Discuss: 'A Distinction in btec is the equivalent to an A*' But really is it!?
 

So a friend did btecs and got a distinction, as the teachers said a distinction is the equivalent to an A* so is telling everyone he got three A*'s! Is this fair?

I personally think A levels are much harder than btecs of personal experience and they should never be compared with equivalent grades!

BTECs are tesco A Levels I always thought?

Same :joker:

Bye I did BTEC Lvl 3 Applied Science and it was rock solid

get that distinction

I was always under the impression from what I was told that BTECS were easier than a levels, but I suppose if they still get you into university on the same course as those who did a levels then technically yeah I guess they probably are equal.

Aren't BTECS just classwork and controlled assessments, instead of actual written exams?

At least that's what they were when I was studying.

OOPS (on iTunes!)

Grab that Uni place though :clap1:

My sister did a Btec, did really well, did amazing in Uni and now has a good job, So yes.

That's not the question though, the question though is it equally as hard as an a level?

Well I can't say for A-Level but in school no because a girl was showing off about getting distinction in BTEC science and all she did was coursework which the teachers basically fed to her.

i did a levels and once a week i shared a class with a group of btec students, they literally went in 2/3 days a week and did coursework... and there I was going in 5 days a week with coursework, essays and exams. idk obviously this is just from what i've seen/heard like it's just my perspective, it just seemed like they were doing less work. I mean that doesn't mean that on the whole they are harder, but you get me.

BTEC gets bad stigma from the poor teaching standards on some courses and the stereotypical sports and childcare students that are known to just piss about most of the time. At school the BTECs were pretty much a joke but at college, in my case, it was strictly taught and in no means easy... doing **** like calculus and comparing simple organic molecules with biological molecules was no walk in the park at all. I had to spend hours upon hours doing coursework after timetabled hours as the pace is incredibly tense. Obviously that is just my case, and some colleges are known to give students an easy time and allow cheating/plagiarism.

If your career is more practical and applied then the BTECs are far better to do at college, like for me wanting to do environmental work, in addition I had anxiety problems with my AS levels which caused me to underperform and found myself much better suited to the assessment based course than just remembering lines from a text book for an exam. Also, I had the plus bonus of finding out I got into uni straight away as you know what results you leave on. And I got offers from all five unis I applied to (including red brick). :hehe:

Personally I think in my own experience of a btec that it is vastly easier. I think I copied a friend but changed the words for a whole term and got a distinction (Only did btec science in school as an add on) Whereas with a levels/gcse's you have to literally know the information so well to be prepared for an exam. I think it's ridiculous an A* in an A Level exam can be compared or held equivalent to a btec where you do the work in class with no revision and the internet to hand.

However I think btec's are a much more realistic ideal for the real world. Exams have become so much just learning info and copying it down. Almost a test of memory rather than anything. Of course it is 'learning' but btec's are more modern and fit people's style of learning better. Though I do think they should make btecs harder if they are going to be compared to a levels!

Who cares about the comparison, can't you just be happy for your friend?

Of course I'm happy for my friend, that is first and foremost. However it is unfair to claim a comparison between the two when they are vastly different.

<3 luv u

:clap1:

But surely all universities/employers are aware of the differences and pros/cons of BTECs AND A-Levels and they judge accordingly.

I guess so, I'm just saying as a student what you guys think?:shrug:

Do employers even care about qualifications? my dad doesn't even put them down when he applies for another Broker job.

My mum never asks for them when employing someone.

It depends what job you're going for. You're not going to employ a psychologist who got a E in A-Level Psychology and no Psychology degree for example.

Well they're important when going to university. One of my mums work friends daughters got her results today and she's got into Cambridge doing English Language and Politics. She got four A's on her A-Level results so when it comes to certain universities like Oxbridge then obviously A-Levels are necessary but obviously in other colleges they aren't. It's just difference tbh

yeah thats true.

It gives you pretty much the same UCAS Points so yeah, it pretty much is. Also...Exams>>>Controlled Assignments and Essays with Word Counts due every Month or so. I done a BTec First in Media as an additional GCSE and it was an "Experiment" to see if it will work in the school. I hated it lol

I've done two Media BTECs, whether or not it's hard depends on what you find difficult really. There's no exams but all your marks are dependent on assignments and in the courses I did a lot of it was practical work whereas the media A-level was mostly theory with one or two practical assignments a year. Media as an A-level seemed piss easy compared to the workload of a BTEC.

If I remember right, Universities tend to prefer BTECs in Media due to the fact that you'll have experience using the different programs and equipment already. I don't think A-levels in Media are worth very much in that regard.

When it comes down to it, which one is better is dependent on the subject I guess.