The BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) Level 3 diploma is a Further Education qualification and

vocational qualification Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an ind ...

taken in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. The qualification is organised and awarded by

Pearson Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education *Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada *Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC *Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies *Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...

within the BTEC brand and it is equivalent to

A-Levels The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

. It is equivalent to the GCE A Levels, more specifically to three A2 awards (when studying for the BTEC Extended Diploma) and the

AVCE Vocational Certificate of Education, usually shortened to VCE or Vocational A-Level or AVCE, was a vocational qualification that used to be available in further education colleges and sixth forms in the United Kingdom. Subjects and assessment VCEs ...

. This qualification is taken in order to gain entry to the vast majority of

Higher Education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

providers. Nevertheless, as it is mostly coursework based, the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

may require it to be combined with more traditional qualifications, typically studying for A-levels as well. They are the responsibility of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills in the

Department for Education The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England. A Department ...

Background

The BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma dates back to the 1930s as a full-time three-year course. After the Haselgrave Report, the Business Education Council (BEC) and Technician Education Council (TEC) took over the accrediting of this qualification (called the "Ordinary National Diploma") and others in the stable, such as the National Certificate, Higher National Certificate and

Higher National Diploma Higher National Diploma (HND), part of the Higher Nationals suite of qualifications, is an academic higher education qualification in the United Kingdom and various other countries. They were first introduced in England and Wales in 1920 alongsi ...

. The portfolio of courses was integrated when the BEC and TEC merged to form BTEC. The BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) was formed by the merger of the Business Education Council (BEC) and the Technical Education Council (TEC). The

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

Examinations & Assessment Council (ULEAC) and BTEC merged to form Edexcel. The ''Ordinary National Diploma'' is a vocational qualification at Level 3. It is a course that lasts two years and has 18 units altogether unlike the

Advanced VCE Vocational Certificate of Education, usually shortened to VCE or Vocational A-Level or AVCE, was a vocational qualification that used to be available in further education colleges and sixth forms in the United Kingdom. Subjects and assessment VCE ...

that is only worth two (Double Award). This is often a very good alternative way to achieve A Levels in the UK, excluding parts of Scotland. The course is available from Edexcel and is in many different subjects. This qualification is mainly studied in further education colleges and along with the right passes at GCSE, can qualify for university entry. As BTEC stands for Business and Technology Education Council, the best known subjects for a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma are

Business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for pr ...

and

Information Technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...

. This qualification has become more popular recently, especially with the demise of the

Level

The BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma is particularly suitable for those who have strong inclinations towards a particular vocational career, starting with technical level posts and leading, after experience, to supervisory and enterprise management posts. The BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma is popular amongst school leavers who wish to pursue

Nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

Midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many ...

or other health professions as the BTEC Health course gives more thorough preparation than A Levels would for the degree course. The work placement element of the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma is particularly valued by universities considering admissions for these subjects. The usual entry requirement is at least five GCSE subject passes at A*, A, B or C grades, covering English, Maths and Science. In most land-based industries, science (usually Double Science) will be a preferred subject, together with Maths and English. Equivalent entry qualifications are also accepted, including an appropriate

BTEC First Diploma The BTEC First Diploma is a vocational qualification taken in England and Wales and Northern Ireland by young people aged 14 and over and by adults. The qualification is organised and awarded by the Edexcel Foundation within the BTEC brand. Quali ...

with a merit grade or a relevant

NVQ National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are practical work-based awards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are achieved through assessment and training. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced by the ...

at Level 2 or an Intermediate

GNVQ A General National Vocational Qualification, or GNVQ, was a certificate of vocational education in the United Kingdom. The last GNVQs were awarded in 2007. The qualifications related to occupational areas in general, rather than any specific ...

. Other qualifications and experience may be acceptable for

mature student An adult learner or, more commonly, a mature student, is a person who is older and is involved in forms of learning. Adult learners fall in a specific criterion of being experienced, and do not always have a high school diploma. Many of the adult ...

s. Mature students are advised, in some cases, to consider a Higher National Diploma (HND) course instead. Career experience frequently leads to an ability to cope with HND level education and the two year commitment can be better spent in acquiring a higher qualification. It is possible for a student to be accepted onto a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma course without the recommended entry requirements, this is generally the case in students who have left school and acquired a job in the field of the subject that is relevant to the course. If the college is satisfied that the student has the ability to benefit successfully from the course. Students with a good National Certificate or equivalent qualification may be considered for entry to the second year of the National Diploma course in which case "bridging" studies may be necessary.

