Are b-techs equivalent to a levels?

Broadly, yes. Some universities don't accept them, especially for some subjects (they aren't accepted for A100 medicine and they aren't accepted at Oxbridge in most cases). Also, entry requirements are 'higher' - for example, you might be asked for DDD at BTEC or ABB at A level (they aren't really higher because distinctions are much easier to get than As).

Reply 2

yes and no depending on the level and subject, for example i did Aeronautical Engineering lv3 extended diploma and alot of my mates went to either unis or if they were lucky they went to airbus or boeing. however i wont say that its harder or easier for both as it depends on the subject , i however see its easier to get A than Distinction as you can get A if you revise alot and youll get a D if you understand the topic extremely well

Reply 3

Original post by 7xm2

i however see its easier to get A than Distinction as you can get A if you revise alot and youll get a D if you understand the topic extremely well

Around 60% of BTEC grades are D/D*, and around 25% of A level grades are A/A* - so Ds are easier to get than As.

I would also say that proper understanding is definitely required at A level, although I can't comment on BTECs.

Reply 4

Original post by Theloniouss

Around 60% of BTEC grades are D/D*, and around 25% of A level grades are A/A* - so Ds are easier to get than As.

I would also say that proper understanding is definitely required at A level, although I can't comment on BTECs.

well it depends on course , plus BTECS come in differnent Levels for example Level 2 is Gcse level and Level 3 is A level. another thing is this A levels grades are done by percentage so thus it will always be 25% get A* and A and thus its really unfair to say that its better because less get it...
Grade boundaries are set at the end of the marking period, which means it's only once all the papers have been marked that the awarding body will set the boundaries. so you could hypothetically say that a paper was the same and one year the grade to get A was 30 out of 50 , but next year people on the same test did worse and only required 25 out of 50.. Btec grades arent set like that , you either meet that criteria or not and on each model from the course work you have certain criteria. in most units you will have to do 3 assignments and somtimes its 3 to do in 2 weeks being handed in days apart.... in one unit i got for 2 out of my 3 assignemnts distinctions, however in one of my assignemnts i got pass and thus i was capped at a pass for that unit as i did not meet all the criteria for that units merit and distinction even though i did in the previous 2 in that unit...

Reply 5

Admit-One

Original post by vix.xvi

Do unis look at them the same?
I'm just curious...

Most do, although you may want to check with them before applying if they don’t list a BTEC offer for the course. Some may still require a Maths A-Level for example.

Here’s a rough list of their AL equivalencies:

BTEC Nationals (Pearson BTEC Level 3)

National Certificate (graded P, M, D, D*) = 0.5 x A level
National Extended Certificate (graded P, M, D, D*) = 1.0 x A level
National Foundation Diploma (graded P, M, D, D*) = 1.5 x A levels
National Diploma (graded from PP to D*D*) = 2.0 x A levels
National Extended Diploma (graded from PPP to D*D*D*) = 3.0 x A levels

Reply 6

Original post by 7xm2

well it depends on course , plus BTECS come in differnent Levels for example Level 2 is Gcse level and Level 3 is A level. another thing is this A levels grades are done by percentage so thus it will always be 25% get A* and A and thus its really unfair to say that its better because less get it...
Grade boundaries are set at the end of the marking period, which means it's only once all the papers have been marked that the awarding body will set the boundaries. so you could hypothetically say that a paper was the same and one year the grade to get A was 30 out of 50 , but next year people on the same test did worse and only required 25 out of 50.. Btec grades arent set like that , you either meet that criteria or not and on each model from the course work you have certain criteria. in most units you will have to do 3 assignments and somtimes its 3 to do in 2 weeks being handed in days apart.... in one unit i got for 2 out of my 3 assignemnts distinctions, however in one of my assignemnts i got pass and thus i was capped at a pass for that unit as i did not meet all the criteria for that units merit and distinction even though i did in the previous 2 in that unit...

I'm aware of the reasons why there's a difference, but if 60% get a D/D* (at level 3), then it's easier to get than an A/A*.

Reply 7

Original post by Theloniouss

I'm aware of the reasons why there's a difference, but if 60% get a D/D* (at level 3), then it's easier to get than an A/A*.

yes but A level grade boundaries are set out after everyone has done it... and thus your grade depends how your years cohort has done rather than individual performance... im currently doing another Lv3 course and its already a big difference... however i wont say its easier as A levels depend on how others performed...

Reply 8

Original post by 7xm2

yes but A level grade boundaries are set out after everyone has done it... and thus your grade depends how your years cohort has done rather than individual performance... im currently doing another Lv3 course and its already a big difference... however i wont say its easier as A levels depend on how others performed...

