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Cambridge (CIE) · A Level

Business 9609

Explore how businesses organise people, market products, manage operations and make financial decisions. Apply the ideas to business cases.

121 lessons and reviews1 practice set1 written practice lessonsSyllabus 2026–2029
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At a glance

What you'll cover

  • AS · Business and its environment
  • AS · Human resource management
  • AS · Marketing
  • AS · Operations management
  • AS · Finance and accounting
  • A Level · Business and its environment
Explore 4 more areas

Published syllabus exam years: 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029. Confirm exam-series and centre availability with your school and Cambridge.

Syllabus 2026–2029

Progress through Cambridge Business 9609

2026–2028 syllabus · Version 2; 2029 syllabus · Version 1

34 of 34 sections have teaching and practice

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Study options and assessment

One hundred and eighteen original lessons map every numbered section in all ten topics of Cambridge International AS & A Level Business 9609 (2026–2028 Version 2 and 2029 Version 1; Cambridge states the 2029 syllabus has no significant changes affecting teaching). Topic 1, Business and its environment, has 12 lessons; Topic 2, Human resource management, 12; Topic 3, Marketing, 17; Topic 4, Operations management, eight; Topic 5, Finance and accounting, 13; A Level Topic 6, Business and its environment, ten lessons across nine sections; Topic 7, Human resource management, 15; Topic 8, Marketing, six; Topic 9, Operations management, ten lessons across nine sections; and Topic 10, Finance and accounting, 15. Two lessons split broad strategic-framework and lean-production sections into smaller steps. Across the 116 official numbered sections, each lesson includes a guided example, readiness and checkpoint feedback, and guided, independent and transfer practice with worked steps and explained answers. The course map now links all 34 grouped syllabus areas. Three earlier starter lessons are retained but are not counted as mapped coverage. Cambridge does not expect candidates to draw up a full set of accounts; this pathway teaches interpretation, specified amendments and ratio use. Full Paper 1–4 timed practice, paper-specific grade evidence and human subject-teacher review remain outstanding. Written practice is self-checked, not an official Cambridge grade.

2026–2028 Version 2 and 2029 Version 1. Cambridge states that the 2029 syllabus has no significant changes affecting teaching; confirm the relevant examination-year syllabus before study.

Choose your paper route

  • AS Level onlyPaper 1 and Paper 2

    AS content, taken in one exam series.

  • A Level by stagesAS Papers 1–2, then Papers 3–4 with AS knowledge

    The first year may be assessed as AS; candidates complete A Level components in a later series.

  • A Level in one seriesPapers 1–4

    Candidates take all AS and A Level components in the same exam series.

View syllabus coverage

Topic 1, Business and its environment, has 12 original lessons mapped to all twelve official sections 1.1.1–1.1.3, 1.2.1–1.2.2, 1.3.1–1.3.3, 1.4.1–1.4.2 and 1.5.1–1.5.2. Topic 2, Human resource management, has 12 original lessons mapped to all twelve official sections 2.1.1–2.1.7, 2.2.1–2.2.4 and 2.3.1. Topic 3, Marketing, has 17 original lessons mapped to all 17 official sections 3.1.1–3.1.7, 3.2.1–3.2.4 and 3.3.1–3.3.6. Topic 4, Operations management, has eight original lessons mapped to all eight official sections 4.1.1–4.1.4, 4.2.1–4.2.2 and 4.3.1–4.3.2. Topic 5, Finance and accounting, has 13 original lessons mapped to all 13 official sections 5.1.1–5.1.2, 5.2.1–5.2.4, 5.3.1, 5.4.1–5.4.4 and 5.5.1–5.5.2. Topic 6, Business and its environment, has ten original lessons across all nine official sections 6.1.1–6.1.7 and 6.2.1–6.2.2; strategic analysis frameworks in 6.2.1 are split into two lessons. Topic 7, Human resource management, has 15 original lessons mapped to all 15 official sections 7.1.1–7.1.6, 7.2.1–7.2.5, 7.3.1–7.3.3 and 7.4.1. Topic 8, Marketing, has six original lessons mapped to all six official sections 8.1.1–8.1.3 and 8.2.1–8.2.3, including four-period centred moving averages and international entry choices. Topic 9, Operations management, has ten original lessons across all nine official sections 9.1.1–9.1.2, 9.2.1–9.2.2 and 9.3.1–9.3.5; lean production is split into two lessons, and operations planning includes network calculations and floats. Each lesson includes guided, independent and transfer practice with worked steps and explained answers. Topic 10, Finance and accounting, now has 15 lessons across all 15 official sections 10.1.1–10.1.4, 10.2.1–10.2.5, 10.3.1–10.3.4 and 10.4.1–10.4.2, with financial-statement interpretation, Cambridge ratio formulae, investment appraisal and strategic use of accounts. Cambridge does not expect candidates to draw up a full set of accounts. Cambridge's routes include AS only (Papers 1–2), staged A Level and a single-series A Level (Papers 1–4). Full timed-paper practice, paper-specific grade evidence and human subject-teacher review remain outstanding; written exercises are self-checked and do not certify an exam grade.

