If your dc did BTECs, do you say they have A levels?

One of my DC’s has a degree and a masters (got a first in a STEM subject) and says A Levels were the hardest qualification to get. Their friends agree 🤷🏼‍♀️.
One of my DC’s is doing A levels atm, their sibling (with SEN) managed to get a distinction in a level 3 extended diploma. I am so proud of all their achievements but there is no way the DC who completed the BTEC would have been able to do A levels. They didn’t get the GCSE’s grades required to do any A levels for a start, they really struggled at school and really enjoyed studying at college for their BTEC. A levels and BTEC’s are very different qualifications and people should not pretend that they are the same.

@Zen yes I just had a look online and BTEC, A-levels and T-Level results were all released on August 15th.
So all the same day 🤔
(Although it does say you can get the results slightly earlier. I expect that means someone might be able to individually get them via email or something. But if you are recieving results via school or college then August 15th was "Results Day")

Btec results were also out on 15th 🤷🏻‍♀️

My son did gcses and a btech and will be doing two A Levels and a Level 3 Btech.

He isn't thick or any less clever or able, it just happens the one course is only offered as a btech at his school and it counts towards UCAS points too.

I honestly thought we had moved past sneering at Btechs but clearly not!

@Milsonophonia would it bother you if BIL said "oh, DN got the equivalent of 4 A Levels!"?

@crumblingschools I've never actually met anyone who has said anything beyond "getting their results". No specification of what exams they actually took.

@crumblingschools well yes. Beyond a bit of polite chit chat most people really aren't that interested.
The OP is annoyed at her BIL basically lying about the exams her nephew took. The people he told that too have probably forgotten the conversation already.
@Milsonophonia your BIL sounds like a bit of a twit. As I said - if he says it again just do the "smile and wave" at him. You know he's talking bollocks but in the big scheme of things.....it doesn't really matter if your daughter got what she needs to go on to the next stage in life and if your nephew also got what he needs.
That is what's important 🙂

I did a BTech in Customer Services or Business Studies or similar as part of a part time job I had as a teenager while doing my A Levels at school. Can confirm they are nothing alike. No revision, it was more someone popping in to ask if you’d covered certain things and helping you “evidence” them. I’m not an academic snob (I did well in school and have a MA and a related career and my husband barely has GCSE’s and out-earns me for reference) but in my experience, the qualifications are not the same.

@Needmorelego but you could use that argument for the A-level/BTEC conversation, most people won’t care about the distinction between A-Level or BTEC in general conversation, it’s only those who are in the thick of it who may care

@Milsonophonia to be honest it's only going to be important if something your nephew wants to do asks for whatever qualifications he has - ie university or job requirements.
This is a "smile and wave" moment really.

Fair enough. I have taught both qualifications for many years and don't agree. I do think btecs are a wonderful qualification that enable competent students to display their capacities well. I'm a massive fan but ddonnot think they offer the same rigour as an A-Level in the subjects that I teach. They certainly aren't accepted equally onto all courses and universities in my area.

@Needmorelego but isn’t that a similar scenario to people saying A-levels as shorthand. The papers don’t talk about students having received BTEC results a few weeks earlier, they lumped them all into 15th August results day

@crumblingschools to be honest unless you have a child waiting for results most people won't know (or be that interested) in when "results day" is.

@crumblingschools yes but the newspapers obviously decided to report about both.

@Needmorelego but don’t some results come out sooner, as I am sure I saw some posts where students have got acceptance to university before 15th August and was explained because they had done BTECs

@crumblingschools here is a screenshot of a random local paper. I saw similar headlines in the national press.

@Foxesandsquirrels there are different levels of GCSE though. Not all children sit the same level exam papers. Some do "higher papers". Or at least they used too. If this has in fact changed I apologise but surely a child in bottom set science won't be doing the exact same paper as one in top set.
@crumblingschools loads of media (newspapers etc) reported "Results Day for A-levels/T-Level/BTEC". I will try and see if I can find a screenshot.

That isn't what's bothered the OP... It's that 'DN only got a BTEC'.

Their words, not mine.

That's not true. GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education and is a Level 2 qualification if you pass it at a 4 or above. If below it is a level 1 etc. There is no functional or foundation level GCSE. Lots of teachers are actually quite pissed off at the lack of funding towards functional skills exams as those are far better for some kids and a way they can achieve a level 2.
BTEC is a qualification in and of itself and is usually awarded by Pearson. There are lots of other vocational qualifications though they are not BTECs. UAL has their own arts diploma equivalent to 3 A Levels for example.
Overall, vocational qualifications in this country are a minefield so I don't blame anyone if they use the word A Level in passing to describe end of y13 exams. I wouldn't, but I understand why someone would.

@Needmorelegobut everyone talks about A-level results day etc. Doesn’t matter if BTECs have been around longer, most people talk about 17-18yos doing A-levels, apprenticeship or training.

If you were talking to an acquaintance/colleague who doesn’t know exact age of your DC, probably easier to say A-levels as pinpoints what age bracket and level they are studying, rather than exams as that could mean end of Secondary age rather than Sixth Form. And as others have said BTEC covers a wider exam range

@Foxesandsquirrels BTEC is just the provider of the courses and qualifications though so of course there's different levels.
There's different levels in GCSEs too (ie Functional Level, Foundation Level etc).
Why would you lie and say "my child is doing media A-level" when the course is a BTEC. Wouldn't you just say "my child is studying media"?

@crumblingschools @bravefox I would just say "exams".
Considering BTEC is an older qualification than A-levels why would it be hard to understand?
(BTEC has existed in various form since the 1920/30s. A-levels from 1950).
To be honest - if it was a casual conversation between relatives/friends I would be more likely to say "Joe is studying English Lit, Drama and Media". I wouldn't bother to go into details about whether it's A-level, T-Level, BTEC, City and Guilds or one of the various other qualifications out there.
But I wouldn't say my child is studying for A-levels if they weren't. It's simply a lie and there's no reason to do it.

I agree with this. BTECs could also be any level. They go from entry level all the way up to level 7, so degree level. An exam could be in any of those. For a 17/18 year old going into exam season it might just be easier to say a levels as it pin points them exactly with their peers.
I would personally just say exams but I understand why people wouldn't. The robbery towards them is prevalent, you're immediately put into a less academic box so I can understand why some kids would for that reason too.

Agreed! Both parents sound problematic.