BTECs or A-levels?

Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) awards are available at three different levels:

• Level 2 BTEC Firsts are equivalent to GCSEs.
• Level 3 BTEC Nationals are equivalent to A-levels.
• Levels 4-7 BTEC Higher Nationals are equivalent to undergraduate degrees.

This guide focuses only on the Level 3 courses and, in particular, looks at how they compare with A-levels.

Historically, BTECs have always been the more “vocational” qualification in comparison with the traditionally “academic” A-levels. In the past, BTEC students tended to progress on to vocational apprenticeships (becoming plumbers, electricians etc.) rather than go onto university.

However, a lot has changed since BTECs were introduced in the 1980’s, and it’s interesting to look at their current evolutionary stage in 2023.

To recap, we’re focusing on the The Level 3 courses, “BTEC Nationals”, which are  equivalent to A-levels.

The first important thing to consider is that British private schools and colleges tend to offer 3 different kinds of BTEC National. These are:

– The BTEC National Extended Certificate, which is equivalent to 1 A-level.

– The BTEC National Diploma, which is equivalent to 2 A-levels.

– The BTEC National Extended Diploma, which is equivalent to 3 A-levels.

Choosing the most appropriate BTEC National

In theory, these different types of BTEC National give you a brilliantly flexible opportunity to  choose the best combination of subjects.

For example, you might be able to take 3 different Extended Certificates in 3 different subjects. This could give you the same level of variety as taking 3 separate A-levels.

The Extended Certificate also gives you the opportunity to combine BTECs with A-levels. For example, you could take an A-level in Art, an A-level in Design and Technology, and a BTEC in Business.

Similarly, you could take advantage of a BTEC Diploma (equivalent to 2 A-levels) and compbine this with a BTEC Extended Certificate or an A-level.

Finally, if you choose to take a BTEC Extended Diploma, it will all be in one subject, and equivalent to 3 A-levels. So if you take the Extended Diploma in Business you will end up with a qualification solely concerning Business. This is great if you really want to specialise before studying this topic at uni or going straight into industry but, of course, it does not offer as much future-flexibility as mixing and matching different BTEC Extended Certificates and/or A-level subjects.

A-levels tend to offer traditional academic subjects such as History, Geography, Physics etc.

BTEC subjects, on the other hand, are more vocational or industry-focused. Take a look at some of the most popular BTEC subjects:

• Business
• Engineering
• Hospitality
• Information Technology
• Media Production
• Travel and Tourism

As you can already start to see, the focus of BTECs leans more towards the practical application of what is being studied.  The course subjects sound more like industry sectors than academic topics.

This philosophy to focus on practical application is a crucial difference, and is also borne out in the BTEC learning style.

Learning style is one of the key differences between BTECs and A-levels, and can be a real deciding factor for many students.

A-levels are traditionally studied in the old academic, theoretical style – that’s books, teachers, exercises, essays and exams. BTECs, on the other hand, include a lot more practical work and collaborative group projects. Pearson, the BTEC awarding body puts it quite succinctly: “BTEC learning has always encouraged learners to apply their learning in realistic contexts using scenarios and realistic activities that will permit learners to draw on and apply their learning.”

The key difference is that BTECs are designed for students to learn by doing. Students have to complete practical, real-life activities and then show evidence of what they’ve learned. This is a very different approach from sitting down, learning theory, then writing essays or exams.

BTEC students will very often have exposure to real-world experience with local companies. Students are required to demonstrate they can understand, apply, and critically reflect on what they have learned. The skills learned are also very readily transferred to the world of work.

A-levels these days are savage when it comes to exams. Whilst some subjects like Art and Drama still include a significant proportion of coursework, the vast majority require students to study for 2 years and then complete a handful of crucial exams at the end of the course.

Have a look at the Edexcel A-level for Business specification as an example: Your final grade all comes down to three 2-hour exams. That’s it! To say there’s a lot riding on these exams is a massive understatement.

Now let’s compare this with the assessment methods for BTEC Nationals in Business:

Assessment for the BTEC Extended Certificate

We’re going to use the example of the Extended Certificate in Business. The final grade comprises 58% of external assessment (AKA exams!) Whilst this is less than most A-levels, it might still sounds like too much to some of you! So let’s look at it in a bit more detail…

The course begins with a mandatory unit (“Exploring Business”) which is assessed internally by your teacher (i.e assignments, projects etc.) This is worth 25% of your total mark.

The second unit (“Developing a Marketing Campaign”) is also mandatory and is also worth 25% of your final grade. However, this unit is assessed by an end of unit exam. The format is a little different from (and maybe gentler than?) an A-level exam: Candidates are first given a “research pack” to review for 2 hours. The following day, they sit a related 3 hour assessment on a computer.

The third unit  of “Personal and Business Finance” is the final mandatory unit and is assessed by a 2 hour written exam (33%.)

The fourth and final unit is an optional unit chosen by the school/college. It makes up 17% of your final grade, and is again assessed internally through assignments.

So it’s easy to compare the BTEC Extended Certifcate in Business assessment-method with that of the Business A-level. Your final grade on a Business A-level is based 100% on written exam performance. For BTEC, it is 33% written exam, 25% computer-based exam, 42% internal assigments.

Assessment of the BTEC National Diploma

Equivalent to 2 A-levels, the BTEC National Diploma has 6 mandatory units and 2 optional ones. Three external assessments make up 45% of your final grade. One of these is a 2 hour written exam, the other two follow the case study preparation then computer exam format.

Assessment of the BTEC Extended Diploma

As this is equivalent to 3 A-levels, students must take 7 mandatory units, and 5 optional ones. External assessment is 42% of your final grade. One of these is a 2 hour written exam, two follow the case study preparation then computer exam format, and the other is a straight-up, non-prep computer exam.

