AQA A-Level Business · Long-answer guide
AQA Business 16, 20 and 24-mark questions: how each is marked differently
AQA A-Level Business 16, 20 and 24-mark questions look alike but are marked differently. A 16-marker has four levels; 20- and 24-markers have five. Evaluation (AO4) is worth 7, 8 and 9 marks, while knowledge (AO1) rises from 2 to 4 to 5. The 16-markers appear on Papers 2 and 3; the 20- and 24-markers only on Paper 3.
Checked against AQA’s 7132 mark schemes, June 2020–2024 — October 2026
16 vs 20 vs 24: what actually changes
| Tariff | Where (2020–2024 papers) | AO1 / AO2 / AO3 / AO4 | Levels | Rough time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 marks | Paper 2: one per data-response question (three). Paper 3: two | 2 / 3 / 4 / 7 | 4 (top band 13–16) | about 19 min |
| 20 marks | Paper 3 only: one | 4 / 3 / 5 / 8 | 5 (top band 17–20) | about 24 min |
| 24 marks | Paper 3 only: one, the last question | 5 / 4 / 6 / 9 | 5 (top band 21–24) | about 29 min |
AO1 knowledge, AO2 application, AO3 analysis, AO4 evaluation. Each paper is 2 hours for 100 marks, about 1.2 minutes a mark; the times are our arithmetic, not an AQA rule. Paper 1’s long answers are 25-mark essays, covered in our 25-mark essay guide.
Two things follow from the table. First, evaluation is the biggest single slice at every tariff, so every one of these questions needs a judgement. Second, as the tariff rises, knowledge grows fastest (2 to 5 marks), so a 24-marker needs a wider range of issues than a 16-marker, not just a longer conclusion.
The 16-mark levels, in plain words
Our plain-English summary of AQA’s level structure, not AQA’s wording. The 20- and 24-mark grids follow the same pattern with one more level at the bottom.
Worked example: a 16-mark judgement at two levels
Question: Using the information, evaluate whether BrightBake should invest in the automated line. [16]
Automation would cut unit costs by 15%. Because labour is 38% of costs, this is a big saving, so BrightBake could offer lower prices to the supermarkets, win more orders and make more profit. Therefore BrightBake should invest in the automated line.
Why it stays here: the analysis is developed and uses the data, but the judgement only looks at one side. The jobs, the £4m and the “hand-baked” claim never appear.
The 15% cost cut matters most because two supermarkets take 70% of output: buyers that powerful can push prices down, so lower unit costs protect BrightBake’s margin. Against that, automation undermines the “hand-baked” claim, and losing 60 jobs could hurt morale and local reputation.
On balance BrightBake should invest, because most of its revenue comes from customers who buy on price, not on the brand claim. The decision turns on that: if the supermarkets valued “hand-baked” enough to pay more for it, protecting the brand would matter more than the cost saving, and the £4m would be better spent elsewhere.
The one change: the judgement weighs both sides and says which piece of evidence decides it, and what would change the answer. That is a judgement “built effectively on analysis” that answers the whole question.
Levels shown are our own illustrative reading of the ladder above. BrightBake and its figures are invented for practice; the question is not from an AQA paper.
Scaling up to 20 and 24 marks
- More issues, not just more words. Knowledge rises from 2 marks to 4 and then 5, so bring in a wider range of relevant issues from the case.
- One more level. The extra level is a “weak” band at the bottom, so the same quality of answer sits one level number higher: “good” is Level 3 on a 16-marker but Level 4 on a 20- or 24-marker.
- Judgement is still the biggest slice. Evaluation is 8 of 20 and 9 of 24 marks. Keep the final judgement specific to the business in the case.
Where marks are lost on these questions
- One-sided answers. In the lower levels, judgements “lack balance”. Weigh at least one strong argument against your conclusion.
- A conclusion that isn’t built on the analysis. A new point in the last paragraph earns little. The judgement should come out of what you have already argued.
- Answering half the question. The top level is “focused on the question as a whole”. If the question names two options or two stakeholders, deal with both.
- Generic business knowledge. Use the case’s data and details. Application is marked at every tariff.
- Treating a 24-marker like a long 16-marker. It rewards breadth as well as depth: more issues, each tied to the case.
16, 20 and 24-mark questions
How many levels does an AQA Business 16-mark question have?
Four: 1–4, 5–8, 9–12 and 13–16. The 20- and 24-mark questions have five levels.
Are AQA Business 16, 20 and 24-mark questions marked the same way?
They share the same shape (knowledge, application, analysis and a judgement), but the marks are split differently. The 16-marker is AO1 2, AO2 3, AO3 4, AO4 7; the 20-marker 4, 3, 5, 8; the 24-marker 5, 4, 6, 9. The 16-marker also has one level fewer.
Which AQA Business papers have 20 and 24-mark questions?
Paper 3, the case-study paper. In the 2020 to 2024 papers it had one 20-marker and one 24-marker, alongside two 12-markers and two 16-markers. Paper 2 has a 16-marker in each of its three data-response questions.
How long should I spend on a 16-mark question?
Each paper is 2 hours for 100 marks, about 1.2 minutes a mark, so around 19 minutes for a 16-marker, 24 for a 20-marker and 29 for a 24-marker.
Can Markaroo mark my AQA Business answers?
Yes. Each answer is marked against AQA’s levels for its tariff, with a mark, the reason for it and the one change that moves it up, and you can attempt past papers in the app. The free plan includes 2 written answers marked free.