July 2026 Business update
Welcome to this July 2026 update.
In this last update of the year there are links to surveys (for both teachers and students) as well as dates for training and network events you may wish to add to your calendar for next year.
I do hope that you enjoy the summer break when it comes but, before you go...... please make sure you have completed the preparations for the results days in August which are detailed at the top of the update.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1 July | A level Business network event |
| 14 July | A level and IAL mark schemes released |
| 21 July | GCSE and International GCSE mark schemes released |
| 1 August | The 2025 exam materials will be unpadlocked |
| 13 August | Results Day for A levels and IAL |
| 18 August | A level and IAL examiners' reports released |
| 20 August | Results Day for International GCSE |
| 25 August | GCSE and International GCSE examiners' reports released |
After results have been published you may wish to analyse your results using some of the services we have available such as Access To Scripts and Results Plus.
The Access to Scripts portal and ResultsPlus can only be accessed by Edexcel Online users who have the Exam Viewer and ResultsPlus permissions ticked in their Edexcel Online profiles.
Only Exams Officers are able to give teachers this access.
Don’t forget to ask your Exams Officer for access before you break up for the summer, so that you are ready for the post-results period.
Available from results day, our Access to Scripts service allows you to view your candidates’ marked scripts online or download as PDFs, providing transparency of marking and to help you make decisions around requests for reviews of marking and inform future teaching and learning.
ResultsPlus is our online results analysis tool that gives you a detailed breakdown of your students’ performance in their exams.
Once you’ve received your students' results, you can get more insight on their performance on each question at individual student, class or cohort level using ResultsPlus.
Set up ResultsPlus now so you’re ready to review your students’ performance as soon as results are released.
Use ResultsPlus to understand your students’ performance
ResultsPlus gives you a clear breakdown of how your students performed in Pearson Edexcel exams and BTEC external assessments at:
- student level
- class level
- cohort level.
Watch our short video to see how you can use ResultsPlus to get quick, useful insights
Find out more and set up your ResultsPlus account before the end of term
For School Groups
ResultsPlus Group Analysis helps you see performance across all your schools in one place. You can also use it to analyse mock exam results, so it’s useful throughout the year.
Watch our short video to see how it works
If you’re part of a trust or group of schools, you’ll need a separate ResultsPlus Group Analysis account even if your school already has ResultsPlus.
Set up your ResultsPlus Group Analysis account before the end of term
Ofqual is launching a podcast for teachers and school leaders. 'Can I Just Qualify That?' will be built around conversations that matter and advice you can use. The first few episodes will cover everything from qualification reform and how GCSE and A level grading works, to helpful tips for exam season, results days, and cyber security.
Episode one drops on Thursday 4 June on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Subscribe to Ofqual's YouTube channel now so you don't miss it:
Waiting for exam results can be nerve-wracking for many students. Our guide for students, parents and carers on Understanding results and grades contains helpful information about what to expect on results day and where to find further support.
The guide includes information on:
- dates for results days
- receiving and understanding results
- grades and grade boundaries
- what steps to take if they are not happy with their results
- university applications
- certificates
- where to find further support.
Please pass this information on to your students.
If your students took any exams in the May/June 2026 series, please share your experience. Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well and where we can improve, so we can give your students the best possible exam experience.
We’ll share your feedback with senior examiners and subject teams to shape future papers and improve assessments.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey
Thank you for your support.
| GCSE Business |
|---|
| Delivery support |
| Assessment support |
Delivery support focuses on free support materials, networking and both free and paid-for resources. There are links to Pearson, Hodder and other publishers.
| International GCSE Business |
|---|
| Delivery support |
| Assessment support |
Assessment support focuses on assessment news and tools, support in understanding the command verbs, and information about grade boundaries and statistics.
What do you value most in a student book? Now is your chance to say! Pearson are doing some research into the resources you use for Edexcel GCSE Business, so that we can give you and your students the best support.
It would be a great help if you take 5-6 minutes to answer the questions in this survey. A link to the survey is below. Many thanks in advance!
We wish to provide students with the best possible exam experience, and your insights are crucial in helping us achieve this goal. If you're a teacher whose students have taken any of our exams in the May/June 2026 series, we are eager to hear your thoughts.
Your feedback will play a vital role in shaping the future of our qualifications and assessments. Your input will be shared with our senior examiners and across our subject teams to help us continuously improve future assessments and enhance the exam experience for students.
Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback, thank you.
Paul Clark and Robin Babbage
As many of you will know, Paul Clark has been our main trainer for GCSE Business, and we are hugely grateful for everything he has contributed over the years. I also wanted to share that Paul has recently been promoted to a senior role within the examining team at Pearson Edexcel. Whilst this means he will no longer be delivering live training, we are delighted that he remains with us in this new capacity and hope to continue drawing on his expertise where possible. Wishing Paul all the very best in this next step.
We are also very pleased to welcome Robin Babbage as our new trainer. Robin is Head of the Business Information Technology Education Faculty at Hamstead Hall Academy, bringing over 26 years of experience across Business, Economics, Computing and IT, along with a strong track record of academic excellence and innovation. He is also an Assistant Principal Examiner for Pearson Edexcel GCSE Business and has led national educational technology initiatives, with his contribution to enterprise education recognised through a national award for Most Enterprising Teacher.
