All Business Studies courses being studied from September 2000 are in two parts, with three separate modules in AS and three in A2. Students first study the AS (Advanced Subsidiary) course. Some will then go on to study the second part of the A Level course, called A2.

Advanced Subsidiary is assessed at the standard expected halfway through an A Level course: i.e., between GCSE and Advanced GCE. This means that the new AS and A2 courses are designed so that difficulty steadily increases:

• AS Business Studies builds from GCSE Business Studies
• A2 Business Studies builds from AS Business Studies