A level vs BTEC
I'm not too sure what to take in sixth form everyone. Basically I chose Btec Business L3 cos I wanted to do business at GCSE but never got to do it (forced by family to do GCSE I hate). I am genuinely interested in the subject. I don't really have any solid career plans yet, so was thinking of these 'facilitating' subjects to leave doors open. Also, do UCAS points matter and if so, how many UCAS points will d*d*d* be worth compared to a*a*a* at a level. Are BTECS stigmatized and are they even considered at Uni? (And I'm applying to sixth form without family knowing so I can choose what I want ☺)
EDIT: sorry I think this is in the wrong category 😅
EDIT: sorry I think this is in the wrong category 😅
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by Nadim Chowdhury
I'm not too sure what to take in sixth form everyone. Basically I chose Btec Business L3 cos I wanted to do business at GCSE but never got to do it (forced by family to do GCSE I hate). I am genuinely interested in the subject. I don't really have any solid career plans yet, so was thinking of these 'facilitating' subjects to leave doors open. Also, do UCAS points matter and if so, how many UCAS points will d*d*d* be worth compared to a*a*a* at a level. Are BTECS stigmatized and are they even considered at Uni? (And I'm applying to sixth form without family knowing so I can choose what I want ☺)
EDIT: sorry I think this is in the wrong category 😅
EDIT: sorry I think this is in the wrong category 😅
Some unis won’t accept btec, but I suspect if you want to do a business degree then they will accept your btec. I believe in terms of ucas points D*D*D* = A*A*A*, but if the uni offer is based on ucas points they will never ask for something as high as 3A*s. The typical offer will probably be around DDM/DMM. If you want to do a business degree then do the btec, if not/ not sure then take business a level plus two other subjects (e.g economics and politics). It also depends how you learn, btecs are a lot more vocational and require a lot of coursework, most alevels have none/ very little coursework.
Original post by Spiderdd
Some unis won’t accept btec, but I suspect if you want to do a business degree then they will accept your btec. I believe in terms of ucas points D*D*D* = A*A*A*, but if the uni offer is based on ucas points they will never ask for something as high as 3A*s. The typical offer will probably be around DDM/DMM. If you want to do a business degree then do the btec, if not/ not sure then take business a level plus two other subjects (e.g economics and politics). It also depends how you learn, btecs are a lot more vocational and require a lot of coursework, most alevels have none/ very little coursework.
very few universities dont accept btec however they are very subject specific so are fine if you have a career path in mind but not as flexible as a levels. most universities have their own list of preferred subjects which tend s to be wode than the narrow RG version
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/application/requirements/preferred-a-level-subjects
Hi if you go to the UCAS website they have their tariffs so you can work out exactly how many points those qualifications will be worth! 
If you are intending to continue to university, then in general I would suggest considering A-levels in the first instance, as they are designed to be university preparatory qualifications, whereas BTEC qualifications are not explicitly designed for this purpose (although they may satisfy such requirements for some courses at some universities). Presuming that is your plan, it may be fruitful to start from considering what kind of degree you think you would want to do (I would assume something in the business/management/finance etc realm, given your interests as stated), look at the entry criteria for such degrees at universities you may wish to apply to (e.g. those nearby; those you've visited and like the "feel" of if you have been to any for any reason before; and those you've heard of which you might want to apply to) and work backwards from there.
Without generalising too much, broadly speaking those universities in the e.g. the top 5 or so (in terms of league table rankings, which I will immediately say are not really that useful or worth paying too much attention to, but in the broadest sense convey the point) will usually consider BTECs a worse alternative than A-levels, simply because they do not prepare students for their very formal, academic degree programmes as well as A-levels do. It's not wholly a matter of "stigmatization" as much as they know someone from a BTEC background is likely to find it harder, less enjoyable, do less well in the course and perhaps then less well in trying to find a job as a graduate. Universities beyond that but within the top 30ish will usually consider them, but their degrees are still mainly academic courses, rather than vocational, and so you may need to do a bit more work to catch up compared to A-level (or IB) colleagues. Outside of that, they're usually seen as fairly exchangeable, with universities beyond the "top" 30 or so tending to have more varied methods of assessment and potentially more vocationally relevant content.