GCSE Business
For GCSE Business, following a season of targeted support, we’re now offering a session for teachers who are new to delivering the Pearson Edexcel GCSE specification. This session will give you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the structure of the specification and the examination papers. Please feel free to share the details with any colleagues who may find this session useful.
After each event, a zipped file is uploaded to the qualification page. The zipped file includes the materials used in the event and a link to the recording.
| GCSE Business | |
|---|---|
| 5 October 16.30-17.30 | GCSE Business: Exam Insights Summer 2026 (Paper 1) |
| 9 November 16.30-17.30 | GCSE Business: Exam Insights Summer 2026 (Paper 2) |
| 18 January 16.30-17.30 | GCSE Business: Marking Live |
| 1 February 16.30-17.30 | GCSE Business: Supporting Lower-Attaining Learners with 9- and 12-Mark Questions |
| 8 March 16.30-17.30 | GCSE Business: Supporting Higher-Attaining Students |
The GCSE Business You Tube Channel includes recordings of events from previous years.
A recording of the recent 'New to Edexcel event:
GCSE Case studies from the FT
| Case study | Theme 1 | Theme 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Greggs | 1.1.1 The dynamic nature of business 1.2.1 Customer needs 1.2.4 The competitive environment 1.3.1 Business aims and objectives 1.4.3 The marketing mix |
2.1.1 Business growth 2.2.1 Product 2.2.3 Promotion 2.2.5 Using the marketing mix to make business decisions 2.4.2 Understanding business performance |
| 44 | Milk | 1.1.1 The dynamic nature of business 1.2.1 Customer needs 1.2.3 Market segmentation 1.2.4 The competitive environment |
2.2.1 Product 2.2.5 Using the marketing mix to make business decisions |
| 45 | Next | 1.1.1 The dynamic nature of business 1.1.3 The role of business enterprise 1.2.3 Market segmentation 1.4.3 The marketing mix |
2.2.1 Product 2.2.5 Using the marketing mix to make business decisions 2.3.3 Managing quality |
| 46 | Asda | 1.1.3 The role of business enterprise 1.2.4 The competitive environment 1.3.1 Business aims and objectives 1.5.1 Business stakeholders |
2.5.1 Organisational structures 2.5.2 Effective recruitment 2.5.3 Effective training and development |
| 47 | Disney | 1.1.2 Risk and reward |
2.4.2 Understanding business performance |
| 48 | Minecraft | 1.2.3 Market segmentation 1.4.2 Business location 1.5.2 Technology and business |
2.1.1 Business growth 2.1.2 Changes in business aims and objectives 2.1.3 Business and globalisation |
| 49 | Jo Malone | 1.2.3 Market segmentation 1.2.4 The competitive environment 1.4.2 Business location 1.4.3 The marketing mix |
2.1.1 Business growth 2.2.4 Place |
| 50 | Aviva takes over Direct Line | 1.1.2 Risk and reward | 2.1.1 Business growth 2.5.1 Organisational structures 2.5.4 Motivation |
| 51 | Talk Talk | 1.3.3 Cash and cash-flow | 2.3.2 Working with suppliers 2.4.2 Understanding business performance |
| 52 | Kingsmill | 1.2.1 Customer needs 1.2.3 Market segmentation |
2.1.1 Business growth 2.1.2 Changes in business aims and objectives 2.2.1 Product |
| 53 | Air BnB | 1.1.1 The dynamic nature of business 1.1.2 Risk and reward 1.2.1 Customer needs 1.2.3 Market segmentation 1.2.4 The competitive environment 1.5.5 External influences |
2.1.1 Business growth |
The FT case studies are appropriate for both GCSE and International GCSE. The mapping in the table (and in the case studies themselves) is to the GCSE specification.
International GCSE Business teachers may find it useful to observe that GCSE Theme 1 looks at small businesses (the focus of Paper 1 on the International GCSE), and that GCSE Theme 2 looks at larger businesses (the focus of Paper 2 on the International GCSE).
The most recent case study is:
There are two Facebook groups, one for each qualification. They are private groups and applicants are checked to confirm that they have an Edexcel Online account.
The GCSE group has over 3,000 members. The International GCSE group is much smaller.
There is also a Pearson Edexcel Facebook page designed to help and support you with the teaching and delivery of our UK qualifications. You can find the latest news, updates and information about our support services across subjects. From our own news to updates from Ofqual and JCQ, follow us on @PearsonEdexcel on Facebook to stay up to date.
Summer 2027 - GCSE Business
International GCSE Business November 2026 timetable
Summer 2027 - International GCSE Business
After a successful trial in summer 2025, Year 11 students in England will be able to view their GCSE results on their phones for the first time from results day 2026.
The new app will allow students to view their results and store a digital record of those results for future use, such as when applying for jobs or further education, without the need to find a paper certificate that can easily get lost.
