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why do A-Level Students Look Down on BTEC's?

Just wondering why people seem to think A-Levels are superior?

I'm on a Level 3 Extended for EEE Engineering, backed up with a A-level in Maths, planning on going to University of Southampton for EEE...

Just to be clear, I have nothing against A-Levels.. What's your opinion on the whole A-Level > BTEC thing?

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Btec...

Maybe because the majority of students doing them are the less-able students?

Reply 3

German123

Original post by Ryanx623

Simply because of the fact that Btec students are getting uni offers wheras they are not.

Reply 4

Patrick2810

Original post by Ryanx623

I get that with certain courses, Health + Social care for example are complete knobs, However courses like Engineering are filled with A-level capable students...

Ok but at our sixth form (its not a college) we only do a few courses like media that loads of less able students get dumped on (seemingly)

Reply 5

German123

Original post by Ryanx623

You should look at this thread:http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=54488117&highlight=

Reply 6

yt7777

its ridiculous, i am a perfectly capable student currently averaging a first a a good university studying Computer Science and i took a BTEC in IT previously, its the same content that gets covered, all this bull**** about BTEC students being less able is just a way for A levels students to feel superior even though BTECs are just as good to get into uni currently 95% of universities accept BTEC and that has been growing each passing year and BTECs actually hold ground and are preferred in the real world whereas A levels, quite simply dont (apart from A level Maths) and they are just useful for getting into university.

for technical, skilled jobs e.g. IT or Engineering, employers would rather employ someone with a BTEC rather than A levels and also in a study they proved that the combination of a BTEC + degree would be more likely to get you a job as oppose to having A levels.

kids at school just think that A levels are the natural progression after (which they are) but they are not the only route and they are not superior by any means, when they grow up after they graduate they will soon realize how their A levels served them no purpose apart from getting into uni, whereas BTEC actually prepares you for working in the industry that you want to go into, the only positive about taking A levels is that if, for some reason you want to change your career plans you can whereas with BTEC it is harder to do that.

Reply 7

ohhello92x

I've never done A-levels, I've done a level 3 BTEC and managed to get into university :biggrin:

I think A-level students think they feel the need to feel superior over the BTEC students
And there ARE able students who do BTEC, but I think there are students, like myself who prefer coursework over exams, or the course they want to do is a BTEC, so have to do it as a BTEC anyway

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Reply 8

yt7777

Original post by German123

You should look at this thread:http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=54488117&highlight=

or just the last 4/5 pages of this thread haha :P

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3180559&

Reply 9

German123

Original post by yt7777

or just the last 4/5 pages of this thread haha :P

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3180559&

Reply 10

German123

Original post by ohhello92x

I've never done A-levels, I've done a level 3 BTEC and managed to get into university :biggrin:

Yes it is best to do what you like and what suits you.

Reply 11

DSG7799

It could be because to get on btec courses they ask for a minimum of 5Cs at gcse level where for A levels they ask for a B or A in the subject you want to do or as teenagers tend to be told if you want to go to university it's better to go down the A level route than btec

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Reply 12

German123

Original post by ohhello92x

I've never done A-levels, I've done a level 3 BTEC and managed to get into university :biggrin:

Yes, just because the A level students have exams they feel like they need to be top priority when applying to uni and in competition with Btec students.

All in all both are for different people.

Reply 13

ohhello92x

Original post by German123

Yes it is best to do what you like and what suits you.

Exactly

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Reply 14

ohhello92x

Original post by German123

Yes, just because the A level students have exams they feel like they need to be top priority when applying to uni and in competition with Btec students.

All in all both are for different people.

That is soo true! :smile:

BTEC students have as much chance to get into as the A-level students :redface:

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Reply 15

German123

Original post by ohhello92x

Exactly

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Reply 16

German123

Original post by ohhello92x

That is soo true! :smile:

BTEC students have as much chance to get into as the A-level students :redface:

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Reply 17

BethanieClarke

Original post by German123

Simply because of the fact that Btec students are getting uni offers wheras they are not.

Actually I'd have to disagree, I'm an A-level student holding an unconditional offer for Law and many of my friends who are doing BTEC's and applying for the same and/or similar courses simply aren't getting the university offers.

This is simply because A-levels are viewed as harder and more desirable than a BTEC, because a BTEC is all one subject and completely coursework based, whereas with A-levels you take 4-5 different subjects with minimal coursework and many exams.

Reply 18

scrunkie

A-Levels are HARDER than Btec. It's simply a fact.

Something that I hate is that excellence scholarships are offered to Btec students with DDD and A-Level students with AAA. As if a Distinction is equivalent to an A in A-Level. An A is so much harder to obtain than Distinctions so that's not fair at all.

Should have done a **** Btec and got some extra money from it and still do the same course at the same University. What utter nonsense.

Reply 19

BethanieClarke

Original post by yt7777

for technical, skilled jobs e.g. IT or Engineering, employers would rather employ someone with a BTEC rather than A levels and also in a study they proved that the combination of a BTEC + degree would be more likely to get you a job as oppose to having A levels.

kids at school just think that A levels are the natural progression after (which they are) but they are not the only route and they are not superior by any means, when they grow up after they graduate they will soon realize how their A levels served them no purpose apart from getting into uni, whereas BTEC actually prepares you for working in the industry that you want to go into, the only positive about taking A levels is that if, for some reason you want to change your career plans you can whereas with BTEC it is harder to do that.

But see this is the thing, A-levels are designed for higher education, BTEC's, NVQ's and whatever else are designed for people who mainly want to go straight into the workplace.

However! With a BTEC you are only trained in one industry and are pretty much in a sticky situation if you want to change professions, whereas with A-Levels and Degree's you can a) get higher paid and better positioned jobs and b) regardless of your A-level and/or Degree subject, you can practically walk into any position just because you have A-levels and/or A degree.