How is Btec extended level 3 art and design graded?

my teacher says we have 3 components (two the first year then the final in second year ) . I’ve got my marks back from the first one and I got merits in each criteria . I really want to get DMM for university minimum , do I need to get distinctions in my criteria or ? idk I’m kinda confused how to get the grades

There are several BTEC Level 3 qualifications in Art and Design:

Certificate (2 units)
Extended Certificate (4 units)
Foundation Diploma (6 units)
Diploma (8 units)
Extended Diploma (13 units)

There are also some 9-unit Diplomas is specific fields of Art and Design (e.g. Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in 3D Design and Crafts).

Do you know which of the above qualifications you're taking?

From your mention of DMM as a target grade, I'm thinking that you may be doing an Extended Diploma. However, that consists of 13 units, not 3 components.

Hey I’m definitely doing extended diploma art and design . I’m not sure about the components thing maybe it’s just how my college words it ?

Understood. The way all BTEC are graded is horribly complicated, so brace yourself for the explanation.

As your can see from the specification for Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Art and Design, here, it is comprised of 13 units, 7 of which are mandatory and 6 of which are options you pick. Of the 7 mandatory units, 4 are marked externally (by Pearson) and 3 are marked internally (by your college). The optional units are all marked internally (by your college). So we have three types of units:

Mandatory external (units 1, 2, 6 and 7)
Mandatory internal (units 3, 4 and 5)
Optional internal (units 9 and above)

Once each unit it marked it is assigned a number of points. To get the DMM you mention in the first post, you need 176 points in total. The way the points are allocated varies according to which type of unit we're talking about.

Mandatory external (units 1, 2, 6 and 7)
For external units, Pearson awards you a mark (say 35/60). Once they set the grade boundaries (to decide how many marks you need to a distinction, a merit, a pass and a near pass), they also define how to map these marks onto points. For units 1, 6 and 7 (which are slightly larger than unit 2) the maximum number of points you get can get is 32; for unit 2 the maximum number of points you can get is 24. (Note that you don't need to get the maximum mark to be awarded the maximum points).

Mandatory internal (units 3, 4 and 5)
If you have met all the distinction criteria for the unit as detailed if the specification, you get a distinction - that's worth 24 points. If you haven't met all the distinction criteria, but you have met all the merit criteria, you get a merit - that's worth 15 points. If you haven't met all the merit criteria, but you have met all the pass criteria, that's a pass - worth 9 points.

Optional internal (units 9 and above)
As above, but the points awarded are less because these units are smaller. A distinction gets you 16 points, a merit 10 points and a pass 6 points.

I did warn you that it was complicated! If you know any of your unit marks right now, I can try to work out whether you're on target for a DMM. For that, I'd need to know the unit number and the unit grade (pass/merit/distinction). For the external units, I'd also need the mark or points (if you know it). If you don't, we can just pick a mid-point in each grade as an estimate.

we haven’t been given unit marks like that ? We just have done projects and then graded them in the same 5 areas eg problem solving / technical skills .. so annoying I really want to know ! I got back my second project marks today and had DDMMM

That is odd. Do you have something official from the college which definitely confirms that it's a BTEC? Or some sort of code number or reference for the course?

I ask as there are other similar courses, awarded by other organisations, and it might be that you're actually taking one of those. For example, UAL's Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art & Design.

Hey it’s definitely btec that’s what the website says , my teacher actually mentioned yesterday about how all the marks from the projects are added up and that’s how we get our end marks , and if we’re at merit in areas so far then we will be fine ? I wish she said more though lol still confusing