A levels or BTECs – What’s right for you?

Students who apply to The Sixth Form College, Solihull have so many choices, 42 subjects at A level and 6 at BTEC, but before you get to that stage you've got to decide which type of course is right for you.

A levels or BTEC; that is the question!

First of all, let's dispel one myth; that BTECs are easier than A levels! Not true! BTEC Extended Diplomas offer advanced level study just like A levels. They lead to progression to university and employment just like A levels and are highly regarded qualifications. They just have different demands. So what is the difference?

One of the main distinctions is the way you learn and how you are assessed. A levels involve examinations, while BTECs do not. While some A level subjects include an element of coursework (e.g. Art, Biology, Chemistry, Dance, Drama and English) others (like Business Studies, Modern Foreign Languages and Mathematics) have no coursework at all. Our BTEC Extended Diplomas are 100% coursework, so if you are someone who struggles in exams why not consider a BTEC instead.

Because of the coursework element to BTEC courses, students need to be able to manage their time to meet their coursework deadlines and will often be working in groups, so good team-work is a necessary skill.

Another difference is the breakdown of what you study. BTEC Extended Diplomas are two-year courses equivalent to studying three A levels, so if you choose a BTEC you are picking just one subject. At The Sixth Form College, Solihull that means picking either Applied Sciences, Art & Design, Business, Health & Social Care, IT Practitioners or Sport. Clearly this narrows your learning somewhat, but depending upon your Higher Education or career ambitions, this might be perfectly appropriate for you.

If, instead, you choose A levels, you will be asked to pick four subjects to study and almost any combination of subjects can be studied together. Students will study these four subjects in Year 12 and at the end of that year will get their AS grades, which are qualifications in their own right. Students will normally drop one of their four subjects in Year 13 to concentrate on the three remaining subjects to get the full A level (or A2 as it's known). Students should not feel that they have wasted their time in the fourth subject they dropped, as the AS grade they get still counts towards applications for university.

We are frequently asked if students can take more than 4 AS subjects or if they can continue with 4 subjects into a second year. In answer to that, a few very able students (mostly with A and A* grades at GCSE) sometimes take 5 AS subjects, but only if they are looking to study Mathematics and Further Maths, as well as 3 other subjects. In addition, students are normally only allowed to stick with 4 subjects in Year 13 if they achieve very highly (i.e. B grades or above as AS level) and can demonstrate that they will cope with what is a heavy workload. We would rather you focussed on 3 subjects and did those well than struggled with four. Three A levels is enough to get into university after all.

If you choose A levels, then your next choice is which four subjects you should select. For some careers, your choice of subjects is critical - for example, those wanting to study Medicine must choose A level Biology and Chemistry. For other careers, it is not as important what you study as the fact that you achieve good grades. That's why we tell students who have not yet decided on a career path to pick those subjects they enjoy and are good at; you're more likely to do well at A level if you're interested in the subject. If you do have a career in mind, it might be worth doing some research into what subjects (if any) universities want you to take to progress onto their courses.

In summary, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

·         what do I want to do as a career?
·         does my chosen career or university course require me to study certain subjects?
·         do I do better in exams or coursework?

If you can honestly answer those questions and do your homework on what our courses involve, we're sure you will be able to choose the right options for you.

And if you are still not sure, why not ask us for advice? Message us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sfcsadmissions or contact us on Twitter (@sfcsapply). You can also come along to our Information Evening on Thursday 7 February 2013 from 5.00pm - 8.00pm (last entry at 7.30pm, all students must come accompanied by a parent/guardian).