |
At AS, knowledge and application carry 60% of the marks. At A-level the four AOs are close to equal, and analysis carries the most. Because Define and Explain disappear at A-level, more of your marks come from the Analyse, Assess and Evaluate questions.
The two types of Evaluate question
The specification describes two types [1]:
- Type A: you identify two possible courses of action for a problem or opportunity, evaluate them, and recommend the most suitable.
- Type B: the question gives you two options. You evaluate them and judge which one the business should choose.
In Type A, choosing two sensible options from the case is part of the task. In both types, the answer must end in a decision.
One 15-mark question on AS Paper 2 and on A-level Paper 3 is synoptic [1]. Synoptic means it draws on content from across the course, not just one unit.
A four-step plan for 20 minutes
- Read and decide (2 minutes). Underline the business's objective in the case. Do any calculation now. Pick a provisional answer, so the whole response builds towards it.
- Option one (7 minutes). One developed benefit, applied to the case, with a chain of three or four steps to an outcome such as profit or market share. Then one real limitation.
- Option two (7 minutes). The same structure. Use the case's own numbers, names and constraints in both options.
- Recommend (4 minutes). Choose one option. Give the deciding reason, and say what the choice depends on. Name the condition that would change your answer.
Two developed arguments per option beat a list of five thin points. Depth earns analysis and evaluation marks, which together carry about half the A-level marks [1].
Practice case, written by us: Harbour Coffee runs 14 cafés in north-west England. Its objective is to grow profit while protecting its reputation for quality. It is choosing between two options. A drive-through site costs £600,000 and is expected to add £150,000 of profit a year. A subscription app costs £120,000 and is expected to add £40,000 a year. Evaluate which option Harbour Coffee should choose.
Calculation: The drive-through pays back in 4 years (£600,000 ÷ £150,000). The app pays back in 3 years (£120,000 ÷ £40,000).
Option one, the drive-through (AO2, AO3): A drive-through reaches commuters who do not visit the high-street cafés. So it is more likely to add new customers than to move existing ones. Because it adds £150,000 a year, it gives the larger profit gain. However, it ties up £600,000 in one site. If footfall is lower than forecast, the payback period stretches and the firm has less cash for other cafés.
Option two, the app (AO2, AO3): A subscription gives regular, predictable revenue, so cash flow becomes easier to plan. Because it costs £120,000, it pays back a year sooner and puts far less cash at risk if the forecast is wrong. However, its profit gain is smaller. If customers who already visit simply switch to a discounted subscription, the gain could be lower than forecast.
Recommendation (AO4): On balance, Harbour Coffee should launch the app first. The drive-through earns more profit each year, so it fits the profit objective better in the long run. But it puts five times as much money into one untested site. The app pays back sooner, risks far less cash, and keeps the focus on the existing cafés, which protects the quality reputation. It also builds customer data that would help the firm choose a drive-through location later. This depends on the £40,000 forecast holding. If most subscribers are existing regulars, the drive-through becomes the better choice, provided the firm can fund it without straining cash flow.
Notice the structure. Both options are analysed in the case's own figures. The calculation feeds the argument. The recommendation names a deciding reason and the condition that would change it.
Six common mistakes
- No decision. Both Evaluate types require you to choose [1]. "Both have merits" is not a recommendation.
- One option done well, one ignored. Balance means developing both before you choose.
- Generic points. If a sentence would fit any business, it earns little application. Use the case's names, numbers and objective.
- Calculating and moving on. Use the result in your argument, as AQA expects [1].
- "It depends" with no follow-up. Say what it depends on, and which way it probably goes.
- Writing a 25-mark essay. Old essay habits, such as long introductions and many thin points, cost time you do not have.
How it differs from the 7132 25-mark essay
The outgoing A-level (7132) has its last exams in June 2027 [3]. If you are in Year 12 from September 2026, you sit 7138 instead.
| 7132 25-mark essay | 7138 15-mark Evaluate | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Paper 1, Sections C and D [2] | Inside the case studies [1] |
| Choice | One question from two in each section [2] | None: every question is compulsory [1] |
| Task | An extended essay on a business issue | Compare two options and recommend one [1] |
| Time | About 30 minutes (100 marks in 2 hours) [2] | About 20 minutes (90 marks in 2 hours) [1] |
The core skills carry over: chains of analysis, balance and a supported judgement. What changes is the shape. The new question is shorter, tied to a case study, and always ends in a choice between two options. Our guide to the 7132 25-mark essay still helps if you sit 7132 in June 2027.
Practise on the topics that come up
The free A-Level Business library covers the new course topic by topic, mapped to the specification. Start with business objectives and planning and decisions, then pick up the free Year 12 pack.
Get the free Year 12 packFor answers marked against the AO grid with written feedback, see the Exam Intensive programme.
Sources
- AQA (2026). AS and A-level Business 7137/7138 specification, for teaching from September 2026 (scheme of assessment, AO weightings, command words, quantitative skills).
- AQA (2023). AS and A-level Business 7131/7132 specification (scheme of assessment).
- AQA (2026). A-level Business 7132: key dates.