Subjects

BTEC qualifications are equivalent to other qualifications, such as the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) (levels 1 to 2),

A Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

(level 3) and university degrees (levels 6 to 7). BTECs are undertaken in vocational subjects ranging from Business Studies to

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

Art and Design

The subject alone is available. Other Art & Design BTEC Level 3 Extended Diplomas include 3D Design, Design Crafts, Fashion & Clothing,

Fine Art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

, Graphic Design,

Interactive Media Interactive media normally refers to products and services on digital computer-based systems which respond to the user's actions by presenting content such as text, moving image, animation, video and audio. Since its early conception, various f ...

Photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

and Textiles.

Business

There are in total 24 Business courses available as a BTEC Extended Diploma. The core subject is available alone, but other Business courses contain other concentrations such as

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

and

Marketing Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...

and Human Resources. Others Business courses include:

Administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...

and

eBusiness Electronic business (or "Online Business" or "e-business") is any kind of business or commercial transaction that includes sharing information across the internet. Commerce constitutes the exchange of products and services between businesses, grou ...

strategy. eBusiness software concentrations with Business courses are popular.

Construction

BTEC Extended Diploma in Construction and The Built Environment Level 3 (that teaches the basics of construction such as civil engineering and architecture), and Building Engineering Services are examples of BTEC Extended Diploma courses available in this subject.

Engineering

There are multiple disciplines of engineering available, such as:

Aeronautical Engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is sim ...

Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

and Electrical Engineering.

Health and Care

Health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

and

Social Care Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wor ...

, Early Years, Health Studies and Care are the main subjects under the Health and Care courses available. Health Science and Early Years are also available.

IT and Computing

IT and

Computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and development of both hardware and software. Computing has scientific, e ...

are becoming more popular in community colleges within the UK as the profession is becoming wider and more dominating in all aspects of society and business today. A computing course will usually cover a wide variety of subjects, in contrast to computer science which is focused more on the theoretical side of things. This course is a research-heavy course, meaning there is not much need to actually be taught the content; instead the student can simply use the internet, with the exception of certain modules (e.g. programming and databases).

Land-based subjects

Land-based subjects available include: Countryside management, Land-Based Technology,

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

, Animal Management,

Horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

and Blacksmithing with

Metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scal ...

. Other land-based courses can be found at the edexcel website.

Media, Music and Performing Arts

There are 16 courses available under these 3 subjects. Some listed are: Media Production with Games development,

and

Radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

. Music Production and

Music Technology Music technology is the study or the use of any device, mechanism, machine or tool by a musician or composer to make or perform music; to compose, notate, playback or record songs or pieces; or to analyze or edit music. History The earli ...

. Performing Arts with Acting,

Dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, Musical Theatre and

Design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

Public Services

The Level 3 Extended Diploma in Public Services is designed to prepare learners for employment in Uniformed Public Services by providing the knowledge and skills that would benefit them in recruitment process and the service itself. It provides learners with the necessary education to join the Uniformed Public Services in more responsible and challenging roles such as

Police Officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

or in the

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. The course covers subjects such as Equality and Diversity, Citizenship, Discipline, Physical Preparation for the Uniformed Public Services, Law and its impact on the society.

Science

All the subjects include one year of general science followed by units in specialist scientific fields such as

Applied Science Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...

, Forensic Science, Medical Science and

Dental Technology A dental technologist (dental laboratory technician) is a member of the dental team who, upon prescription from a dental clinician, constructs custom-made restorative and dental appliances. There are four major disciplines within dental technol ...

Sport

For example, BTEC National Diploma in Sports

Coaching Coaching is a form of development in which an experienced person, called a ''coach'', supports a learner or client in achieving a specific personal or professional goal by providing training and guidance. The learner is sometimes called a ''coa ...

and Development,Pearson Education
Pearson BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Sports Coaching
accessed 18 June 2022 and qualifications in specific sports.

Travel and Tourism

A whole list of other available subjects can be found at th
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Website.

Progression

Possible outcomes include: *Further training and employment *Employment in, or leading to, enterprise management *With further experience, business management *Progression into a degree course

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Btec Nd Educational qualifications in the United Kingdom