BTEC are professional qualifications that are considered equivalent to GCSE at the 4th educational level (10th and 11th grades) and the equivalent of A Level at the 5th educational level (12th and 13th grades). Students who study under the BTEC program carry out practical work, assessments for which are taken into account in making final results. Some works are mandatory, and others are optional.
How does BTEC differ from A Level or GCSE?
Unlike the A Level program, which includes mainly theoretical disciplines, the BTEC program is oriented towards obtaining practical and professional knowledge and skills. Under the BTEC Business program, students study real companies, learn to interview, make presentations, etc. Under the BTEC Sport program, students analyze real sports results, train younger students and get an assessment of their own sports results.
BTEC students are evaluated mainly based on the results of their schoolwork, and not on the results of official examinations. All A Level exams are evaluated by external examiners, while only 40% of BTEC's work is to be assessed by external examiners, and only some of the grades are the results of exams.
The BTEC program is designed to instill in students the skills they need in further education or in job placement. The educational process combines design work with practical activities.
This helps to instill in the students the skills of working in a team and to develop creative thinking.
More and more employers and higher education institutions choose candidates with BTEC qualifications for their academic and practical knowledge and skills.
Will BTEC allow to enter the university?
In the UK, more than 150 universities accept the results of BTEC on par with the results of A Level.
Recent graduates of Queen Ethelburga College with BTEC certificate have entered very prestigious universities, including University of Durham, University of Manchester, UCL, King's College London, Warwick and many others. They entered the specialty: Arts, Business, Finance, Computers, Psychology, Engineering, Management, etc.
BTEC facts and statistics
In 2015, every fourth student who entered the university in the UK used the results of BTEC (UCAS report for January 2016).
Almost 79% of BTEC graduates continued their education (according to a BTEC study conducted by London Economics in 2013).
90% of the BTEC qualifications received regular work after graduation. (According to the results of the BTEC study, conducted by London Economics in 2013).
Students who have received BTEC qualifications successfully continue their education.
How to choose?
A. To choose between BTEC and A Level or GCSE, students must determine the preferred learning style for them. Some people take exams better, others prefer coursework, and someone does well both. The need to pass a large number of exams in English at the end of a two-year program can be a difficult test for foreign students.
B. It is also necessary to take into account the requirements for enrolling in high school and universities, as they influence the choice. It is necessary to monitor the official information published by the school and universities. Information in blogs and social networks is often unreliable.
C. It must be remembered that every university and every employer has its own requirements - some prefer BTEC, and the other A Level, or both.
How is BTEC evaluated?
The BTEC ranking scale includes Pass (P), Merit (M), Distinction (D) and Distinction * (D *). Depending on the duration of the course, one, two or three grades can be obtained.
How will they evaluate me?
BTEC includes several blocks, which are usually evaluated by school teachers based on the results of completed assignments. However, there are also such disciplines of BTEC, for which you need to keep an official exam. Tasks can be different. For example, tests, studies, essays, projects, investigations, crafts, field works and experiments, as well as studying theory together with laboratory work.
For more information on the evaluation system, see the separate pages on the qualifications of BTEC. Current assessments for completed work during the year will allow you to analyze the results and improve them if necessary.
The material is provided by Queen Ethelburga's College, a British college.