AS · Business and its environment

AS · Human resource management

AS · Marketing

AS · Operations management

AS · Finance and accounting

A Level · Business and its environment

A Level · Human resource management

A Level · Marketing

A Level · Operations management

A Level · Finance and accounting

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  1. 01

    Explain how business activity adds value

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  2. 02

    Compare entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs

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  3. 03

    Assess what a business plan can and cannot do

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  4. 04

    Classify economic sectors and explain structural change

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  5. 05

    Choose a suitable form of business ownership

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  6. 06

    Select an appropriate measure of business size

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  7. 07

    Evaluate the role of small and family businesses

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  8. 08

    Compare organic growth with mergers and takeovers

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  9. 09

    Set objectives that reflect business purpose

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  10. 10

    Translate objectives into decisions, targets and budgets

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  11. 11

    Identify business stakeholders and their responsibilities

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  12. 12

    Evaluate stakeholder influence, conflict and accountability

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  13. 13

    Connect human resource management to business objectives

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  14. 14

    Plan workforce needs and calculate labour turnover

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  15. 15

    Recruit and select workers for the role

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  16. 16

    Distinguish redundancy from dismissal

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  17. 17

    Support morale, welfare, diversity and equality

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  18. 18

    Use training and development to build capability

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  19. 19

    Explain workforce cooperation and trade-union bargaining

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  20. 20

    Use motivation to support business performance

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  21. 21

    Relate human needs to work

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  22. 22

    Compare motivation theories in context

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  23. 23

    Choose financial and non-financial motivators

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  24. 24

    Explain what managers do and how management style varies

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  25. 25

    Link marketing objectives to business objectives

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  26. 26

    Explain demand, supply and price interactions

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  27. 27

    Measure and interpret markets

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  28. 28

    Compare consumer and industrial marketing

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  29. 29

    Choose between mass and niche marketing

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  30. 30

    Segment a market and assess the trade-offs

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  31. 31

    Use customer relationship marketing

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  32. 32

    Define the purpose of market research

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  33. 33

    Choose primary and secondary research

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  34. 34

    Use samples carefully

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  35. 35

    Assess and interpret market research data

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  36. 36

    Coordinate the four elements of the marketing mix

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  37. 37

    Develop and differentiate a product

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  38. 38

    Use product life cycle and portfolio analysis

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  39. 39

    Select a pricing method for the objective

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  40. 40

    Choose and evaluate promotion methods

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  41. 41

    Select channels of distribution

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  42. 42

    Trace the transformational process

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  43. 43

    Measure productivity and sustainable operations

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  44. 44

    Compare capital-intensive and labour-intensive operations

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  45. 45

    Choose an operations method

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  46. 46

    Manage inventory and supply chains

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  47. 47

    Compare Just in Time and Just in Case inventory

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  48. 48

    Calculate and improve capacity utilisation

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  49. 49

    Evaluate outsourcing decisions

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  50. 50

    Plan finance and distinguish cash from profit

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  51. 51

    Manage working capital and business spending

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  52. 52

    Match finance to business ownership

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  53. 53

    Compare internal and external finance sources

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  54. 54

    Assess factors affecting finance choice

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  55. 55

    Select a suitable source of finance

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  56. 56

    Read and manage cash-flow forecasts

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  57. 57

    Classify and use cost information

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  58. 58

    Compare full and contribution costing

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  59. 59

    Use cost information for decisions

