In all honesty, do people look down on BTECs?

I heard a staff member say to do that A Levels are much harder, I go to a college and not many people do A Levels. I do a Level 3 BTEC but talking to a few people, they all seem to put it down even though it's equivalent to 3 A Levels, I guess the A Level equivalent of the subject would be harder, so do university honestly look down on BTEC's as opposed to A Levels students?

Reply 1

DiddyDec01

3

Yes.

My BTEC is superior to other people's BTECs.

Reply 2

username2371841

20

it depends, in my school we've all been taught to aim for A* and to become dentists and medics, so yh people would loook down if they've been taught that ALevels are better, so basically it depends on their environment and how they've been taught

Reply 3

saladays

10

I don't know why they would. I think perhaps BTECs haven't always been considered equal to A Levels, but I think lately BTECs and apprenticeships have had more appreciation. I'll be doing all A Levels myself, but do I think anyone is lesser than me for doing BTECs? No! That's their choice and they're happy for it; I'm going for a more traditional academic route, I guess, but BTECs are just as - and more so in some ways - as valuable as A Levels. If anyone is really going to put you down for taking a BTEC then you can tell them what a smarmy little git they are :-)

Reply 4

Blue_Mason

10

Can you even fail a BTEC?

Reply 5

Retired_Messiah

21

I personally don't because frankly I barely grasp what a BTEC even is, but from what I can tell a bunch of people do seem to look down on them.

Reply 6

Blackstarr

20

They are looked down upon because they are no match for A levels and this is a fact.

You can't write a paragraph in an A level exam and expect to get a C grade whereas at BTEC that is somewhat acceptable-"pass grade"=C grade

Anyway, BTEC's are soon changing, at least for my one(health and social care) and will have like one or two exams to toughen them up.

Saying all the above does not mean BTEc students don't do well at university.

Reply 7

DiddyDec01

3

Original post by Blackstarr

They are looked down upon because they are no match for A levels and this is a fact.

You can't write a paragraph in an A level exam and expect to get a C grade whereas at BTEC that is somewhat acceptable-"pass grade"=C grade

Anyway, BTEC's are soon changing, at least for my one(health and social care) and will have like one or two exams to toughen them up.

Saying all the above does not mean BTEc students don't do well at university.

Exams have absolutely no bearing on the world outside of education. They are an arbitrary test of memorising facts.

Reply 8

Blackstarr

20

As far as the question goes, not every university accepts BTECs, certainly not for medicine at least but most will do providing you end up with the highest grade which i believe is a distinction or a distinction star.

Reply 9

Blackstarr

20

Original post by DiddyDec

Exams have absolutely no bearing on the world outside of education. They are an arbitrary test of memorising facts.

Yes, i agree but how else are you supposed to test someone's knowledge on a certain topic.

Reply 10

DiddyDec01

3

Original post by Blackstarr

Yes, i agree but how else are you supposed to test someone's knowledge on a certain topic.

By testing them in the field. You give them a real problem to solve.

Reply 11

Tom__

2

BTECs are assessed completely by coursework. A levels are (in most cases) assessed completely by Examinations. For this reason I don't think that the two are really in the same boat for a fair comparison. To answer your question, BTECs are looked down (usually by A level students).