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Original poster

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

219 replies

Milsonophonia · 26/08/2024 19:07

My nephew did a BTEC in Media and a BTEC in Music production. He passed them all, which is fab. But my BIL keeps telling everyone he got 4 x A levels. My dd got 3 x A levels and I'm starting to feel a bit fed up with him saying dn got 4 x A levels. We were at a bbq yesterday and someone was congratulating dd and he interrupted and said well, dn got 4 A levels!

I think he may have got the equivalent of 4 A levels, so a great achievement whatever, but its beginning to annoy me. I know I'm being petty. But ds1 did BTECs a few years ago and did really well in them and ended up at uni but I am pretty sure I always told people he'd done BTECS!

OP posts:
Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 13:28

paddyclampster · 27/08/2024 13:19

Hardly useless! Some university courses don’t accept BTECs, lots do. And BTECs are more accessible. One of my DCs did 4 alevels in stem subjects and the other did a BTEC with 2 alevels. I just tell people the truth - that they did a BTEC and 2 alevels?

The muppet who is going round telling people that the DN got 4 alevels is making himself look a bit of a tit.

YANBU, OP

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I never said a levels are useless! I did them. I said a qualification that's purely a memory test is useless in the workforce! Which is true. I still really struggle with project deadlines and I think more coursework in A Levels would've probably been helpful in teaching me that.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 13:27

JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:42

I googled this and got something different when I put in Btec. Odd!
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/degrees/medicine-mbbs-bsc#tab3-other

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Not for medicine no! Sorry I think the medicine thing has thrown this off. UCL does accept them for other courses though. Imperial doesn't at all. That's what I meant

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 13:26

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 13:03

Think you've lost the plot in your desperation to prove BTECS are acceptable everywhere 🙄
Re your UCL link you'll see it says "However, please check with the relevant Senior Admissions Officer to check as some departments have different requirements."
As my original post stated the Uni's AND course (CS/Computing) don't accept BTECs. We've been to the open days of both.

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I never said they're acceptable everywhere! You have all lost the plot trying to prove they're shit, less academic and useless for uni!

paddyclampster · 27/08/2024 13:19

Foxesandsquirrels · 26/08/2024 19:43

Tbh it's snobbery from you both. You're pissed off because you're working under the assumption BTECs are easier so it feels like an injustice for you child's achievements to be 'lower'. This other person is equally snobby by saying it's A Levels as he obviously feels those are superior.
For what it's worth I would've bombed BTECs. The amount of course work is insane. I struggled with the English GCSE coursework back when you had to do 7 or something pieces of it. I barely did any, but got nearly full marks in the exam so passed. I then took it for A Level and got an A as I thrived in exams. I would've failed BTECs, I don't understand why they're seen as less academic when they're not. A Levels are probably a better test of memory, but that's pretty useless nowadays. The amount of work you have to do for BTECs to a deadline is probably a better reflection of what's required in the workforce!

Hardly useless! Some university courses don’t accept BTECs, lots do. And BTECs are more accessible. One of my DCs did 4 alevels in stem subjects and the other did a BTEC with 2 alevels. I just tell people the truth - that they did a BTEC and 2 alevels?

The muppet who is going round telling people that the DN got 4 alevels is making himself look a bit of a tit.

YANBU, OP

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 13:03

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:40

Than you've either had a failed name change or you can't keep up with your own replies!

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Think you've lost the plot in your desperation to prove BTECS are acceptable everywhere 🙄
Re your UCL link you'll see it says "However, please check with the relevant Senior Admissions Officer to check as some departments have different requirements."
As my original post stated the Uni's AND course (CS/Computing) don't accept BTECs. We've been to the open days of both.

DramaLlamaBangBang · 27/08/2024 12:55

A Btec National diploma is equivalent to 2 A Levels do it won't be accepted. The Btec National extended diploma is equivalent to 3 A Levels.

Needmorelego · 27/08/2024 12:55

@Howmanycatsistoomany your sister is definitely wrong there !
Level 3 is not a degree 😂
Do you know why she says that?

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 12:54

@howmanycatsistoomany She'll need to study to a level 6 to be degree equivalent!

Howmanycatsistoomany · 27/08/2024 12:49

My SIL has a BTEC level 3. She insists she has a degree. Pisses me right off.

JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:48

I got this for Imperial too 🤷🏼‍♀️

If your dc did BTECs, do you say they have A levels?
JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:46

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:37

Oh and UCL does accept them:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/srs/btec#:~:text=Only%20the%20Extended%20Diploma%20is,3%20National%20Extended%20Diploma%20(RQF)

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Think you maybe replied to another poster when I asked the original question? I am confused now!

JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:44

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 12:32

UCL and Imperial.

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I am clearly googling wrong. As it didn’t come up for me when I searched UCL!

JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:42

UCL

If your dc did BTECs, do you say they have A levels?
Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:40

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 12:39

Err...you asked ME a question by quoting me and I answered it. Clearly you aren't aware otherwise why ask the question. You're welcome.

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Than you've either had a failed name change or you can't keep up with your own replies!

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 12:39

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:35

I hate it when people reply to a direct reply without reading the context.
That OP has already replied the me- the uni their child was interested in does accept btecs, but with specific units their child could do.
I'm aware of the unis that don't accept them, thanks.

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Err...you asked ME a question by quoting me and I answered it. Clearly you aren't aware otherwise why ask the question. You're welcome.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:38

JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:36

Which ‘many’? Because the London ones I know do not. A few places accept them onto a foundation year before the medical degree. I have been asked about this because of my role so I would like to know which other many medical schools accept the Btec for direct entry. Googling has not helped me.

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If this is your role than you need to Google specific medical schools and make a spreadsheet or something! It took me 2mins to Google entry requirements to Oxford medical school.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:37

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 12:32

UCL and Imperial.

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Oh and UCL does accept them:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/srs/btec#:~:text=Only%20the%20Extended%20Diploma%20is,3%20National%20Extended%20Diploma%20(RQF)

JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:36

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:31

Oxford? Amongst many

www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/pre-clinical/requirements/academic

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Which ‘many’? Because the London ones I know do not. A few places accept them onto a foundation year before the medical degree. I have been asked about this because of my role so I would like to know which other many medical schools accept the Btec for direct entry. Googling has not helped me.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:35

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 12:32

UCL and Imperial.

Show quote history

I hate it when people reply to a direct reply without reading the context.
That OP has already replied the me- the uni their child was interested in does accept btecs, but with specific units their child could do.
I'm aware of the unis that don't accept them, thanks.

TahitianGardenia · 27/08/2024 12:32

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 07:56

What uni is that? Even Oxford takes btecs and most medical schools...

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UCL and Imperial.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:31

JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:22

That’s interesting. Which medical schools accept BTEC for direct entry?

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Oxford? Amongst many

www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/pre-clinical/requirements/academic

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:29

Wisenotboring · 27/08/2024 08:26

Although lots of unis accept.btecs,.they are not as readily acceptable as A-Levels. For very competitive things it is either very specific modules or a contextual offer into a foundation year. Don't get me wrong, I think they are fabulous and much of the time.just a different vehicle to the same destination. However, they just aren't as demanding which is why the entry requirements to btec are much lower and students with lower gcse grades are much more likely to pass or get a merit/distinction compared to if they did A-Levels.

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I disagree with you completely. I don't think theyre any less academic than A Levels. The stressful thing about A Levels is the huge amount of content you're expected to remember and recall in exams. Btecs make that same level of content more manageable as it's in units, a lot like uni!
Almost all unis accept BTECs onto normal courses. Even Oxford accepts them, an no, not onto a foundation course. The reason they require specific modules is because theres so many options within BTECs. The amount of snobbery and misinformation on this thread is insane.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2024 12:26

Milsonophonia · 27/08/2024 08:04

Yes they take the Science BTECS I mentioned up thread BUT they are very fussy about the modules they accept so you have to find a college offering that exact combo of modules (which we found nigh on impossible)

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But you said unis don't take them, which isn't true. Being fussy with units is not the same as not accepting them. No accepting them makes it sound like they're not of an acceptable level which is not true.

JustPaySomeone · 27/08/2024 12:26

One rather disgraceful recent development is a term that I have heard young people using. They use the phrase ‘Btec’ to describe an inferior version of something. Is that a London thing or have people heard it elsewhere? I had to look it up on Urban Dictionary when I first heard it. It makes me cringe.

OP it sounds like he was trying to outdo your daughter by showing off about his son.
That is never a decent thing to do, whatever the qualification. Some people are just like that. You find them in all areas of life. Congrats to your daughter and to your nephew of course.