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  60. 60

    Calculate and interpret break-even

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  61. 61

    Use budgets to plan and control

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  62. 62

    Calculate and interpret budget variances

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  63. 63

    Assess political and legal influences

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  64. 64

    Explain economic policy and business effects

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  65. 65

    Respond to social and demographic change

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  66. 66

    Evaluate technological change

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  67. 67

    Respond to competitors and suppliers

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  68. 68

    Analyse international business influences

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  69. 69

    Integrate environmental issues and sustainability

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  70. 70

    Analyse business position with strategic tools

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  71. 71

    Choose strategic direction and compare options

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  72. 72

    Plan and implement corporate strategy

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  73. 73

    Align organisational structure with objectives

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  74. 74

    Compare organisational structures

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  75. 75

    Delegate work and maintain accountability

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  76. 76

    Balance authority, span and trust

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  77. 77

    Choose centralised or decentralised decisions

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  78. 78

    Distinguish line and staff functions

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  79. 79

    Identify when business communication is essential

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  80. 80

    Choose spoken, written, electronic or visual communication

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  81. 81

    Map communication channels and direction

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  82. 82

    Remove barriers to communication

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  83. 83

    Facilitate communication and use informal channels

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  84. 84

    Understand the purpose and roles of leadership

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  85. 85

    Compare theories of leadership

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  86. 86

    Use emotional intelligence in leadership

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  87. 87

    Design a context-appropriate HRM strategy

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  88. 88

    Calculate and apply elasticity measures

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  89. 89

    Plan product development and R&D

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  90. 90

    Forecast sales with qualitative evidence and moving averages

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  91. 91

    Build a practical marketing plan

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  92. 92

    Coordinate marketing strategy with business goals

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  93. 93

    Select and enter international markets

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  94. 94

    Choose an operations location

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  95. 95

    Assess scale and economies of scale

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  96. 96

    Manage quality through control, assurance and TQM

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  97. 97

    Use benchmarking to improve quality

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  98. 98

    Make operations decisions across functions and technology

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  99. 99

    Build flexibility and process innovation

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  100. 100

    Use ERP to coordinate operations

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  101. 101

    Use Kaizen, quality circles and JIT for lean improvement

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  102. 102

    Use simultaneous engineering and cell production

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  103. 103

    Plan operations with critical path analysis

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  104. 104

    Read and amend a statement of profit or loss

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  105. 105

    Read a statement of financial position

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  106. 106

    Value inventory using net realisable value

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  107. 107

    Account for straight-line depreciation

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  108. 108

    Assess liquidity with current and acid test ratios

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  109. 109

    Analyse profitability ratios

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  110. 110

    Measure financial efficiency

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  111. 111

    Interpret and manage gearing

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  112. 112

    Analyse investor ratios

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  113. 113

    Use investment appraisal

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  114. 114

    Calculate payback and accounting rate of return

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  115. 115

    Calculate net present value

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  116. 116

    Make an investment appraisal decision

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  117. 117

    Use financial statements and annual reports in strategy

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  118. 118

    Connect ratio analysis with business strategy

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  119. 119

    Contribution and decisions

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  120. 120

    Job enrichment and motivation

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  121. 121

    SWOT and strategic judgement

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AS & A Level Business 9609 · Starter Paper

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