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BTEC or A-level?

I'm in year 11 and for a-level i wanted to take ict, psychology, business studies and health and social care - however the teacher told me that health and social care is only btec this year and not an a-level. I'm not sure what a BTEC is, should i take it along with the other subjects or should i just take the three a-levels and forget about the btec? Thanks

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I'd go with A-Levels simply because it's recognized more internationally.
Original post by JasmineMartin99
I'm in year 11 and for a-level i wanted to take ict, psychology, business studies and health and social care - however the teacher told me that health and social care is only btec this year and not an a-level. I'm not sure what a BTEC is, should i take it along with the other subjects or should i just take the three a-levels and forget about the btec? Thanks


Do you want to end up at the University of Oxford doing Law or Psychology or Economics? Or do you want to end up at Oxford Brookes doing Child Care or Sports Marketing?

That should answer your question.
Reply 3
Original post by ploopyploop
Do you want to end up at the University of Oxford doing Law or Psychology or Economics? Or do you want to end up at Oxford Brookes doing Child Care or Sports Marketing?

That should answer your question.


You realise someone got accepted last year to study Experimental Psychology at Oxford after doing a BTEC in Health Science

also 95%+ of UK unis accept BTEC now so there is so much choice including most Russell groups
Original post by yt7777
You realise someone got accepted last year to study Experimental Psychology at Oxford after doing a BTEC in Health Science

also 95%+ of UK unis accept BTEC now so there is so much choice including most Russell groups


That's great but a BTEC in health and social care will really only get you on to nursing/midwifery courses and something like childcare or similar
Original post by JasmineMartin99
I'm in year 11 and for a-level i wanted to take ict, psychology, business studies and health and social care - however the teacher told me that health and social care is only btec this year and not an a-level. I'm not sure what a BTEC is, should i take it along with the other subjects or should i just take the three a-levels and forget about the btec? Thanks


Go for the A levels and if you really want to do health and social, do it privately and revise for it independently.
Also, do you have an idea of what you'd like to study at university?
Reply 6
Original post by cherryred90s
That's great but a BTEC in health and social care will really only get you on to nursing/midwifery courses and something like childcare or similar

Or Psychology or Sociology

the person who got into Oxford to do Experimental Psychology was doing BTEC Health and Social Care (Health Science pathway)
Original post by yt7777
Or Psychology or Sociology

the person who got into Oxford to do Experimental Psychology was doing BTEC Health and Social Care (Health Science pathway)


I think that's rare. BTEC health and social applicants don't tend to get on competitive courses at RG unis. Even the A level is viewed as 'soft' by some unis.
Original post by yt7777
You realise someone got accepted last year to study Experimental Psychology at Oxford after doing a BTEC in Health Science

also 95%+ of UK unis accept BTEC now so there is so much choice including most Russell groups


That is by far the exception and what other qualifications did they have backing the BTEC up? Did they happen to have two A* A levels as well?

You might find 95%+ of unis accept a BTEC for some specific degrees (usually the better universities want A level backup for BTEC's anyway) but the percentage of degree courses that accept them at those universities is far far less than 95%. Many of the traditional academic degree course (sciences, engineering etc.) either will not recognise them or they will accept them for a foundation year course not straight onto the degree itself or they ask for Maths (grade A) and a science A level as well.
Reply 9
Original post by ploopyploop
That is by far the exception and what other qualifications did they have backing the BTEC up? Did they happen to have two A* A levels as well?

You might find 95%+ of unis accept a BTEC for some specific degrees (usually the better universities want A level backup for BTEC's anyway) but the percentage of degree courses that accept them at those universities is far far less than 95%. Many of the traditional academic degree course (sciences, engineering etc.) either will not recognise them or they will accept them for a foundation year course not straight onto the degree itself or they ask for Maths (grade A) and a science A level as well.


I dont think they had any other qualifications, the article said they did A levels but fell ill so didnt complete them.

