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OCR · A Level

OCR A Level Business

Business for OCR A Level (syllabus H431) — what the qualification covers, and the study material Marlbridge publishes for it.

Syllabus
H431
Board
OCR
Qualification
A Level

At a glance

Qualification
OCR A Level Business
Spec code
H431
Does Marlbridge teach it?
Yes
Are resources available?
Yes — 6 published
Is enrolment open?
Enquire to join — no online enrolment yet
Where was this verified?
2026-08-18, official OCR specification

Compiled and maintained by the Marlbridge Academic Team, checked against the official OCR specification on 2026-08-18.

Spotted something wrong on this page? Report an error — see the corrections policy.

The qualification

OCR A Level Business (H431)

Our A Level Business qualification stimulates and encourages students' interest in how business works. It fosters an understanding of business operations in a variety of contexts and helps students develop a range of relevant generic skills and ways of thinking. — OCR, official syllabus page

Qualification number 601/4675/8. H431 is current: final first teach September 2025, final assessment summer 2027. OCR's replacement A Level Business (H436) has first teach September 2026 — recorded here as a future transition, not yet the current code (mirrors how Cambridge O Level Business 7115→7081 is handled above).

Specifications change between examination series. Always confirm the current syllabus and assessment structure on the OCR syllabus page for your examination year.

Assessment structure

H431 (being withdrawn)

H431 is being withdrawn in favour of H436. Final assessment opportunity: 2027.

Assessment components for OCR Business H431
Component Duration Marks Weighting Type
H431/01: Operating in a Local Business Environment 2h 80 33.33% Written exam
H431/02: The UK Business Environment 2h 80 33.33% Written exam
H431/03: The Global Business Environment 2h 80 33.34% Written exam

Source: official OCR specification, verified 2026-08-26. Being withdrawn: OCR confirms H431 has its final first teach in September 2025 and its final assessment opportunity is Summer 2027; resits after that move to H436. Each component: 2h written paper, 80 marks. The spec's own "at a glance" table prints each component as "33.33% of total" (all three, not summing to exactly 100 on paper); the third component here is recorded as 33.34% so the typed record sums to exactly 100%, consistent with the spec's own detailed weighting-grid page which prints 25%/25%/25%/25% = 100% against the assessment objectives. Papers 01 and 03 carry synoptic assessment.

H436

Assessment components for OCR Business H436
Component Duration Marks Weighting Type
H436/01: Business Activity, Marketing and People 2h 90 33.33% Written exam
H436/02: Operations, Finance and External Influences 2h 90 33.33% Written exam
H436/03: Strategy, Risk and Managing Change 2h 90 33.34% Written exam

Source: official OCR specification, verified 2026-08-26. Replaces H431 (see relatedCode). Specification states "for first teaching in 2026" and "for first assessment in 2028". Each component weighted "33.3%"/"33⅓%" per the spec's own rounded figures -- recorded here as 33.33/33.33/33.34 so the typed total is exactly 100%, not an invented split. Component 01 and 03 include quality-of-extended-response marks; component 03 is synoptic.

Assessment FAQs

How is OCR Business (H436) assessed?

OCR Business (H436) is assessed through: H436/01 (Business Activity, Marketing and People) — 2h, 90 marks, 33.33% of the qualification; H436/02 (Operations, Finance and External Influences) — 2h, 90 marks, 33.33% of the qualification; H436/03 (Strategy, Risk and Managing Change) — 2h, 90 marks, 33.34% of the qualification. Source: official OCR specification, verified 2026-08-26.

Is H431 being withdrawn?

Yes. H431 is being withdrawn in favour of H436. Final assessment opportunity: 2027.

The subject

Business teaching and study resources, organised by level and topic.

All Business at Marlbridge

Syllabus topics

The 7 topics below are the official subject content of OCR A Level Business (H431), for the Final first teach September 2025, final assessment summer 2027 examination series, reproduced from the OCR syllabus document.

A topic listed here is part of the syllabus. It does not mean Marlbridge has published material for it — topics with resources are marked. Marlbridge currently has resources for 2 of 7 topics.

  1. 1 Business objectives and strategic decisions

    3 Marlbridge resources

    Different stakeholder and business objectives · Mission statement · Business plan · Contingency planning and crisis management · Measures of performance: financial and non-financial · Forecasting · Decision making · Conflicts in business decision making

  2. 2 External influences facing businesses

    3 Marlbridge resources

    The market, market size and growth · Demand and supply · Market forces, physical and non-physical markets, competition and market dominance · Global context, international trade, the EU and emerging markets · Political, economic, social and technological factors · The digital revolution, ethical, legal and environmental factors

  3. 3 Marketing and marketing strategies

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

  4. 4 Operational strategy

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

  5. 5 Human resources

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

  6. 6 Accounting and financial considerations

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

  7. 7 The global environment of business

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

Source: OCR -- official AS and A Level Business (H031, H431) specification-at-a-glance page — Final first teach September 2025, final assessment summer 2027 series. Verified 2026-09-02. Always check the current syllabus for your examination year.

Study resources

Revision material

Exam preparation

Business at other qualifications

These are separate qualifications with different syllabuses and assessments — not different names for the same course. Check which one your school enters you for.

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