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FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS

Which A-levels do you need for a career in finance?

Why maths matters most, and what else helps.

In brief

Maths. It is the common gatekeeper: economics degrees and most finance degree apprenticeships require or strongly prefer it, and it keeps the widest set of doors open. Beyond maths, most finance careers do not require specific A-level subjects - the subject requirements are set by degree courses and apprenticeship programmes, not by employers hiring graduates.
If your child is choosing A-levels now, the practical rule is simple: take maths if they can manage it, add one subject they genuinely enjoy, and check the entry requirements of two or three specific degree courses or apprenticeships before the options form goes in.

Published 8 October 2026 · Updated 8 October 2026

Why maths matters most

Most economics degrees list A-level maths as a requirement, and finance is the most common destination for economics graduates. Degree apprenticeships in finance frequently name maths in their entry requirements too, or ask for a strong grade in it. An options choice made in Year 11 can quietly close doors two years later, which is why maths is the one subject worth protecting.

What else helps

Further maths strengthens applications to quantitative courses and programmes. Economics A-level is useful but not required for most finance degrees. Business studies is accepted by many courses but is rarely named as a requirement. Essay subjects are fine: many people in finance studied history, languages or English, and employers hiring graduates accept any degree discipline for most roles.

If the choices are already made

Not taking maths is recoverable. Options include core maths alongside other A-levels, a November resit if grades fall short, and apprenticeships whose entry requirements differ from university courses - they vary by employer, and some accept alternative qualifications. Check each employer's stated requirements rather than assuming; they are not uniform.

Do employers require economics?

No. Most finance graduate schemes accept any degree subject, and apprenticeships hire on the basis of grades, tests and interviews rather than subject lists. What employers look for at the selection stage is evidence: commercial awareness, the ability to talk about real experiences, and interview performance. Those are built during sixth form, not by one subject choice.

The Year 11 note

For parents of Year 11 students: the options form is the first decision in this process. Before it goes in, look at two or three economics degree entry requirements and two or three finance apprenticeship vacancies, and let those pages set the A-level list.

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The free parent guide includes what to do in Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13, term by term.

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