You can read it here: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jul/21/will-taking-a-btec-help-or-hinder-your-university-application

Not in most cases, i did a BTEC in Computing a couple of years ago and now I am in my second year of MSci Computer Science and everyone told me I would need maths but that only applied to the top ten-ish unis, similar applies for Engineering although with Engineering a lot say that taking the 2 BTEC Maths units are acceptable instead of the full A level

but back to Psychology, a lot of unis accept the H&SC BTEC for entry, I think they also consider Applied Science too
Original post by yt7777
I dont think they had any other qualifications, the article said they did A levels but fell ill so didnt complete them.

You can read it here: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jul/21/will-taking-a-btec-help-or-hinder-your-university-application

Not in most cases, i did a BTEC in Computing a couple of years ago and now I am in my second year of MSci Computer Science and everyone told me I would need maths but that only applied to the top ten-ish unis, similar applies for Engineering although with Engineering a lot say that taking the 2 BTEC Maths units are acceptable instead of the full A level

but back to Psychology, a lot of unis accept the H&SC BTEC for entry, I think they also consider Applied Science too


She won the national Outstanding Student of the Year award for that level 3 BTEC. Hardly the typical applicant. Another report says she did this after she did A levels not that she switched. She probably has straight A grade AS levels as well.
Original post by yt7777
I dont think they had any other qualifications, the article said they did A levels but fell ill so didnt complete them.

You can read it here: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jul/21/will-taking-a-btec-help-or-hinder-your-university-application

Not in most cases, i did a BTEC in Computing a couple of years ago and now I am in my second year of MSci Computer Science and everyone told me I would need maths but that only applied to the top ten-ish unis, similar applies for Engineering although with Engineering a lot say that taking the 2 BTEC Maths units are acceptable instead of the full A level

but back to Psychology, a lot of unis accept the H&SC BTEC for entry, I think they also consider Applied Science too


Computer science BTEC isn't on the same calibre as Hsc BTEC though.
An applicant would have better luck getting an offer for psychology at a good uni if they do A levels.The BTEC is better for people who know exactly what they want to do, whereas A levels give you a little more wriggle room.
Reply 12
Original post by ploopyploop
She won the national Outstanding Student of the Year award for that level 3 BTEC. Hardly the typical applicant. Another report says she did this after she did A levels not that she switched. She probably has straight A grade AS levels as well.

Where does it say that?

All i read from the article was how much she praised the BTEC experience and how that helped her, she said "A-levels were just about the lessons and sitting around in the common room with a revision guide waiting for exams,”

EDIT: dw i found the outstanding student thing on another site
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by yt7777
Where does it say that?

All i read from the article was how much she praised the BTEC experience and how that helped her, she said "A-levels were just about the lessons and sitting around in the common room with a revision guide waiting for exams,”

EDIT: dw i found the outstanding student thing on another site


At first I thought she won her colleges outstanding student of the year but then another college website mentioned she was the national award winner. As I said, not a typical applicant.

I have a member of my family doing engineering at university with D*D*D BTECs from two years ago and the university would only let him on the foundation year not the degree proper. In other words they were playing the "let's see if they are capable of A level work" first.

I can tell you he got D*D*D in his BTEC's - he'd have got less than DDD if he'd have taken A level. The gap is huge for the technical subjects. I couldn't believe the low level of his BTEC workbooks.
Reply 14
Original post by ploopyploop
At first I thought she won her colleges outstanding student of the year but then another college website mentioned she was the national award winner. As I said, not a typical applicant.

I have a member of my family doing engineering at university with D*D*D BTECs from two years ago and the university would only let him on the foundation year not the degree proper. In other words they were playing the "let's see if they are capable of A level work" first.

I can tell you he got D*D*D in his BTEC's - he'd have got less than DDD if he'd have taken A level. The gap is huge for the technical subjects. I couldn't believe the low level of his BTEC workbooks.

My brother got straight in to do Engineering first year and I have 3 friends who got into Engineering first year too 2 at York and one at Bath

Im not an engineer but there is no difference between BTEC Computing and A level Computing, except the BTEC you get to do 3 times as much, it is more practical and you get to do a placement that automatically gives you relevant work experience to write about in your personal statement or puts you ahead when applying for internships.
Original post by yt7777
My brother got straight in to do Engineering first year and I have 3 friends who got into Engineering first year too 2 at York and one at Bath

Im not an engineer but there is no difference between BTEC Computing and A level Computing, except the BTEC you get to do 3 times as much, it is more practical and you get to do a placement that automatically gives you relevant work experience to write about in your personal statement or puts you ahead when applying for internships.


