Business and Technology Education Council
The Business and Technology Education Council[1] (BTEC) is a provider (existing as part of Pearson Education Ltd) of secondary school leaving qualifications and Further education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
BTEC qualifications are equivalent to other qualifications, such as the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) (levels 1 to 2), A Level (level 3) and university degrees (levels 6 to 7). BTECs are undertaken in vocational subjects ranging from business studies to engineering. Examples of BTEC courses include Business Studies, Applied Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Media Production, Health & Social Care, Travel & Tourism and Performing Arts.
BTEC qualifications, especially Level 3, are accepted by many universities (excluding Cambridge and Oxford unless combined with more qualifications) when assessing the suitability of applicants for admission, and many such universities base their conditional admissions offers on a student's predicted BTEC grades.
Contents
History[edit]
The BTEC (Business & Technology Education Council) was formed by the merger of the Business Education Council (BEC), founded in 1974, and the Technician Education Council (TEC), founded in 1973; note the change of meaning of the letter T upon the merger. [2] Between the Twenties and the creation of the TEC and the BEC, National Certificates and National Diplomas were organized by institutions in the relevant industrial sectors. The University of London Examinations & Assessment Council (abbr. ULEAC) and BTEC merged to form Edexcel.[3]
Awards and course system[edit]
School leaving qualification (Level 3)[edit]
The following Level 3 courses are intended for those with five or more GCSE grades A*-C including English, mathematics and science, or a Merit at BTEC Level 2 Diploma. The qualification names for Level 3 courses changed dependant on whether they were awarded though the National Qualification Framework (NQF) or the Qualification Credit Framework (QCF):
| QCF | NQF | A level size equivalence |
|---|---|---|
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma | National Diploma | 3 x A levels |
| BTEC National 120 Credit Diploma | National Certificate | 2 x A levels |
| BTEC Level 3 90-credit Diploma | National Subsidiary Certificate | 1.5 x A levels |
| BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma | National Award | 1 x A level |
| BTEC Level 3 Certificate | Subsidiary Award | 0.5 x A level |
School leaving qualification (Level 2 & Level 1)[edit]
- BTEC First Diploma - Level 2 qualification, roughly equivalent to 4 GCSEs at A* - C grades or an Intermediate GNVQ. Suitable for students with 4 or more GCSEs at grade D or above, including Maths, English.
- BTEC First Certificate - Level 2 qualification, roughly equivalent to 2 GCSEs at A* - C grades
- BTEC Introductory Diploma - Level 1 qualification, roughly equivalent to 4 GCSEs at D-F grades or a Foundation GNVQ. Suitabl for students with 4 or more GCSEs at grade E or above, including Maths grade E and English grade E.
- BTEC Introductory Certificate - Level 1 qualification, roughly equivalent to 2 GCSEs at D-E grades
Further education (Adult courses)[edit]
- BTEC Level 7 Diploma - A Master's Degree level courses
- BTEC Higher National Diploma
- BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
- BTEC Higher National Certificate
See also[edit]
- Council for National Academic Awards
- National Vocational Qualification
- Scottish Qualifications Authority, an equivalent Scottish body
References[edit]
- ^ http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/about-us/about-pearson/our-history.html
- ^ Richard Aldrich (2002). A Century of Education. Routledge/Falmer. p. 220.
- ^ "Our history". Edexcel. Pearson Education. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
 |
This article relating to education in the UK is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
