A Level options

[mummyofteens]

So a friend's son is thinking about doing business studies at his 6th form. Apparently, business studies is worth more ucas points! I have never heard this before, anyone shed any light on why this would be. Many thanks :)

It doesn't sound very likely! Here is a lin to the UCAS tariff table - it doesn't say anything about specific subjects, just grades. www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/tarifftables/#gce

Plus, many universities don't actually go by the UCAS tariff anyway - they have specific requirements for their courses, in terms of how many As and Bs they want, and in what subjects.

So I think your friend's son needs to have a very close loook at the courses and universitiies he's thinking of applying for, before he picks his subjects. Specially as business studies isn't always as highly regarded as some other subjects.

Oh just thought, is it actually an A-level in business studies, or a different qualification? That would make a difference, though he'd still need to check carefully that it was seen as a good one by the places/courses he wants.

All A-levels are worth the same so if he says he's taking business studies A-level and it's worth more then he is sadly deluding himself. He may be talking about another business qualification like BTEC or Diploma which may have an equivalency of 2 or more A-levels (although this is unlikely to continue after the current review).

it's probably a btec or something that isn't an actual A-level but has an equivalent points value of more than one A-level.

whether or not these qualifications are actually worth more than an A-level to all universities is moot and should be checked first.

Thank you for all the information. Apologies if I am wrong but I was under the impression that BTECs were not as well regarded as A Levels but maybe that is not the case for all subjects.

It really depends what you want to do with it - as entry for an academic degree at one of the pickier universities, a BTec in Business Studies is not going to compare well with an A Level in English for example. But if his future involves a specialist business course at a college or a "newer" university, then it may well be a good choice.

I'd encourage your friend to make sure her son is talking to the school about this, to be sure if it fits in well with his plans/hopes/expectations, rather than taking a general comment about the UCAS Tariff at face value.

Back when DS was picking subjects, we looked at the UCAS Tariff and let him drop a Higher (Scottish thing, like AS) to put extra focus on a music grade exam, which was worth as many points. Fast forward to reading university prospectuses, and none of the courses he wanted to do gave a rat's ass about the Tariff, but put their requirements solely in terms of Highers/A Levels. Luckily he had enough and got on a course he wanted, but it could have gone badly wrong.

I thought the advice was to stick to academic subjects. Get the best 3 A'levels you can then think of any additions.

Whilst I actually teach BTEC level 3; I would be careful if your DS does want to attend university. The current entry requirements might state that they will accept a BTEC National Diploma at Distinction level instead of A levels, however a lot of universities are changing their entry requirements from 2012 to only accepting a BTEC together with an A level in a different subject.

The National Diploma is offered by colleges as a full-time course (due to the amount of hours required to complete it which does answer the question of how hard work they are....) and therefore will not allow a student to also undertake an A level (goes over the hours which they receive funding for)

If the BTEC course is for the National Certificate etc, than DS will also undertake A level courses in different subjects

In general BTECs aren't as well regarded as A-levels because they are assessed through coursework rather than having an exam component. Some of the doubt about them also comes because schools can internally verify them as well. The university I teach at does not make any BTEC offers (red brick, RG uni). We will make offers on A-levels/Highers/IB/anything from abroad if it is equivalent and also access courses for mature students. That is part of the problem with BTEC, the all eggs in one basket approach!

just to verify though kritur - whilst there is an internal verification process, there is also an external one - we have to be either verified through a checking process of how we assess/level we assess at and are open to checks as and when the exam board want to descend on us or there is an external moderator so it is not just the teacher...

I've just managed to persuade my DD that although all A levels are worth the same points, they are not worth the same, iyswim!

In other words, a university will recognise a subject like Geography History, foreign language or any core subject, as a student will have a much deeper knowledge of the subject, since they have been studying it since at least yr7 and not just 2 years at A level.

She may not know what she wants to do in the future yet, but at least she'll hopefully have a decent record of A levels, to take her forward.

Kritur

Give me a student nurse who has done BTEC over one with A Levels anyday.

DD3 is taking BTECH National Diploma in IT. All the universities she has looked at so far do recognise BTECH qualifications. DD2 did a BTECH in Performing Arts. She found that most universities recognised BTECH then. It is actually getting better now and as I've said all the universities that DD3 is looking at do recognise them and that includes some RG ones.

But for something like performing arts a BTec is sensible - you take a wide range of subjects within the umbrella of performing arts, you build up a portfolio, you are likely to go on to work or study within the field. It actually permits more diversification than A-levels in some ways.

For other subjects a broad range of A-levels is a much better choice before specialising.

BTECs are internally assessed in the same way as coursework and controlled assessents for A level, in that our internal assessment is externally verified. It isn't just a free for all.

They are vocational rather than academic though, and that is the problem when it comes to universities. Vocational A levels (Health and Social Care for example) are also becoming less useful admissions-wise in our experience.