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

[Milsonophonia]

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!

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

Their words, not mine.

@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.

He got a BTEC. He did not get A levels. Whatever your view on the amazingness of BTECS, they are not the same.

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

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

@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.

@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

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.

@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.

@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

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.

@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 🙂

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

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

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!

Btec results were also out on 15th 🤷🏻‍♀️

@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")

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.