It doesn't matter, though. It's not a criticism of the method of marking for BTEC, it's just a fact.

Reply 9

Original post by Theloniouss

It doesn't matter, though. It's not a criticism of the method of marking for BTEC, it's just a fact.

but im stating the fact that alevels A* and A will always be 25%.....

Reply 10

Original post by 7xm2

but im stating the fact that alevels A* and A will always be 25%.....

Yeah, so they're harder to get than BTEC D/D*s.

Reply 11

username5383500

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Original post by Theloniouss

I would also say that proper understanding is definitely required at A level, although I can't comment on BTECs.

When I was at college, I completed a BTEC Extended Diploma (worth 3 A Levels) and 4 regular A Level subjects, so I'm somewhat in a position to compare them.

I would say that a "proper understanding" is required for both. The key difference is the application of knowledge. A Levels are more likely to involve exam based assessments, and exams tend to test your ability to recall, and communicate the correct information. They can also test your ability, with Maths being a good example where recall is not enough. By comparison a BTEC assessment is more like coursework, which still requires the ability to communicate the correct information but you don't need to actively recall it. I would not say one is easier than the other, it's down to the individual. Some do well in exams, others do well in coursework. I would say that BTECs are more forgiving, as they tend to have less pressure and more freedom to improve work if you aren't quite there.

Of course this line gets blurred quite frequently. Some A Levels have a mix of exams and coursework. Some A Levels don't use traditional exams. Understanding is also not a suitable description for every course. To give an example, I studied A Level Graphic Communication. It was predominantly coursework based, and the "10 hour exam" was more like a timed coursework. It was very "practical oriented" and doesn't sound all that different to a BTEC.

Reply 12

Original post by Theloniouss

Yeah, so they're harder to get than BTEC D/D*s.

no there not it depends on the course lets say people took a levels maths every year the same paper. there are 100 questions. the first year the top grades where 50 out of the 100 to get A, the next year it was 30, then 40 then 70, it fluctuates based on how well people did and not because its harder... if alevels worked like btec then the grade boundaries would be set and you would have to get 60 to get A ....

Reply 13

nexttime

22

Original post by Theloniouss

Broadly, yes. Some universities don't accept them, especially for some subjects (they aren't accepted for A100 medicine and they aren't accepted at Oxbridge in most cases). Also, entry requirements are 'higher' - for example, you might be asked for DDD at BTEC or ABB at A level (they aren't really higher because distinctions are much easier to get than As).

Although Oxford actually accepts them for medicine!

Reply 14

Original post by 7xm2

no there not it depends on the course lets say people took a levels maths every year the same paper. there are 100 questions. the first year the top grades where 50 out of the 100 to get A, the next year it was 30, then 40 then 70, it fluctuates based on how well people did and not because its harder... if alevels worked like btec then the grade boundaries would be set and you would have to get 60 to get A ....

That's not quite how A level grade boundaries are set, and it actually does depend on how hard the papers are.

It doesn't matter, though, because if 25% of people get an A/A* on one qualification and 60% of people get a D/D* on another qualification, it is easier to get a D/D* than an A/A* (assuming people doing the second qualification aren't a lot smarter than those doing the first).

Reply 15

Original post by nexttime

Although Oxford actually accepts them for medicine!

Learn something new every day, I suppose :tongue:

Are they the only ones?

Reply 16

cloudy.skies

20

Original post by Theloniouss

Yeah, so they're harder to get than BTEC D/D*s.

False.

A LEVELS are exam based subjects, BTECs are coursework based. They are completely different and therefore incomparable.

Depends what subject is taken as a BTEC. Coursework is seen as easier as you are tracking your progress as you go, and not all your grade relies on an exam. So yes, easier in that sense.

However it depends on the individual. I hated exams and knew I would excel in BTEC which is why I took one. It doesn’t make me stupid or mean that I took an easy route. I work just as hard, if not harder, than my friends doing A Levels.

The A Level A/A* rate always stays at around 25% as it is calculated after the results are put through. This is the same way GCSE results are worked. The grading is different between A Levels and BTECS meaning the pass rates are obviously different, therefore the two cannot be compared based on the stats you’ve provided.

(edited 3 years ago)

Original post by 7xm2

yes but A level grade boundaries are set out after everyone has done it... and thus your grade depends how your years cohort has done rather than individual performance... im currently doing another Lv3 course and its already a big difference... however i wont say its easier as A levels depend on how others performed...

As far as I am aware, exam components of BTECs have their grade boundaries determined in the same way as A-levels.

When A-levels had coursework components too the grade boundaries of these was broadly speaking fixed, sometimes fluctuating by a mark or two.

Reply 18