Neither format is necessarily better or worse, however different employers will look for different backgrounds for different roles. Broadly speaking, a lot of the more coveted managerial/professional level roles (e.g. grad schemes in upper management positions, banking analyst roles, training contracts at law firms and similar) have a tendency to prefer candidates with more academic backgrounds. Other roles, including some overlap with these, such as some professional roles (for example some grad schemes in accounting or similar, especially outside of the big 4) will be less concerned with how academic the degree is, and for some more regional roles or middle/lower management positions, office administrative roles and similar, and certain professional areas which require prior vocational background (such as HR), a less formal academic degree may well be better (or the only acceptable) preparation.
In general though: yes, they are considered by universities, but no, they aren't always seen as equal to A-levels because, fundamentally, they aren't; each qualification has a different aim, so it is in a sense like comparing apples and oranges. There is a Business Studies A-level however, and additionally there is A-level Economics which covers some related/identical content to such courses. In general, courses that require A*A*A* (or in that realm, since I don't think any require those specific grades initially...) will not consider D*D*D* as equivalent to it, because the BTEC is not a traditionally academic course - that is to say, it's not primarily assessed by final unseen written examination. Most courses requiring high A-level grades like that are traditionally academic courses and are primarily assessed in the same/a similar way as A-levels. Part of A-levels is learning how to prepare for these kinds of exams, and these kinds of academic skills aren't necessarily then developed in a BTEC course where the emphasis is on continual assessment through submitted coursework. Thus, you may not be adequately prepared to undertake such exams at university.
However, some universities will consider this in particular circumstances; this may be if you take one or two A-levels in traditionally academic subjects alongside it (which may need to be in particular subjects, such as A-level Maths, for some courses), or for example at LSE if you take some form of additional admissions assessment as part of your application and do exceptionally well in that.
Incidentally due to the overlapping content, quite a few universities specifically state they do not prefer, and in some cases will not accept, the combination of A-level Business Studies and A-level Economics as being two separate A-levels (i.e. you would need to take 4 subjects including both of those, rather than 3 including one of them). I would certainly not recommend taking them together, but taking either one, along with other subjects of interest, is usually acceptable (with reference to the subjects being traditionally academic - as such subjects like Art, Drama, ICT and so on tend to be considered more similarly to BTEC qualifications). If you are aiming for "top" universities you should normally plan to take at least two such traditionally academic subjects, if not 3; if you're planning to apply more broadly to university, it would be recommended to take at least one such subject, and it may be worth considering a facilitating subject to give you more options in what you can eventually apply to.
I would note most of the e.g. upper 25 or so universities don't use the UCAS Tariff/Points system; many others don't besides that. It isn't the most useful metric to compare these qualifications as such.
Without generalising too much, broadly speaking those universities in the e.g. the top 5 or so (in terms of league table rankings, which I will immediately say are not really that useful or worth paying too much attention to, but in the broadest sense convey the point) will usually consider BTECs a worse alternative than A-levels, simply because they do not prepare students for their very formal, academic degree programmes as well as A-levels do. It's not wholly a matter of "stigmatization" as much as they know someone from a BTEC background is likely to find it harder, less enjoyable, do less well in the course and perhaps then less well in trying to find a job as a graduate. Universities beyond that but within the top 30ish will usually consider them, but their degrees are still mainly academic courses, rather than vocational, and so you may need to do a bit more work to catch up compared to A-level (or IB) colleagues. Outside of that, they're usually seen as fairly exchangeable, with universities beyond the "top" 30 or so tending to have more varied methods of assessment and potentially more vocationally relevant content.
Neither format is necessarily better or worse, however different employers will look for different backgrounds for different roles. Broadly speaking, a lot of the more coveted managerial/professional level roles (e.g. grad schemes in upper management positions, banking analyst roles, training contracts at law firms and similar) have a tendency to prefer candidates with more academic backgrounds. Other roles, including some overlap with these, such as some professional roles (for example some grad schemes in accounting or similar, especially outside of the big 4) will be less concerned with how academic the degree is, and for some more regional roles or middle/lower management positions, office administrative roles and similar, and certain professional areas which require prior vocational background (such as HR), a less formal academic degree may well be better (or the only acceptable) preparation.
