Business and Technology Education Council
The Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) is a secondary school leaving qualification and Further education qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
BTEC qualifications are equivalent to other qualifications such as the GCSE (levels 1 to 2), A Level (level 3) and university degrees (levels 4 to 7). BTECs are undertaken in vocational subjects ranging from business studies to engineering. Examples of BTEC courses include Business Studies, Applied Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Media Production, Health & Social Care, Travel & Tourism and Performing Arts.
BTEC qualifications, especially Level 3, are accepted by many universities (excluding Cambridge and Oxford qualifications unless combined with more qualifications) as the standard for assessing the suitability of applicants for admission in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and many such universities base their conditional admissions offers on a student's predicted BTEC grades.
History
The BTEC was formed by the merger of the Business Education Council (BEC) and the Technician Education Council (TEC).[1] The University of London Examinations & Assessment Council (abbr. ULEAC) and BTEC merged to form Edexcel.[2]
Awards and course system
School leaving qualification (Level 3)
Students must have more than five GCSE grades A*-C including English Language, Maths and Science, or a Merit at Vocational Btec level 2 Diploma for the following Level 3 courses. The qualification names for Level 3 course change dependant on whether they are awarded though the National Qualification Framework (NQF) or the Qualification Credit Framework (QCF):
| QCF | NQF | A level size equivalence |
|---|---|---|
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma | National Diploma | 3 x A levels |
| BTEC National 120 Credit Diploma | National Certificate | 2 x A levels |
| BTEC Level 3 90-credit Diploma | National Subsidiary Certificate | 1.5 x A levels |
| BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma | National Award | 1 x A level |
| BTEC Level 3 Certificate | Subsidiary Award | 0.5 x A level |
School leaving qualification (Level 2 & Level 1)
- BTEC First Diploma - Level 2 qualification, roughly equivalent to 4 GCSEs at A* - C grades or an Intermediate NVQ. Students must have 4 or more GCSEs at grade D or above, including Maths, English.
- BTEC First Certificate - Level 2 qualification, roughly equivalent to 2 GCSEs at A* - C grades
- BTEC Introductory Diploma - Level 1 qualification, roughly equivalent to 4 GCSEs at D-F grades or a Foundation GNVQ. Students must have 4 or more GCSEs at grade E or above, including Maths grade E and English grade E
- BTEC Introductory Certificate - Level 1 qualification, roughly equivalent to 2 GCSEs at D-E grades
Further education (Adult courses)
- BTEC Level 7 Diploma - Postgraduate qualification, Master's Degree level courses representing the vocational qualification steps towards a full degree
- BTEC Higher National Diploma
- BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
- BTEC Higher National Certificate
See also
- Council for National Academic Awards
- National Vocational Qualification
- Scottish Qualifications Authority, an equivalent Scottish body
References
- ↑ Richard Aldrich (2002). A Century of Education. Routledge/Falmer. p. 220.
- ↑ "Our history". Edexcel. Pearson Education. Retrieved 14 June 2014.