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BTEC ND grades explained

All my A level friends seem to be confused by the grading system for the BTEC National Diplomas (of which one i'm doing), so I thought I'd try and explain it.


BTEC-OV-UCAS-AL
DDD = A = 360 = AAA
DDM = B = 320 = ABB
DMM = C = 280 = BBC
MMM = D = 240 = CCC
MMP = E = 200 = CDD
MPP = F = 160 = DEE
PPP = G = 120 = EEE

There you are. Although that's probably just confused you more... I shall explain.

The first column is the BTEC ND grade. note that this is one grade for one subject, even though it is 3 letters. Each letter isn't significant to a unit or anything, it's just an odd system. The D's are distinctions, the M's merits, and the P's passes. Distinction is the best, pass the worst.

The second column is the BTEC ND grade converted into an A lvel type grade (this isn't official or anything, I just did it to help people understand).

The third column is the UCAS points obtained for the BTEC grade.

The fourth is a set of A lvel results you'd need to obtain them (of course this could be many combinations, but I've done common grade combos).


Hope this helps.

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What about them BTEC's that have only 2 A level or 1 :smile: They are so random.
Reply 2
Certificate and Award?

I have no idea...
Reply 3
The grades on those are the same type. Just remove a letter so you have DD, DM, MM etc. and you end up with less UCAS points. A D is worth 120, M 80 and P 40 so just add them up.
Reply 4
Yeah, i that's exactly how it is. I've been informing people at my college about this for a while now, they were shocked when they first found out that a Pass is only worth an E. Some people..
Some people on my course don't even understand the grading system, let alone people doing A levels - It's a really stupid way of marking and grading
loopylauren
Some people on my course don't even understand the grading system, let alone people doing A levels - It's a really stupid way of marking and grading

What college do you go to?
unknownFluency
What college do you go to?


NESCOT, not the best place in the world but great for some courses and good in its own little way :p:
loopylauren
NESCOT, not the best place in the world but great for some courses and good in its own little way :p:

Woah.. thats like, down the road from me...

What course you studying?
unknownFluency
Woah.. thats like, down the road from me...

What course you studying?


:eek: thats weird! :p: I'm doing ND in Animal Management, in my final year


Does anyone else get annoyed that you can do 4 assignments in a module and get DDDP and for that module only be given P overall?
loopylauren
:eek: thats weird! :p: I'm doing ND in Animal Management, in my final year


Does anyone else get annoyed that you can do 4 assignments in a module and get DDDP and for that module only be given P overall?


Umm, DDDP... what the heck, I swear thats different from how it's done in Carshalton College :s-smilie: .. but most of my class are on for a Pass anyway, so mur.

Basically, on the course im doing, theres 18 Assignments/Units - every 6 Units = 1 A-level.. therefore 18 Units = 3-A-level equivalents at the end of the course.

Each unit can be a Pass (C grade), Merit (B Grade), or Distinction (A-grade)

Of the 18 Units, 16 of them are normal units, and 2 of the mare "IVA"'s, which are worth double marks.. so if you get a "Pass", it's like having 2 Passes, a Merit and its like habing 2 Merits, and a Distinction on the IVA = 2 Distinctions.

Theres a points scheme on the BTEC Course:
DDD = 98 points or more
DDM = 84 - 97 points
DMM = 78 - 83 points
MMM = 68 - 77 points
MMP = 60 - 67 points
MPP = 50 - 59 points
PPP = 36 - 49 points
Fail = 35 points or less

Pass = 2 points, Merit = 4 points, Distinction = 6 points (and for the 2 IVA assignment a Pass = 4, Merit = 8, Distinction = 12)

Anyway, when you add up the marks you get for the units you do, they'll fall into one of the above grading categories :smile:
Yeah thats how it is done for us too. I didn't explain myself very well, sorry! :rolleyes:

I meant that is it the same with you that within each module you have four assignments each graded P,M or D? (obviously could be any other combination) Then say for those four assignments you get 3 Ds and 1 P (i.e. the lowest grade) Do you then get given an overall grade for that module of P, and 2 points towards your overall score?