In general though: yes, they are considered by universities, but no, they aren't always seen as equal to A-levels because, fundamentally, they aren't; each qualification has a different aim, so it is in a sense like comparing apples and oranges. There is a Business Studies A-level however, and additionally there is A-level Economics which covers some related/identical content to such courses. In general, courses that require A*A*A* (or in that realm, since I don't think any require those specific grades initially...) will not consider D*D*D* as equivalent to it, because the BTEC is not a traditionally academic course - that is to say, it's not primarily assessed by final unseen written examination. Most courses requiring high A-level grades like that are traditionally academic courses and are primarily assessed in the same/a similar way as A-levels. Part of A-levels is learning how to prepare for these kinds of exams, and these kinds of academic skills aren't necessarily then developed in a BTEC course where the emphasis is on continual assessment through submitted coursework. Thus, you may not be adequately prepared to undertake such exams at university.
However, some universities will consider this in particular circumstances; this may be if you take one or two A-levels in traditionally academic subjects alongside it (which may need to be in particular subjects, such as A-level Maths, for some courses), or for example at LSE if you take some form of additional admissions assessment as part of your application and do exceptionally well in that.
Incidentally due to the overlapping content, quite a few universities specifically state they do not prefer, and in some cases will not accept, the combination of A-level Business Studies and A-level Economics as being two separate A-levels (i.e. you would need to take 4 subjects including both of those, rather than 3 including one of them). I would certainly not recommend taking them together, but taking either one, along with other subjects of interest, is usually acceptable (with reference to the subjects being traditionally academic - as such subjects like Art, Drama, ICT and so on tend to be considered more similarly to BTEC qualifications). If you are aiming for "top" universities you should normally plan to take at least two such traditionally academic subjects, if not 3; if you're planning to apply more broadly to university, it would be recommended to take at least one such subject, and it may be worth considering a facilitating subject to give you more options in what you can eventually apply to.
I would note most of the e.g. upper 25 or so universities don't use the UCAS Tariff/Points system; many others don't besides that. It isn't the most useful metric to compare these qualifications as such.
(edited 5 years ago)
Oxford accept btecs Cambridge dont. They dont get accepted for things like medicine or neurosurgery. For many science course a chemistry or biology A level is required in addition t btec. Similarly Maths A level is often required for Engineering or Computer Science. Outside of those areas btecs are normally accepted on their own provided the btec is in an appropriate subject like applied science or engineering for science or engineering courses. The first thing to consider is whether you are likely to want a career in science/engineering in which case you will have to take a sclence or Maths A level. If you decide against this then a btec such as business studies will be acceptable for most degrees or you could take a levels in a variety of subjects such as English lit, History, Geography, Classical Civilisation, Economics, Law, Politics, Sociology, and Psychology. You can also take a mix of a levels and btec but do check the universities will allow that as occasionally they dont. btecs come in different sizes extended btec 3 a levels, diploma 2 a levels and subsidiary diploma 1 year although the names might now have changed.
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/about-us/qualification-brands/btec/progress-with-btec.html
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/about-us/qualification-brands/btec/progress-with-btec.html
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by swanseajack1
Oxford accept btecs Cambridge dont.
Depends on the course. eg. Cambridge accepts BTEC plus A-level maths (or the*Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics for Engineering) for Engineering.
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Original post by Doonesbury
Depends on the course. eg. Cambridge accepts BTEC plus A-level maths (or the*Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics for Engineering) for Engineering.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
The entry requirements for Engineering at Cambridge doesnt say that.
VCE and Applied A Levels, GNVQs and BTECs
VCE A Levels, Applied A Levels, GNVQs and BTECs don’t provide an appropriate preparation for most Cambridge courses, where the emphasis is more academic than vocational. As such, these qualifications can’t, unless otherwise stated, be used to replace the required or highly desirable A Level subjects listed for each course.
However, if any required/highly desirable subjects are covered, a six unit VCE or Applied A Level could be taken instead of a third A Level or as an additional fourth broadening subject. This combination of A Levels and VCE or other qualifications may be acceptable for some courses.
Potential applicants taking these qualifications are advised to seek further advice from a College Admissions Tutor as early as possible.
he entry requirements for Engineering at Cambridge dont say that
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by swanseajack1
The entry requirements for Engineering at Cambridge doesnt say that.
VCE and Applied A Levels, GNVQs and BTECs
VCE A Levels, Applied A Levels, GNVQs and BTECs don’t provide an appropriate preparation for most Cambridge courses, where the emphasis is more academic than vocational. As such, these qualifications can’t, unless otherwise stated, be used to replace the required or highly desirable A Level subjects listed for each course.
However, if any required/highly desirable subjects are covered, a six unit VCE or Applied A Level could be taken instead of a third A Level or as an additional fourth broadening subject. This combination of A Levels and VCE or other qualifications may be acceptable for some courses.
