Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Business: What’s changed?
An overview of the syllabus and teaching and learning resources
19 March 2025
Sally Johnston, Julia Fusi, Leanne Burslem-Curl, Medi Houghton, Jennifer Wade and Laura Rogers
Meet the team
Sally Johnston Julia Fusi
Leanne Burslem-Curl
Medi Houghton
Laura Rogers
Jennifer Wade
Updated syllabus and assessment
Sally Johnston
Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Business (0264/0774/7081)
• First assessment:
• Cambridge IGCSE Business 0264 – March 2027
• Cambridge IGCSE (9-1) Business 0774 – June 2027
• Cambridge O Level Business 7081 – June 2027
• Headline changes:
• Change in syllabus title and codes
• Modernised subject content, including more themes about new technology and sustainability
• Added a list of accounting formula and ratios
• Given greater clarity to Assessment Objectives (AOs)
• Aims:
• Reworded for clarity and to inspire further study in Business
• How it fits into the Cambridge Pathway:
• Cambridge IGCSE/IGCSE (9-1)/O Level still align to progression into Cambridge International AS & A Level.
• The change in name from Business Studies to Business matches the title for Cambridge
International AS & A Level Business.
• Accounting formula and ratios, and terminology align more closely with Cambridge
International AS & A Level Business
Key changes - Syllabus
Syllabus title and code changes:
• Cambridge IGCSE Business 0264
• Cambridge IGCSE Business (9-1) 0774
• Cambridge O Level Business 7081. The name now aligns with Cambridge International AS & A Level Business.
Aims have been updated to better reflect the content. An introductory explanation for each topic has been added.
Key changes – subject content
Subject content has been modernised with themes of technology and sustainability, including a new topics:
Technology and production of goods and services 4.3 Sustainable production of goods and services
New examples to reflect the modern and changing world, to enhance student’s understanding of business. For example:
• Online methods of research
• Relevant examples of ecommerce like mobile phone/internet banking and online shopping
• Digital methods of communication
Formula and ratios included to support teaching of the syllabus and to align more with Cambridge IGCSE Accounting and Cambridge International AS & A Level Business
Key changes - Assessment
Assessment Objectives wording made clearer. Changes align more closely with Cambridge IGCSE Accounting, Cambridge IGCSE Economics and Cambridge International AS & A Level Business.
Assessment Objectives weightings have been changed to give more opportunity for more developed answers with greater contextual and critical thinking skills.
Paper 1 – Questions have been changed to have four instead of five parts, so the breakdown of marks have changed.
(a) 2-marks, (b) 4-marks, (b) (c) 6-marks, (d) 8-marks
The overall number of marks has remained at 80 marks.
Paper 2 – all part (a) questions are applied. The Paper 2 mark scheme wording has changed, but the marking criteria remains largely the same.
Published endorsed resources
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Hachette Learning
Teaching and learning resources
Julia Fusi
School Support Hub
School Support Hub
Access for Cambridge Schools Provides curriculum support resources
School Support Hub
Scheme of Work
Lesson planning
Skills Exercises
Resource Plus
Learner guides
Teaching tools
Specimen Paper Answers
Example Candidate Responses
Endorsed Support from Cambridge
Endorsed offering – IGCSE Business
Pub date: 20th March
2025
Medi Houghton
Leanne Burslem-Curl
Veenu Jain
Mark Fisher
Pub date: May 2025
Alex Smith
Veenu Jain
Pub date: March 2025
Leanne Burslem-Curl
How to use this series
Coursebook
Fully updated to align to the updated syllabus
Fully endorsed
New design
Links to sustainability and technology
Videos accessed via Cambridge GO
Real-world application / Engagement
Real-world application / Engagement
Business in Context
Introduce students to the content in the chapter
Contains questions to allow for group discussion
They place some of the key ideas from the chapter into a real-world business setting
Real-world application / Engagement
Recent, real-life context
Includes questions or task to apply learning
Many of the case studies have an environmental ‘angle’ which reinforces the importance of environmental issues
Engagement and motivation
The enhanced number of activities, games and quizzes enable students to work independently, in pairs or in small groups and benefit from peer support and review
Prompts thinking at key points within each chapter
Design Update
Allows students to access content more easily
Break down key topics
Workbook
Fully updated to align to the updated syllabus
Digital access
Practice Questions
Scaffolded skills support
Workbook
Learning Intentions help students to navigate through the workbook and indicate important concepts for each chapter.
Scaffolded to support progression through the course
Assessment Support
Provide students with a sample answers to help understand how to respond to questions using key skills.
Advice and guidance are provided to help you assess the answer.
An opportunity to evaluate a sample answer to a question.
Opportunity to apply advice for student’s own answer
More demanding practice questions provide students with an opportunity to try out further questions on what you have learnt in each section
Teacher’s Resource
Fully updated to align to the updated syllabus
Downloadable worksheets
Access to the digital coursebook and digital workbook
Teaching support
Teaching support
Explains the prior knowledge required to access the chapter and gives suggestions for addressing any gaps in students’ knowledge
Teaching support
Contains suggestions on how to support students, especially those with English as an Additional Language.
Provides suggestions for eliciting evidence of misconceptions
Provides suggestions on how to overcome them
Teaching support
Teaching support
Downloadable support material: Worksheets
Advice on how to use the video content
Professional Development
Explore our range of professional development support
Introduction courses – Introduce teachers to Cambridge programmes. Recommended for teachers who are new to Cambridge or to a specific qualification.