I can tell you one other reason I think top universities often distrust BTEC - and I saw this first hand with my relative - his teachers at his 6th form passed his work sometimes without looking at it and other times letting him resubmit it and just giving him D or D* in the unit without looking at the new work. There is a lot more possibility of fiddling the system. You can't do that with final exams in A level.

And his BTEC Science and Engineering stuff was at such a low level I thought it was embarrassing. Are you sure the A level Computing is not higher level academically than BTEC Computing? I know BTEC has more hands on programming but A level has more theory and mathematical content.
Reply 16
Original post by ploopyploop
I can tell you one other reason I think top universities often distrust BTEC - and I saw this first hand with my relative - his teachers at his 6th form passed his work sometimes without looking at it and other times letting him resubmit it and just giving him D or D* in the unit without looking at the new work. There is a lot more possibility of fiddling the system. You can't do that with final exams in A level.

And his BTEC Science and Engineering stuff was at such a low level I thought it was embarrassing. Are you sure the A level Computing is not higher level academically than BTEC Computing? I know BTEC has more hands on programming but A level has more theory and mathematical content.


EDIT: (response to your first point) - the work has to be moderated by someone else and this can be internal or in some cases external, this, which was a problem some years ago, isnt now

Exactly the same, infact, i personally believe the BTEC is better

recently I secured an undergraduate placement working in Cyber Security and the person interviewing me was very impressed with the BTEC content that I covered, he said it was far better than some people they had with A levels and the standard BSc degree (i am doing an MSci degree)
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by yt7777
Exactly the same, infact, i personally believe the BTEC is better

recently I secured an undergraduate placement working in Cyber Security and the person interviewing me was very impressed with the BTEC content that I covered, he said it was far better than some people they had with A levels and the standard BSc degree (i am doing an MSci degree)


See my other post I just made.

You have to admit you are biased towards BTEC's though looking at your background. I have to tell you, which I typed on another thread, our family company won't even look at BTEC people. And hardly ever at A level. It's professional certifications we look at or degree with work experience.
Reply 18
Original post by ploopyploop
See my other post I just made.

You have to admit you are biased towards BTEC's though looking at your background. I have to tell you, which I typed on another thread, our family company won't even look at BTEC people. And hardly ever at A level. It's professional certifications we look at or degree with work experience.


I've responded and yes I am biased but for good reason, the BTEC at Level 3 or higher provides applicable work based skills that are valued in industry,
this is one of my previous posts (copied to save typing it again)

I have secured placement at a really good company and one of the interviewers said that they were impressed by the amount of content that was covered on my BTEC and that it was a good decision that I made to take it instead of A levels as real world practical skills are more valued (after they asked why i did it instead) - thats coming from someone who works in industry (Cyber)

I have also heard the same at a previous placement that I did, where I overheard one of the higher managers talking to my line manager asking about my background and whether training me was going to utilise too much of their time, and my line manager replied "its okay, he has a BTEC" - subsequently that manager offered me a permanent job (part-time around my studies) on my second day there - this was also in an IT role

they are preferred by employers, I also have a friend who got an apprenticeship as a Software Engineer and the first part of the apprenticeship included doing a BTEC level 3 which he already had and got to progress and advance a lot quicker than the people with A levels who spent the first year of their apprenticeship doing the BTEC that they could have done instead of their A levels which were pretty useless as all the initial skills they needed were covered on the BTEC that they could have already done 2+ years previo
Reply 19
Original post by ploopyploop
See my other post I just made.

You have to admit you are biased towards BTEC's though looking at your background. I have to tell you, which I typed on another thread, our family company won't even look at BTEC people. And hardly ever at A level. It's professional certifications we look at or degree with work experience.


and no disrespect to your family's company but I have a placement at a large cyber security company who work on world leading projects and they said they were impressed by my BTEC during my interview, similar was mentioned at my previous placement (different company) and they offered me a job on my second day - I have to go with that I'm afraid

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