Potential applicants taking these qualifications are advised to seek further advice from a College Admissions Tutor as early as possible.
he entry requirements for Engineering at Cambridge dont say that
VCE and Applied A Levels, GNVQs and BTECs
VCE A Levels, Applied A Levels, GNVQs and BTECs don’t provide an appropriate preparation for most Cambridge courses, where the emphasis is more academic than vocational. As such, these qualifications can’t, unless otherwise stated, be used to replace the required or highly desirable A Level subjects listed for each course.
However, if any required/highly desirable subjects are covered, a six unit VCE or Applied A Level could be taken instead of a third A Level or as an additional fourth broadening subject. This combination of A Levels and VCE or other qualifications may be acceptable for some courses.
Potential applicants taking these qualifications are advised to seek further advice from a College Admissions Tutor as early as possible.
he entry requirements for Engineering at Cambridge dont say that
Yes they do:
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/engineering#entry-requirements
All Colleges, except Trinity, welcome applications from students taking A Level Mathematics and a suitable vocational qualification, eg a BTEC Higher National Diploma in an engineering discipline. Applicants are expected to achieve the highest possible grades in A Level Mathematics and the vocational qualification. Those taking the Single Award Applied A Level in Engineering or the Principal Learning components of the Advanced Diploma in Engineering must also be taking A Levels in Mathematics and Physics. The Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics for Engineering is a suitable alternative to A Level Mathematics for these purposes.
You missed the "most" in the first sentence of the text you copy/pasted.
Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by Doonesbury
Yes they do:
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/engineering#entry-requirements
All Colleges, except Trinity, welcome applications from students taking A Level Mathematics and a suitable vocational qualification, eg a BTEC Higher National Diploma in an engineering discipline. Applicants are expected to achieve the highest possible grades in A Level Mathematics and the vocational qualification. Those taking the Single Award Applied A Level in Engineering or the Principal Learning components of the Advanced Diploma in Engineering must also be taking A Levels in Mathematics and Physics. The Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics for Engineering is a suitable alternative to A Level Mathematics for these purposes.
You missed the "most" in the first sentence of the text you copy/pasted.
Posted from TSR Mobile
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/engineering#entry-requirements
All Colleges, except Trinity, welcome applications from students taking A Level Mathematics and a suitable vocational qualification, eg a BTEC Higher National Diploma in an engineering discipline. Applicants are expected to achieve the highest possible grades in A Level Mathematics and the vocational qualification. Those taking the Single Award Applied A Level in Engineering or the Principal Learning components of the Advanced Diploma in Engineering must also be taking A Levels in Mathematics and Physics. The Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics for Engineering is a suitable alternative to A Level Mathematics for these purposes.
You missed the "most" in the first sentence of the text you copy/pasted.
Posted from TSR Mobile
this link says they dont maybe it is time they got their act together instead of misleading people
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements
Original post by swanseajack1
this link says they dont maybe it is time they got their act together instead of misleading people
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements
The link you are checking is the general info for the university. It specifically says: VCE A Levels, Applied A Levels, GNVQs and BTECs don’t provide an appropriate preparation for most Cambridge courses, where the emphasis is more academic than vocational.
So "most" not "all".
The link I provided was for the specific course, hence the difference.
Most uni's accept BTEC equivalents, but they are stigmatized against
Original post by Doonesbury
The link you are checking is the general info for the university. It specifically says: VCE A Levels, Applied A Levels, GNVQs and BTECs don’t provide an appropriate preparation for most Cambridge courses, where the emphasis is more academic than vocational.
So "most" not "all".
The link I provided was for the specific course, hence the difference.
So "most" not "all".
The link I provided was for the specific course, hence the difference.
but the engineering site shows see entrance requirements for non a level and that refers you to btec where it says the dont accept so at different places they say they do or dont accept btecs. nothing to do with subjects.
A Level: A*A*A
IB: 40-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
For other qualifications, see our main Entrance requirements pages
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by swanseajack1
but the engineering site shows see entrance requirements for non a level and that refers you to btec where it says the dont accept so at different places they say they do or dont accept btecs. nothing to do with subjects.
A Level: A*A*A
IB: 40-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
For other qualifications, see our main Entrance requirements pages
A Level: A*A*A
IB: 40-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
For other qualifications, see our main Entrance requirements pages
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/engineering#entry-requirements
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