Marking workshops – Engage with recent candidate responses to build confidence in their understanding of the assessment criteria. Recommended for teachers with at least one year's experience teaching Cambridge programmes.
Focus on Assessment – Engage with our syllabuses in greater depth and build confidence in your delivery.
Recommended for teachers with at least one year's experience teaching Cambridge programmes.
Focus on Teaching – For teachers who want to explore a specific area of teaching and learning within the syllabus.
Insights from our authors
Medi Houghton and Leanne Burslem-Curl
What’s new?
• Up-to-date case studies based on real life businesses
New features:
• Business in action
• Videos
• Business in Context
• Reflection
• Check your progress
Business in Context
What is it?
• Introduction to the content of each chapter
• Focuses on some key ideas from the chapter
• Real life business scenario
• Questions to prompt discussion or activity
Business in Context
• How to use?
• Starter activity for a lesson
• Baseline assessment to establish prior knowledge
• Group or class activity
Business in Context
Business in Context: Sustenir
• Students individually read the context – and allow them to ask questions about it
• In pairs or groups, discuss the questions
• Ask a selection of the groups to answer the questions
• Do the other groups agree?
What to do next:
Ask students to think about examples of where different sectors might work together.
Business in context 2
Business in Context – Aha!
Use the questions as a starter activity
Lesson could then focus on:
• What makes an entrepreneur – think pair share activity
• In groups: create a table with identifying four or five characteristics – and why each one might be helpful to an entrepreneur. Rank the characteristics from the most important down to the least and justify answer.
• Follow up: research an entrepreneur – then present findings to the class in the form of a poster or presentation OR invite a local entrepreneur to tell their story?
Videos
What is it?
• Short videos to use as part of teaching and learning
• Some based on real life businesses
• Some based on explaining part of the syllabus
Videos
How to use?
• Homework activity to introduce content - flipped learning
• Lesson starter
• Group tasks
• Individual, pair, share
Videos
How to use?
• Example: Chapter 16 (show video clip)
• Question to think about whilst watching the video - How important is it for a business to adapt its marketing strategy?
• Create a mind map whilst watching the video
• Give me 5
• Summary questions - Which change to Dunkin Donuts marketing strategy do you think was the riskiest? Why? What changes to price, product, promotion and place would you make to Dunkin Donuts today? Explain your answer.
• Write a 2 sentence answer.
• Choose another change and justify that - link to evaluation skills.
• Produce a marketing strategy - link to business objectives, finance etc.
Business in Action
What is it?
• Insight into how real businesses apply some of the key concepts of each chapter
• Short case study about a business issue
• Questions to prompt discussion
• Designed to encourage application and analysis skills
• Questions might go beyond the syllabus.
Business in Action
How to use?
• Group or class activity
• Review learning
• Plenary / consolidation activity
• Exit ticket
Business in Action 1
Business in Action 1
How to use?
• Ask students to work in pairs to write down as many advantages of operating in a niche market as they can. Extension opportunity - students to develop these advantages into chains of analysis
• Class discussion of advantages - students could then individually rank these from biggest advantage down to least significant advantage - discussion of this
• Students could work in groups to produce a poster with suggestions for ideas about how Hive could increase sales and then present to the class, or students could individually write suggestions down and hand in to the teacher at the start of the lesson. These could be used at the start of the next lesson and students could think about the advantages and disadvantages of each way.
Business in Action 2
Business in Action: Patagonia
How to use?
• Opportunity for students to identify stakeholder groups e.g. give me 5 - and then categorise into internal and external stakeholder groups
• You could ask different groups to focus on different stakeholder groups to consider how they might be affected. Ask for volunteers to share their answers with the class
• As a class, discuss question 2.
• Each student could write a 2 minute summary, about question 2, including reasons for their viewpoint.
• Discuss students different answers to this question - can those who think they should and those who think they shouldn’t both provide a justified reason?
Business in Action 3:
Beyond the syllabus
Business in Action 3: Hello Chef
Beyond the syllabus
Question 1 is linked to the syllabus
Question 2 goes beyond the syllabus - opportunity for students to think in a different way and apply their business skills to something they may not be as familiar withhelps to develop transferable skills
Reflection
What is it?
• Focus upon development of skills
• Opportunity to think about areas such as approach to tasks, consider how well it has gone and identify how things may be done differently next time
Reflection
How to use?
• Reflection activities are often linked to specific activities
• Open ended questions
• Individual task - could be an exit ticket
• Paired/group discussion - could use sticky notes
• Example reflections can be adapted for other activities
Reflection
How to use?
• Example reflections can be adapted for other activities
• Questions could be adapted for Activity 23.3:
• Think about Activity 23.3, what did you learn?
• Did it encourage you to think about the difference between cost of sales and expenses?
• Can you think of examples of cost of sales and expenses? What will help you to remember the difference between the two?
Check your progress
What is it?
• Opportunity to assess students understanding for a particular chapter
• A breakdown of the desired learning outcomes from each chapter
Check your progress
How to use?
• Individual reflection
• Plenary
• Homework
• Paired/group discussion
• Sharing examples
• Skills development - how can the score be improved?
• Provide areas to prioritise for revision/future teaching
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