Debbie Malpas, Subject Advisor for Business and Economics

When students sit an exam, the last thing they should be worrying about is what the question is asking them to do. For teachers, time in the classroom is far better spent developing subject knowledge and skills than decoding different exam formats or practising techniques for multiple question styles.

This belief sits at the heart of how we’ve redeveloped our A Level Business qualification. In this blog, I’ll explore the ways in which we’ve designed our assessments to be accessible, straightforward and fair, so that students can focus on demonstrating what they know and can do, and teachers can prepare them with confidence.

What do we mean by accessible assessment?

Across all our qualifications, our priority is to ensure assessments are easy to understand, assess only what is intended, and are, as far as possible, fair for all students. To support this, we’ve developed a set of accessibility principles, which inform how we write and structure all our exam papers. These principles have led to changes in language, formatting and context across our assessments – all with the aim of removing unnecessary barriers on exam day.

They also help shape new qualifications, including our new A Level Business.

Papers designed with students in mind

We know students perform best in exams when they feel familiar with what’s in front of them and can get started without feeling overwhelmed. That’s why clarity and consistency are central to our assessment design.

All three papers follow the same overall structure and format to reduce cognitive load. Each is two hours long, worth 90 marks, and includes three sections: A, B and C.

• Section A (10 marks) – 10 multiple‑choice questions, giving students a familiar introduction and allowing us to assess a broad range of the specification.
• Section B (40 marks) – a short business case study with linked questions. Students answer low‑tariff questions totalling 4 marks, one 8‑mark question, and then two 14‑mark questions.
• Section C (40 marks) – structured in the same way as Section B, but with a different case study.

We’ve also limited the number of question types and command words (clearly defined in our specification) used across the papers. Rather than encountering a wide variety, students will see a smaller number used consistently. Alongside this, we’ve kept our highest mark tariff at 14 marks to help students manage their time effectively and avoid overly long responses.

In addition, we’ve developed a formulae booklet that can be used in the classroom and the exam. This reduces the need for memorisation and allows students to focus instead on calculation and interpretation.

A considered approach to synoptic assessment

Where possible, we’ve kept synoptic assessment to a minimum. Each paper focuses on specific content, allowing students to concentrate on particular areas – something teachers and students have told us they value. However, as required by the Department for Education, Paper 3 does provide an opportunity for students to bring ideas together from across the specification.

Supporting teachers every step of the way

Accessible assessments work best when they’re backed by strong, practical support to help teachers prepare students effectively. In the lead‑up to first teach and beyond, we’ll be adding a range of resources to Teach Cambridge. These will include curriculum planners, schemes of work for every component and teacher guides, alongside detailed assessment support materials such as:

• annotated sample assessment materials
• practice papers
• candidate exemplars.

We’ve also developed detailed mark schemes, featuring exemplars, which can be used by both teachers and students. This ensures expectations are transparent, giving everyone a clear sense of what good responses look like and how marks are awarded.

In addition, all schools and colleges delivering our new A Level Business will have access to a free digital student book from Cambridge (publishing summer term 2026). Available through a site licence, this will be mapped to our specification and will include practice questions to support preparation for assessments.

A qualification centred on fairness and clarity

We want to make sure that every student has the best possible chance to succeed, and give teachers the tools they need to support them. By designing assessments that are straightforward, consistent and fair, and by providing the right support to help teachers and students prepare, we aim to ensure an exam experience focused on what really matters – testing students’ understanding of business.

Keen to find out more about our new qualification? Visit our dedicated page, where you can download the specification, explore our sample assessment materials, and more.

If you are considering teaching our new qualification, don’t forget to use our online form to let us know. This will ensure you receive all the support and information you need before you start teaching, including details on how to access your free site licence for Cambridge’s digital student book.

Stay connected

If you have any questions about our new qualification, you can email us at support@org.uk or call us on 01223 553998. You can also sign up for our subject updates to keep up to date with the latest news, updates, and resources.

About the author

Debbie joined Cambridge OCR in August 2014. She worked on the redevelopment of our GCSE Business (J204) and the Cambridge National in Enterprise and Marketing. She also supports teachers through the development of a variety of resources, the professional development programme and subject communications.

Before joining Cambridge OCR, Debbie spent over 20 years in teaching and leadership roles. She worked in secondary schools, a sixth form college and international school in Shropshire and Cambridge. Debbie holds a degree in Business Operations and a PGCE in Secondary Economics and Business from the University of Warwick. In her spare time, Debbie likes to visit family in the Midlands and also writes for Cambridge University Press.