Can I do A Levels and BTEC Level 3 together to apply for university next year?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently studying for a BTEC Level 3 Foundation Diploma in IT (Cloud Computing) at Stockport College. Still, I’ve recently learned that the UCAS points from this qualification might not be enough to get me into university, as they are lower than the Extended Diploma.

I wonder if I could take A Levels alongside my BTEC to boost my UCAS points. Is it possible to do both A Levels and BTEC in the same year? If so, how many A Levels would I need to take, and where could I study them while still enrolled at Stockport College?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

A BTEC Level 3 Foundation Diploma is the equivalent of 1.5 A levels, and also forms the first half of a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (which is a 2-year course, and is the equivalent of 3 A levels). That's why it doesn't generate the UCAS points you hoped it would.
The Foundation Diploma is normally a one-year full-time course. So although your could study an A level or two alongside it (as long as you could sort out the logistics from a timetable perspective), it'd be very busy. It would be almost like studing three A levels in one year rather than the usual two.
The more normal solution to your problem would be to study the Foundation Diploma in one year, and then top it up to the Extended Diploma in the next year.

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. That really helped clear things up for me. I appreciate your advice about how the Foundation Diploma works with A levels. I was wondering if studying an A level alongside the Foundation Diploma could be done online, or if it would need to be at the same college or a different one? I'm just trying to figure out the best way to manage the workload and logistics.

Thanks again.