The Cambridge International AS and A Level Business syllabus, code 9609, covers exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028. It has ten units, 34 topics and four written papers. There is no coursework. This page sets out what is in it, how it is examined and how the teaching time divides up, so you can plan the course without working through the 45-page PDF first. The official syllabus is on the Cambridge International website and is always the final authority.
Which years this syllabus covers
One syllabus document covers all three exam years: 2026, 2027 and 2028. Exams run in the June and November series, with a March series in India. The current document is version 2, published in December 2025. Cambridge states that it makes no significant changes that affect teaching, and that textbooks endorsed for exams from 2023 are still suitable. If you taught 9609 for the 2023 to 2025 exams, your course still fits.
How the syllabus is organised
The content sits in five areas, each taught twice: once at AS Level and again, at greater depth, at A Level. AS students study units 1 to 5. A Level students study all ten. The AS content is assumed knowledge for the A Level papers.
| Area | AS Level (Papers 1 and 2) | A Level (Papers 3 and 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Business and its environment | Unit 1 | Unit 6 |
| Human resource management | Unit 2 | Unit 7 |
| Marketing | Unit 3 | Unit 8 |
| Operations management | Unit 4 | Unit 9 |
| Finance and accounting | Unit 5 | Unit 10 |
AS Level Business syllabus topics (units 1 to 5)
That is 19 topics. We have one editable PowerPoint lesson for each, and every topic above links to its lesson. They are also listed unit by unit on the Cambridge AS Level Business page.
A Level Business syllabus topics (units 6 to 10)
That is 15 topics. We cover them in 18 lessons: one per topic, except Unit 6, where external influences is split into three lessons and business strategy into two. They are listed on the Cambridge A Level Business page.
The four papers
| Paper | Length | Marks | Format | Share of AS | Share of A Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Business Concepts 1 | 1 h 15 min | 40 | Four short answer questions, then one essay from a choice of two | 40% | 20% |
| 2 Business Concepts 2 | 1 h 30 min | 60 | Two data response questions, six parts each | 60% | 30% |
| 3 Business Decision-Making | 1 h 45 min | 60 | Five questions on one case study | n/a | 30% |
| 4 Business Strategy | 1 h 15 min | 40 | Two essay questions on one case study | n/a | 20% |
Papers 1 and 2 examine units 1 to 5 only. Papers 3 and 4 examine units 6 to 10; the AS content is assumed but is not the direct focus of questions. Students can sit AS only, take the A Level in two stages (Papers 1 and 2 in year one, Papers 3 and 4 in year two), or sit all four papers in one series. AS grades run a to e, A Level grades A* to E.
What each paper asks of students, question by question, is covered in Preparing students for the Cambridge 9609 exams.
Assessment objectives and weightings
There are four objectives: AO1 knowledge and understanding, AO2 application, AO3 analysis and AO4 evaluation. Across the AS Level they are weighted 30, 30, 20 and 20 per cent. Across the full A Level they are 25 per cent each.
| Weighting by paper (%) | Paper 1 | Paper 2 | Paper 3 | Paper 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO1 Knowledge and understanding | 35 | 30 | 20 | 15 |
| AO2 Application | 30 | 30 | 27 | 10 |
| AO3 Analysis | 20 | 20 | 23 | 40 |
| AO4 Evaluation | 15 | 20 | 30 | 35 |
The practical point is how far the balance moves. On Paper 1, knowledge and application carry 65 per cent of the marks. On Paper 4, analysis and evaluation carry 75 per cent. A student who can define and apply will do well at AS and then stall in the second year unless evaluation is practised from the start. Every lesson of ours puts the content into a real business case for that reason.
The same comparison for IGCSE 0264, and what the weightings mean for teaching at each level, is in Assessment objectives in Cambridge Business 9609 and 0264.
Command words
The syllabus uses nine: advise, analyse, assess, calculate, define, evaluate, explain, identify and justify. Cambridge also uses phrases such as “To what extent” alongside them. It is worth teaching these by name from the first term, since the command word tells students which assessment objective the marks are for.
Teaching time
Cambridge designs the AS Level around about 180 guided learning hours and the full A Level around about 360. No previous study of business is expected. For a week-by-week plan that fits those hours, see the AS Level 9609 scheme of work and the A Level 9609 scheme of work.
The syllabus also expects students to calculate: labour turnover, market share and growth, break-even, variances, elasticity, moving averages, critical path analysis, ratios and investment appraisal among them. Our maths lessons for the course are on the quantitative skills page.
Lessons for every topic in the syllabus
Our lessons cover every topic above: 19 lessons for AS and 18 for A Level. Each is an editable PowerPoint with video case studies, learning checks and an exit ticket, built to the syllabus wording for 2026 to 2028. Buy one lesson to try, a unit at a time, or the whole course.