Grading system for BTEC Nationals

There are 4 BTEC National grades you need to concern yourself with:

• Distinction*, the highest grade and equivalent to an A* at A-level.
• Distinction, equivalent to an A at A-level.
• Merit, equivalent to a C at A-level
• Pass, equivalent to an E at A-level.

We’ll look further into A-level and UCAS point equivalences later on.

Modular approach

One of the best things about a BTEC National’s modular approach is that you build your grade cumulatively. So, if you start with Unit 1 (Exploring Business) and get a Distinction*, that 25% is now done with – your score is locked in! This means you can now move on a focus your energies on the next unit.

The main benefits of BTEC assessment in comparison with A-levels

The three key takeaways here are:

1. BTECs have a greater proportion of the final grade awarded through assignments (aka coursework.)
2. BTEC exams are much less essay-writing-heavy than A-levels: a large proportion of exams are completed on computer.
3. You can build your grade cumulatively. You complete a unit, get your grade, then move onto the next unit.

All of these points can greatly reduce your exam risk (and stress!)

We have seen that BTECs still require a fair amount of external assessment, such as written exams. Internal assessment of student assignments (which is like coursework) also contribute to your final grades.

Here is a point worth remembering: If students are unhappy with the grade awarded for an internal assessment, they are allowed to request to resubmit further “evidence” of their learning. Effectively, this is an opportunity to re-submit your work and boost your grade up a level.

It is also possible to re-sit the external assessments – twice. So, effectively you can get a total of up to three tries at each external exam.

Needless to say, the possibility to re-sit parts of the BTEC Nationals before receiving your final grade, compare very favourably with the hassle involved in  retaking A-levels.

Let’s first clarify the different career opportunities: If you are considering going onto an apprenticeship after school/college, or maybe going straight into the workforce, then BTECs can stand you in better stead than A-levels. Why? Because you will already have had relevant, transferable, real-life work experience as part of your BTEC course.

So does it then follow than A-levels are better for university progression than BTECs?

To a limited extent, yes. Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and LSE do not accept BTECs. So if you are a genuine boffin and aiming for these top academic universities, stick with A-levels.

Can I get into university with BTECs?

Excluding those listed above, 95% of British universities, including the Russell Group unis, accept BTECs for at least some of their courses.

According to UCAS’s 2020 end of cycle report:

• University acceptance rates for candidates holding only BTECS had risen from 76.4% in 2011 to 87.5% in 2020.

• University acceptance rates for candidates holding a combination of A-levels and BTECS rose from 82.7% to 89.6% during that same period.

• For context, the acceptance rate for candidates holding only A-levels in 2020 was 90.7%.

This is all very positive data for fans of BTECS. However, keep in mind that not all universities are equal, and every undergrad degree at every uni will have its own unique entrance requirements. The last thing you want is to start your BTECs and then discover your target uni/degree does not accept them.

If you have a specific university target, you must always check entrance requirements before committing to any 6th form curriculum or subject choice.

We saw above that BTEC National grades are awarded as either Distinction*, Distinction, Merit, or Pass. Let’s have a look at how these translate into UCAS points, when compared to A-levels.

We’ll start off with the UCAS points awarded for your BTEC National Extended Certificate:

Remember that a BTEC National Diploma is equivalent to 2 A-levels? The equivalences therefore run as follows:

As we’ve seen, a BTEC National Extended Diploma is equivalent to three A-levels, so the grade equivalences are therefore:

Choosing BTECs over A-levels can be a smart move. There are a few reasons why you might decide BTECs suit you better:

• You hate exams and your exam results seldom reflect your true ability. Coursework suits you better.
• You prefer learning by doing.
• You want to go straight into a job or apprenticeship after school.
• You want to go to uni and have checked your target uni/degree accepts BTECs.

Before deciding, make sure you’ve also checked out the Top School Guide on Curriculums and also the guide on Sixth form applications.

We also offer a free phone consultation to understand your unique situation and offer advice on the best curriculum (or combination of curriculums) for you to consider. Call us now or schedule an appointment here.

There are over 500 private (independent) senior schools in England, and Top School Guide has collateded data from the gov.uk site, which shows that over 170 independent schools had 1 or more BTEC exam entrants in 2022.

So plenty of private schools know that BTECs can lead to better outcomes for their students.

The difficulty in finding private schools offering BTECs is that there is often not a huge range at each school. It is more common for schools and colleges to offer only Extended Certificates, as it’s easier to timetable and implement courses that are equivalent to one A-level.

Many schools therefore just offer an Extended Certificate in Sport, and perhaps in one or two other subjects. In most cases, you will only have the option to take an Extended certificate or two, and combine these with A-levels.

There are some notable exceptions such as Milton Abbey,  DLD London, and The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga’s, which have really stretched themselves to offer a fuller choice of Extended Certificates, Diplomas and Extended Diplomas.

How to find the best private schools for BTECs

When compiling our league table of the best BTEC schools, we focused on ranking schools by their level of BTEC National uptake. By ranking schools by the proportion of each school’s Year 13 BTEC exam entries in 2022, Top School Guide uncovered the schools which really do BTECs.

Aside from the BTEC league table, you can also use the Top School Guide filter to find suitable schools offering BTECs. However, this does not tell you exactly which BTEC subjects each school plans to offer for the coming academic year. These change regularly, and we keep an up-to-date offline database on private schools’ BTEC subject availability.

Let Top School Guide help you

The most efficient tactic by far is to get in touch with Top School Guide and let us know what BTEC courses you are considering. We will be able to offer expert advice on subject choice, combinations with A-levels, and introductions to private schools and colleges with a suitable BTEC provision.

We are here to listen and help. Please let us know how.

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