Schools are being encouraged to sign up so pupils can download and set up the app before the summer results day.
| A level Business |
|---|
| Delivery support |
| Assessment support |
Delivery support focuses on free support materials, networking and both free and paid-for resources. There are links to Pearson, Hodder and other publishers.
| IAL Business |
|---|
| Delivery support |
| Assessment support |
Assessment support focuses on assessment news and tools, support in understanding the command verbs, and information about grade boundaries and statistics.
Supporting you through ongoing change
We recognise that the release of the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR), along with the Post‑16 Education and Skills White Paper and the introduction of V Levels, has created a period of change and uncertainty for schools and colleges. At times like these, our focus is on supporting you in a way that feels clear, manageable, and respectful of workload.
In this context, learners beginning the course in September 2026 will continue to follow the current established specification. We believe that maintaining stability is the most helpful option for schools and colleges while the wider landscape continues to evolve.
However, we remain attentive to developments in business and will consider minor amendments to ensure that the specification continues to be relevant, stays up to date and supports confident teaching and meaningful learning..
Confidence in a qualification that continues to deliver
With Pearson’s long‑standing commitment to quality and consistency, you can feel confident that you are offering a relevant, reliable qualification that continues to meet the needs of learners, schools and colleges.
We value your feedback
We will continue to review the qualification and consider feedback from educators and students to identify opportunities for improvement, as part of our ongoing commitment to continuous enhancement. If you would like to share any feedback or discuss your needs, please contact me via teachingbusiness@pearson.com.
We wish to provide students with the best possible exam experience, and your insights are crucial in helping us achieve this goal. If you're a teacher whose students have taken any of our exams in the May/June 2026 series, we are eager to hear your thoughts.
Your feedback will play a vital role in shaping the future of our qualifications and assessments. Your input will be shared with our senior examiners and across our subject teams to help us continuously improve future assessments and enhance the exam experience for students.
Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback, thank you.
This live CPD event provides a helpful introduction for those new to delivering the Pearson Edexcel A Level Business qualification.
| A Level Business | |
|---|---|
| 1 July 16.00-17.00 | New to Edexcel A level Business |
After each event, a zipped file is uploaded to the qualification page. The zipped file includes the materials used in the event and a link to the recording.
The A level Business You Tube Channel includes recordings of events from previous years.
| 2026 - 2027 | A Level Business |
|---|---|
| 29 September 16.30-17.30 | A Level Business: Exam Insights Summer 2026 (Paper 1) |
| 4 November 16.30-17.30 | A Level Business: Exam Insights Summer 2026 (Paper 2) |
| 1 December 16.30-17.30 | A Level Business: Exam Insights Summer 2026 (Paper 3) |
| 12 January 16.30-17.30 | A Level Business: Marking Live |
| 2 March 16.30-17.30 | A Level Business: Deep Dive into Themes 1 and 4 Using Contemporary Business Examples |
| 29 June 16.30-17.30 | A Level Business: Deep Dive into Themes 2 and 3 Using Contemporary Business Examples |
A new case study (number 59) has been added to the 2025-2026 collection.
| Number | Title | Specification references | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | Apple | 1.2.3 Markets 1.2.4 Price elasticity of demand 1.1.2 Market research 1.3.3 Pricing strategies |
|
| 53 | On the beach | 2.2.1 Sales forecasting 2.2.2 Sales, revenue and costs 2.5.3 The competitive environment 3.1.2 SWOT analysis |
|
| 54 | Strava | 1.2.1 Demand 2.1.2 External finance 2.5.3 The competitive environment 3.2.3 Organic growth |
|
| 55 | IKEA | 4.1.4 Protectionism 4.2.3 Assessment of a country as a production location 4.3.3 Cultural/social factors |
|
| 56 | Apple | 1.1.2 Market research 3.6.1 Cause and effects of change 3.6.3 Scenario planning |
|
| 57 | Nestle | 1.4.1 Approaches to staffing 1.4.3 Organisational design 3.1.3 SWOT analysis 3.4.2 Corporate culture |
|
| 58 | Airlines | 1.2.3 Markets 1.5.1 Role of an entrepreneur 2.2.2 Sales, revenue and costs 3.6.3 Scenario planning |
|
| 59 | Protein | 1.2.1 Demand 1.3.5 Marketing strategy (Boston Matrix) 3.1.2 Theories of corporate strategy (Ansoff’s Matrix) 3.1.4 Impact of external influences (Porter’s Five Forces) |
There are two Facebook groups, one for each qualification. They are private groups and applicants are checked to confirm that they have an Edexcel Online account.
The A level group has over 2,000 members. The IAL group is much smaller.
There is also a Pearson Edexcel Facebook page designed to help and support you with the teaching and delivery of our UK qualifications. You can find the latest news, updates and information about our support services across subjects. From our own news to updates from Ofqual and JCQ, follow us on @PearsonEdexcel on Facebook to stay up to date.
An A level Business teacher has created aTikTok account for his students which he has shared here.
Summer 2027 - GCE Business
IAL Business October 2026 Timetable
IAL Business January 2027 timetable
Summer 2027 - IAL Business
Subject advisor
Colin Leith
Business
