Btec it software

I finished mine a year ago and itis a really good course, I’m now at university studying Computer Science,obviously the units will differ but generally it is all very enjoyable andrewarding if you are passionate about technology and working in the IT sector.

If you are doing the IT (Software dev) pathway there willbe a strong focus on programming and software engineering, programming isactually writing the code and software engineering is more on the design,the processes, how it works in industry and the life cycles of applications.

You will probably do at least 2 out of the 3 programming modules which are ‘Object-Oriented’, ‘Event-driven’and ‘Procedural’ programming, i found these the most enjoyable units on thecourse and they really do prepare you well for either a degree with high programming content or for a career as a software engineer you will be creating applications and problem solutions in a scenario that you are working as a Software Engineer for a fictitious company. you will also take 'software design and development' which gives you an introduction to the main programming paradigms, development methodologies and the general SW development life cycle, you will probably also take 'Systems Analysis and Design'which is very similar but teaches more complex content about choice of methodologies, Agile methods/processes and i believe that you will have to evaluate and discuss the design, analysis and potential implementation of a fictitious software development project.

You will also take the 3 core units which are '1. Communication and Employability for IT','2. Computer Systems' and '3. Information Systems' these units are quite straight forward, unit 1 will generally be about the importance of good communication in the workplace, researching different learning styles,developing good interpersonal skills, giving presentations etc. unit 2 will give you an introduction into basic computer components, operating systems, performance, upgrades, configurations and software utilities also if you take unit 19 computer systems architecture - it is quite similar but a lot more complex, it focusses on the hardware at a much lower level, how the components communicate, logic gates, processor design and you will learn a lot about the maths that drives computing systems and that is a really useful unit to do,. and unit 3 is about systems used for business purposes like MIS (management info systems), CMS (customer/client management systems), using information to support business decisions and generating accurate quantitative data to support these decisions.

In terms of progression, the course is equivalent to 3 A levels where a Pass grade = an E, a Merit = a C, a Distinction = an A and a D* = an A* at A level, you will get a combination of 3 of these grades as the Extended diploma is worth 3 A level for example the highest grade is D*D*D* which is equivalent to A*A*A* at A level and holds 420 UCAS tariff points (that’s what I got in mine). And it is widely accepted by universities for entry onto BSc degrees in Computing, Computer Science, IT,Software Engineering, Information Systems Management, Computer Engineering etc.It is also a well-respected qualification in industry and could be used to get onto a higher apprenticeship or sponsored degree programme at a big IT company like Capgemini, CGI (Logica) or IBM.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions youmay have

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

OP

Thank you soo much for the detailed reply and i have no futher questions but sure will ask if i have anymore. :smile:

Reply 3

Original post by WORLDCAPTURE

Thank you soo much for the detailed reply and i have no futher questions but sure will ask if i have anymore. :smile:

No worries, i'd be happy to answer any you may have, do you know what units you'll be doing aside from the compulsory ones?

Reply 4

these are the core units for the SW dev pathway
Communication and Employability Skills for IT
Computer SystemsI
nformation Systems
Software Design and Development
Systems Analysis and Design
Event Driven Programming

Reply 5

OP

Original post by yt7777

No worries, i'd be happy to answer any you may have, do you know what units you'll be doing aside from the compulsory ones?

I'm not sure, I haven't started the course yet. I'm in year 12 right now doing A levels but sadly picked subjects I wasn't so interested in and want to retake the upcoming year and to avoid mistakes like before im trying to find as much as info as I can about the course.

Reply 6

Original post by WORLDCAPTURE

I'm not sure, I haven't started the course yet. I'm in year 12 right now doing A levels but sadly picked subjects I wasn't so interested in and want to retake the upcoming year and to avoid mistakes like before im trying to find as much as info as I can about the course.

Fair enough, are you currently doing maths A level?

Reply 7

OP

Original post by yt7777

Fair enough, are you currently doing maths A level?

Yeah, but not finding it so easy

Reply 8

Original post by WORLDCAPTURE

Yeah, but not finding it so easy

If you focus on getting a good grade in your AS Maths and you should be able to take the A2 alongside the Extended Diploma, it combines well with the BTEC in IT and would allow you to get in pretty much anywhere for Computer Science including Oxford,

However it isnt essential, i didn't do it and im doing pretty well.

Reply 9

OP

Original post by yt7777

If you focus on getting a good grade in your AS Maths and you should be able to take the A2 alongside the Extended Diploma, it combines well with the BTEC in IT and would allow you to get in pretty much anywhere for Computer Science including Oxford,

However it isnt essential, i didn't do it and im doing pretty well.

