[tohaaaa]

Are BTECs at Level 3, recognized just as much as A-Levels by employers and universities?

[theking1]

(Original post by tohaaaa)
Are BTECs at Level 3, recognized just as much as A-Levels by employers and universities?

No. As much as people might say they are, they're not. I myself took Science BTEC regrettably. A levels are traditional, and more academic. However by Universities they are more acceptable (and by the UCAS system, as that isn't morally obligated to judge) sorry for sounding so pessimistic. What BTEC do you have, and what do you want to do?

[tohaaaa]

I don't have any. I'm just wondering because I am in Year 10 and am deciding on collages. One offers only AS levels and BTECs, while another offers AS+A2 Levels. Need to decide

[theking1]

(Original post by tohaaaa)
I don't have any. I'm just wondering because I am in Year 10 and am deciding on collages. One offers only AS levels and BTECs, while another offers AS+A2 Levels. Need to decide

What do you want to do in the future? Like interests,etc
+ do you achieve decent grades.

[tohaaaa]

Well, I want to Study Computer Science at Uni, (my ultimate Goal)

Here is my Predicted Grades (Not the Best)

Business - B/A
Science Core - B
Science Add - B
Science Triple - N/A
Maths - C (But if I get max UMS on Current Test, Will do higher Unit 3)
English Lit - B
English Lan - B
RE - C
Citizenship - C
Geography - C
IT Core - A
IT Add - A

[theking1]

(Original post by tohaaaa)
Well, I want to Study Computer Science at Uni, (my ultimate Goal)

Here is my Predicted Grades (Not the Best)

Business - B/A
Science Core - B
Science Add - B
Science Triple - N/A
Maths - C (But if I get max UMS on Current Test, Will do higher Unit 3)
English Lit - B
English Lan - B
RE - C
Citizenship - C
Geography - C
IT Core - A
IT Add - A

Perfectly fine grades. Apply at a college/preferably sixth form(if you want more support) and take A levels. C's a good grade for Maths, however you need to try and push it up to an A, as you will definitely need it to get into a good uni course.

These would be good options for a-levels for you;

Computing
Maths
Physics/Further Maths
the last option doesn't need to strict, but make your app sound a tad diverse, taking an essay subject would really impress admissions to a good university, i.e as well as the above take english lang. (or lit. if you really want to impress)

anyway, hope this helps

[ZoominglyFree]

I am on my last year of a BTEC National diploma IT course, and I am set to get D*D*D*, and whilst that is the best you can achieve, the feeling I have gotten from most is that if you are to get top marks on A levels, that will trump the best BTEC.

However from personal experience BTECs are very easy and you can not fail easily, where as with A levels you have a test (I believe) so this could be consideration for you when choosing.


Best of luck

[tohaaaa]

Right, Thanks for all the info. But how about the ones that are equivalent to 3 A-Levels. What does that mean?

[ZoominglyFree]

(Original post by tohaaaa)
Right, Thanks for all the info. But how about the ones that are equivalent to 3 A-Levels. What does that mean?

The grade you can achieve with a BTEC can be equivalent to 3 A levels..it all depends on what you get in your BTEC overall as to what the grade in that A level would be.

I know you may be a little young yet, but why not have a look at the UCAS website and see what grades are required for what you would like to study? That may help put things in a clearer state

[M4LLY]

BTEC's are suited to some people more than others, a mates doing one in Business and he says he prefers it to traditional A levels because he hates the pressure of exams

[nmr1991]

If you think of the 6 units of level 3 BTEC in IT being 1 A-level (as part of the extended diploma), then this would be the equivalent to having an A level in Computing, I don't know what computing consists of, but any pathway you take (systems support, business, software dev) being bundled into 6 units is part of 1 full A-level whether it could be computing, ICT etc. In my experience ICT a level doesn't give you much experience in the way that BTEC in IT gives in terms of maintaining computer systems, software development and programming, but this could be the case with A-level computing, however this is only equivalent to 6 units not the full 18.

BTEC L3 IT = specific to e.g. software development, A-levels = Computing and IT (don't know of any others really, would consider Maths but its not really used unless the unit Mathematics for IT Practitioners is used or in-depth programming is considered) but that's if there is a limited choice of A-levels, like for me, there wasn't an option for computing, and several other A-levels that were related to IT was just the ICT and even then it was suited for business not the software development.

All my A levels had 50% coursework 50% exams, i wasn't interested in most of it hence why I failed them (mainly due to not revising).

Although I am a BTEC student, I don't argue in the way that BTEC's are looked down upon, my lecturers are too lenient therefore I am getting top grades, it would seem I need the pressure of exams to push my intelligence to the next level. I would go for A-levels, i'm stuck where I am and I don't want to spend another 2 years trying to get a more secure future by doing A levels all over again. I would say that these past 2 years doing IT level 3 has been a little too easy, had the pressure of working in groups which was my weakness at school and had to back up my failed GCSE's by doing functional skills (which is compulsory with BTEC btw). My mind has been changed by the BTEC and I no longer feel the pressure of academic qualifications that require you to pass exams. But since im going to the university of my choice and study something I enjoy, i'm confident that I will achieve the best grade possible.

TLDR: Go for A-levels, you got excellent GCSE's (better than mine ) and a real chance of doing what you really want to do.