The Student Room Group

BTECs vs A Levels

Hey guys, which course would you recommend to be the best , btecs or a levels, as im doing my a levels at the moment, im in year 13, however im predicted 3 C grades, which isnt sufficient unless i put effort in year 13 so im looking to redo year 12 and i want to take a BTEC in applied science. Is this a good option?
Reply 1
Maybe just finish a levels first and try really hard to up your grades? CCC is not that bad imo
Original post by Acallur
Hey guys, which course would you recommend to be the best , btecs or a levels, as im doing my a levels at the moment, im in year 13, however im predicted 3 C grades, which isnt sufficient unless i put effort in year 13 so im looking to redo year 12 and i want to take a BTEC in applied science. Is this a good option?

Your use of the phrase "unless i put effort in year 13" suggests that you have no plans no put in any effort during Year 13. Were you hoping to get high grades effortlessly? :wink:
Reply 3
Original post by DataVenia
Your use of the phrase "unless i put effort in year 13" suggests that you have no plans no put in any effort during Year 13. Were you hoping to get high grades effortlessly? :wink:

No I didn’t mean that. I am very hardworking and I am person with excellent work ethic but I struggle with exam pressure so that’s what I meant basically
Reply 4
Original post by Acallur
No I didn’t mean that. I am very hardworking and I am person with excellent work ethic but I struggle with exam pressure so that’s what I meant basically

I put in a lot of effort- I didnt phrase the sentence properly
Original post by Acallur
Hey guys, which course would you recommend to be the best , btecs or a levels, as im doing my a levels at the moment, im in year 13, however im predicted 3 C grades, which isnt sufficient unless i put effort in year 13 so im looking to redo year 12 and i want to take a BTEC in applied science. Is this a good option?

Original post by Acallur
No I didn’t mean that. I am very hardworking and I am person with excellent work ethic but I struggle with exam pressure so that’s what I meant basically

Original post by Acallur
I put in a lot of effort- I didnt phrase the sentence properly

OK. I assume you realise that BTECs contain exams too? (It's just that the majority of the qualification is assessed via coursework - but not all of it.)

You say "im predicted 3 C grades, which isnt sufficient". Sufficient for what? University? Studying what? Where?

Whether discarding your A levels studies and starting Year 12 again doing a BTEC instead is a "good option" is an impossible question to answer, as (a) we don't know what A level grades you'd have ultimately achieve, and (b) we don't know what BTEC grade you'll achieve. Unfortunately, neither no you. :frown:

Also, can you confirm that you're talking about a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Applied Science. (The Extended Diploma is the equivalent of three A levels; some other BTECs are worth a lot less in terms of A level equivalence.)

Your plan has you achieving a BTEC in Applied Science after three years, right? (Year 12 twice, plus Year 13). If you continued with your A levels, do you think you could exceed your CCC predictions? What if you then retook them the year after (so Year 12, followed by Year 13 twice)? That's the only fair comparison between the two options before you.

Generally speaking, A levels are better qualifications to have when applying to university, as they tend to be more widely and more readily accepted for a variety of courses. However, if you got a good grade in a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Applied Science, that would be fine for many course at many universities too.

By the way, what A levels are you studying?
Reply 6
In terms of grades, it depends on your strengths. A-levels put more emphasis on revision and sitting exams, to do well in BTECs you need to be able to work continuously and meet deadlines. I wasn't good at exams but I got D*DD in BTEC because coursework suits me.

In terms of uni, it depends what you want to do. BTECs are accepted by lots of uni's for lots of courses, but not all. You need to research the degrees and uni's you are interested in and see what the entry requirements are.
Reply 7
Original post by DataVenia
OK. I assume you realise that BTECs contain exams too? (It's just that the majority of the qualification is assessed via coursework - but not all of it.)
You say "im predicted 3 C grades, which isnt sufficient". Sufficient for what? University? Studying what? Where?
Whether discarding your A levels studies and starting Year 12 again doing a BTEC instead is a "good option" is an impossible question to answer, as (a) we don't know what A level grades you'd have ultimately achieve, and (b) we don't know what BTEC grade you'll achieve. Unfortunately, neither no you. :frown:
Also, can you confirm that you're talking about a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Applied Science. (The Extended Diploma is the equivalent of three A levels; some other BTECs are worth a lot less in terms of A level equivalence.)
Your plan has you achieving a BTEC in Applied Science after three years, right? (Year 12 twice, plus Year 13). If you continued with your A levels, do you think you could exceed your CCC predictions? What if you then retook them the year after (so Year 12, followed by Year 13 twice)? That's the only fair comparison between the two options before you.
Generally speaking, A levels are better qualifications to have when applying to university, as they tend to be more widely and more readily accepted for a variety of courses. However, if you got a good grade in a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Applied Science, that would be fine for many course at many universities too.
By the way, what A levels are you studying?

Ive taken maths,chemistry, business and epq. I aim to go into the career pathway of pharmacy at the university of Exeter or Nottingham which require abb grades for 3 a levels respectively. And yes, I am talking about the extended diploma in applied science. For a levels I am predicted 3 C grades which isn't sufficient for universities such as uni of Nottingham and or exeter.
Reply 8
Original post by GraRy
In terms of grades, it depends on your strengths. A-levels put more emphasis on revision and sitting exams, to do well in BTECs you need to be able to work continuously and meet deadlines. I wasn't good at exams but I got D*DD in BTEC because coursework suits me.
In terms of uni, it depends what you want to do. BTECs are accepted by lots of uni's for lots of courses, but not all. You need to research the degrees and uni's you are interested in and see what the entry requirements are.

Ok thanks. Im not sure yet but I think i will continue with doing a levels however the only concern was whether I could move from D,EE to a B grade in a limited time frame

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