I'm almost done with my AS maths exams only have stats left, but im not very confident in my other 2 exams. I think its better for me to leave it out and focus more on my BTEC.

How did you find the BTEC IT course?
And also was your class a mixture of boys and girls or was it mainly guys?

Reply 10

Original post by WORLDCAPTURE

I'm almost done with my AS maths exams only have stats left, but im not very confident in my other 2 exams. I think its better for me to leave it out and focus more on my BTEC.

How did you find the BTEC IT course?
And also was your class a mixture of boys and girls or was it mainly guys?

Yeah I guess thats a good idea.

Yeah i really enjoyed it, IMO its gives you a lot more than A levels, I particularly enjoyed the technical modules on Programming, Software Engineering, Security, Networks and Hardware. No there was one girl in a class of around 20.

In terms of difficulty there is a significant difference between units, for example Unit 19 - Computer Systems Architecture is a really complicated unit and goes above what you learn in A level Computing for the same topics but the ones like Animation, Ecommerce, IT in Business etc. are pretty straight forward in comparison

Reply 11

OP

Original post by yt7777

Yeah I guess thats a good idea.

Yeah i really enjoyed it, IMO its gives you a lot more than A levels, I particularly enjoyed the technical modules on Programming, Software Engineering, Security, Networks and Hardware. No there was one girl in a class of around 20.

In terms of difficulty there is a significant difference between units, for example Unit 19 - Computer Systems Architecture is a really complicated unit and goes above what you learn in A level Computing for the same topics but the ones like Animation, Ecommerce, IT in Business etc. are pretty straight forward in comparison

Oh right, hopefully I won't be the only girl that would be super awkward.
And one more thing, I'm guessing the teaching structure is different from A-levels, is btec the sort where the teacher explains and goes through the context and then expects you to write what he/she just went through.

Reply 12

Original post by WORLDCAPTURE

Oh right, hopefully I won't be the only girl that would be super awkward.
And one more thing, I'm guessing the teaching structure is different from A-levels, is btec the sort where the teacher explains and goes through the context and then expects you to write what he/she just went through.

Each teacher will have their own style, for mine we had lectures explaining what we needed to know for the assignments, however my teachers didnt explain the Distinction criteria as they require independent research and evaluation.

the Pass criteria is usually to explain concepts and give definitions, or you may have to implement something like a Database, Spreadsheet or if its Programming you will be asked to create programs to meet given requirements and the Merits will usually be an extension on this

Also in the Maths unit (Maths for IT practitioners) you will probably be asked to work through maths problems that will cover stuff like Matrix operations, Vectors, Probability, Simultaneous equations, number base conversions etc. and that's also the same for the Unit 19 that i previously mentioned, some of the criteria is working through maths questions as well as describing and explaining technical Hardware properties and functions.

Reply 13

OP

Original post by yt7777

Each teacher will have their own style, for mine we had lectures explaining what we needed to know for the assignments, however my teachers didnt explain the Distinction criteria as they require independent research and evaluation.

the Pass criteria is usually to explain concepts and give definitions, or you may have to implement something like a Database, Spreadsheet or if its Programming you will be asked to create programs to meet given requirements and the Merits will usually be an extension on this

Also in the Maths unit (Maths for IT practitioners) you will probably be asked to work through maths problems that will cover stuff like Matrix operations, Vectors, Probability, Simultaneous equations, number base conversions etc. and that's also the same for the Unit 19 that i previously mentioned, some of the criteria is working through maths questions as well as describing and explaining technical Hardware properties and functions.

Oh right, I really appreciate your help. Thank you soo much :smile:

Reply 14

Original post by WORLDCAPTURE

Oh right, I really appreciate your help. Thank you soo much :smile:

No worries, as i said if you need to know anything else, just ask

Reply 15

gavinlowe

11

Original post by yt7777

If you focus on getting a good grade in your AS Maths and you should be able to take the A2 alongside the Extended Diploma, it combines well with the BTEC in IT and would allow you to get in pretty much anywhere for Computer Science including Oxford,

It is true that at Oxford we will, in principle, accept candidates with the Extended Diploma and an A* in Maths A Level. However, we believe that A Levels give a much better preparation for an academic degree. It is noticeable that no such candidate has yet been successful in getting a place (although we will continue to consider them).

Gavin

Reply 16