I don't think I made that any clearer :redface:
loopylauren
Yeah thats how it is done for us too. I didn't explain myself very well, sorry! :rolleyes:

I meant that is it the same with you that within each module you have four assignments each graded P,M or D? (obviously could be any other combination) Then say for those four assignments you get 3 Ds and 1 P (i.e. the lowest grade) Do you then get given an overall grade for that module of P, and 2 points towards your overall score?

I don't think I made that any clearer :redface:

Ohh.. i think i know what you're saying.

When you say "module" you mean "unit" or "assignment", and when you say "assignment" you mean "task" ... right?

For example, on my course I did 'Unit 1 - Communication Technoogy', which consisted of around 5 Tasks (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5), of which 3 also has a Merit criteria (M1, M2, M3) and two had a Distinction criteria (D1, D2).

Say:
Task 1 - P1, M1, D1
Task 2 - P2
Task 3 - P3, M2
Task 4 - P4, M3
Task 5 - P5, D2

So, your're saying, of you attempted P1 - P5, M1 - M3, and D1 & D2, but on task 1 you unluckily missed something in the M1 crtieria, which would mean your D1 wouldn't count.. which would mean you've done everything up to distinction but becuase you've missed out M1, your D1 wont count, which means you've only met the Pass criteria, therefore scoring a Pass on the overall unit.

It's confusing, I know, but is this what you meant :p:

Well, if thats what you meant, my teacher(s) have a system they follow. We do the work, hand it in on a daedline, then we get it back the same day and have 1 more week to touch it up if we have to/want to.. then its handed in and the grade is locked. It's a good method as it gets us the highest possible grade, outlines where we need to improve, and helps us overall, hence why im on for DDD :wink:
Yeah thats sort of what I meant. I think they all must be marked differently or something. :rolleyes: Yeah your units we call modules and your tasks we call assignments and we have 4 of each P,M and D. The only ones that are done like yours are our IVA's. Its realls weird - it should all be the same! I think it must differ from courses and institutions. I had a mate doing Child Care and the assignments were marked almost the same as A levels - weird!

You get your work back the same day!!! Ours takes ages! :rolleyes: Yeah we are allowed two weeks to make any changes we need which is good.

Ooh nice one on your predicted DDD - me too :biggrin:
loopylauren
Yeah thats sort of what I meant. I think they all must be marked differently or something. :rolleyes: Yeah your units we call modules and your tasks we call assignments and we have 4 of each P,M and D. The only ones that are done like yours are our IVA's. Its realls weird - it should all be the same! I think it must differ from courses and institutions. I had a mate doing Child Care and the assignments were marked almost the same as A levels - weird!

You get your work back the same day!!! Ours takes ages! :rolleyes: Yeah we are allowed two weeks to make any changes we need which is good.

Ooh nice one on your predicted DDD - me too :biggrin:

You applied to any universities for September? or will your course end in 2008?
Yeah I applied for Zoology at Royal Holloway, Nottingham, Newcastle, Swansea, Bangor and Aberystwyth.

Chose Aber as my firm as although its not the best uni out of them it has a great course and its in such a nice place, what about you?
I applied for.. Information Management for Business at UCL, Business Management at KCL, Banking, Finance and Management at Loughborough, Banking & Finance at Leicester, Financial Computing at Brunel, International Securities, Investment and Banking at Reading.

Got offered from all except Reading :smile:, but haven't decided what i mgoing for yet, it's defnatly between UCL and KCL though...

I gather we share very different interests :p:
Looks like it :p: ..Although I do do Business Management as one of my IVA modules.. Having said that it is forced.. um I mean compulsory:biggrin: :p:
Hmm, be sure to post back how your BTEC goes :p:, hardly anyone does so it'd be nice to know what people got :smile:
Reply 19
hi, are these points for inavidual grades is 4 one award u would need 98 points to get a d or are all 3 units totaled 2geva 2 get ddd? like at the end of the year.. and also say if u got d on 17 assignments and one p would this hinder ure overall grade/