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BTECs vs GCSEs

I'm currently in year 11 studying for my GCSEs. At the present time I'm thinking about AS choices and university more than I did in year 9 (at the time of selecting GCSE subjects to take), and I'm a bit confused.

In year 9, we were encouraged to select BTEC options as they allowed us to receive two grades equivalent to GCSEs, but now I'm concerned as to whether this will affect my choices in the future.

I've completed my BTECs, which are Certificate Business and Art & Design, where I got Distinction *'s in both. Are BTECs only 'frowned upon' at A level or at GCSE level also? Sorry if this question has been asked already but I'd appreciate any constructive replies... thank you.

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Reply 1

username392640

Not really, as most unis do accept BTECs. It might affect your application a bit to Oxbridge or other good unis possibly.

Reply 2

wellynelly

Btecs are frowned upon because they're so damn easy. I mean gcses are easy enough as it is. Decent Unus will probably ignore btecs

Reply 3

Polonium

In my school we had no choice, it was compulsory to do several BTEC's.

Reply 4

ayseta

wellynelly

Btecs are frowned upon because they're so damn easy. I mean gcses are easy enough as it is. Decent Unus will probably ignore btecs

I know BTECs are looked down upon at A level equivalent by universities but does this apply to GCSE level? I agree BTECs are easy... but I didn't really have an option. In addition I'm studying 8 GCSEs and am predicted high grades so will BTECs drag me down a lot ? :s-smilie:

Reply 5

Installation

BTECs are frowned upon, I'm going to assume at any level, as they don't focus on the academic side of things which unis tend to do :P

Reply 6

Polonium

Installation

BTECs are frowned upon, I'm going to assume at any level, as they don't focus on the academic side of things which unis tend to do :P

Not trying to start an argument or anything but what about degrees which are solely coursework based, do they favour BTEC's or frown upon them?

Also I have only ever seen one degree which was 100% coursework and it was a Film Studies degree. There could be more I don't know.

Reply 7

Installation

Polonium

I've never heard of a 100% coursework based degree. Besides, coursework for me = essays anyway.

Reply 8

Polonium

Installation

I've never heard of a 100% coursework based degree. Besides, coursework for me = essays anyway.

As I said I've only ever seen one but I'll try and find some more.

Reply 9

Dan789

ayseta

This is me, almost exactly.

My school has got the idea into their heads that BTEC is superior to GCSE. (Partly because this is the most the majority of the students can handle) As a young and naive Year 9, I was swayed by this, but like you, now that I'm thinking of what I want to do after 6th form, it's starting to scare me a bit. I'm doing the First Certificate in Business Studies and in ICT, so along with that, I'm only going to leave with 8 Full GCSEs (like yourself) + 2 Short Courses.

I'm really keen on a career in Medicine, and I'm worried I won't be up to scratch, not on quality (I'm predicted A/A*), but on quantity. At the minute, I'm considering my options (including begging my RE teacher to enter me for the Full Course; doing extra GCSEs before the summer exams/during 6th form)

I'm feeling really hard done by, as BTECs seem to be a risk - counting either for or against you. It's worrying how out-of-favour they seem to be. May I ask what career you have in mind?

Reply 10

Evanesyne

I really wouldn't recommend doing any BTECs to anyone who wants to do something academic in the future, as BTECs are almost always based on the 'softer' subjects.
I regret taking DiDA (ICT), even though like you, I got Distinctions. It was pretty much a waste of space, and I could have done something like French and History instead.
However, extra GCSEs can always be attained from your sixth form or college, although they usually only have the main three.
If you want to do something with business or art, then it's absolutely fine.

Reply 11

Duckzilla

ayseta

To be perfectly honest (I'm sure I will get some bad reactions) BTECs are looked down up because there are no exams. In GCSE coursework can be as little as 20% of a grade or as much as 60% but the other marks will come from the exam, will the student will only have one chance at. BTEC is 100% coursework based so there is no revision to do as you don't actually have to remember anything, you can just rephrase your notes (which is what a lot of GCSE students do for coursework) and you don't get any experience of writing to time, which is always a bad thing.

Even if a GCSE is 60% coursework, and you get 0 in the exam you will get a C grade, but drop one percent and you'll be at a D, whereas in BTEC you have more time and less pressure because you can always 'do it later', rather than having a set exam time with a time constraint and basically everything depending on that one exam which could go badly.

At my school and in other schools around me you are not allowed to do A-levels if you get less than a certain number of C grades at GCSE and have to do BTEC in the sixth form instead, whereas if you get above a certain level of C grades you are not allowed to take BTEC and must take A-levels or IB as you are deemed as 'too capable' for BTEC, which of course, is a prejudice view, but it is what happens. GCSE BTECs at the schools I mentioned are taught to the 'less able' pupils as it is seen as an easier way to gain equivalent GCSE points.

Reply 12

ZOMG!

We did BTEC P.E and everybody cheated. We swapped work and asked the teacher to dictate what we had to write (I assume you're not suppose to do this but meh), we also handed work in months after the deadline and none of us took it seriously. It was an utter waste of time, as I didn't learn anything from it.

I guess universities know you get a lot more help than you would when doing an exam so it's deemed to be one of those 'doss' qualifications.

Reply 13

clareramos

This goes back to the 1988 Education Reform Act when BTECs were introduced. They were seen as a way to give the people who were at the technical college introduced in the 1944 education act an actual qualification that was supposidly equal, but it wasn't then and it isn't now.

Reply 14

usa1981

BTEC Firsts may not be equal to the GCSEs but how will having a couple BTEC firsts with 8 full GCSEs and two half course GCSEs effect Sixth form entry and have both strong GCSE and A-level marks for UCAS application?

Reply 15

nebby

i don't think that it will affect you that badley, i mean, sure if you had all BETCs then it would but eight good GCSEs cab't affevct you!

good luck anyway,

nebby

Reply 16

Jonah Joffe

Ive always been told that any decent university will ignore B-TECs completely, my (state) school wont let anyone waste their time doing them as they dont really count for anything.
However, like the person above said, if you have 8 good gcse's then you dont need to worry. Just dont bother putting your BTEC's down when you apply to uni.

Reply 17

Nymthae

Put everything you've got down, having 8 good GCSEs + BTECs is better than just 8 good GCSEs. If anything it shows you have a wide range of capabilities/knowledge over different areas. There's better things that can be done but most universities will look closer as A-levels than GCSE so make sure you pick the right A-levels (and at that point i'd recommend not choosing BTECs). Cambridge for example do weight GCSEs alongisde everything else but it's really not the be-all-end-all.

Reply 18

ayseta

Dan789

Oh dear I'm sorry that I haven't replied :frown:

I too am interested in Medicine :smile:

Reply 19

kILLERm

I regret the decision that I made in year 9 (decided to pick a Btec). I swear I picked it because my teacher told me that it was worth 4 GCSEs. Obviously I wasn't aware of the value of Btecs at that time. It just amazed me that you get 4 GCSEs for 1 subject. Unfortunately I was told in the following year that it's only worth 1 GCSE. *****!!!. I would also like to go down the science field and hopefully become a dentist when I grow older but will my choices have a major effect on my future. I agree that I was stupid and should've done some individual research but I was easily brainwashed at that time. AAAAAAARGHH!!!. I'm predicted mainly As with a few Bs so my GCSEs are fine. Also I'm studying Urdu GCSE which is taught after school. So basically, I'm good in all areas but I made a stupid choice in year 9 by picking a Btec. Please could someone reply and sort out my never ending problems.