A-Levels aren’t for everyone and there are other routes available to give you the qualifications you need to get into third level education or gain employment. There are various types of work-related qualifications available in a wide range of subjects – including art and design, business, health and social care, IT, media, science, and sport. BTECS, OCR Nationals and other vocational qualifications are usually studied full-time at school or college in the same way that A-Levels are conducted.

Level 3 NVQs, BTEC diplomas, certificates and awards, BTEC Nationals, OCR Nationals and Key Skills Level 3 are all valued as equivalent to A-Levels with each falling into level 3 in the National Framework of Qualifications.

Key Skills are a new form of qualification aimed at improving students’ communication, numeracy and IT skills specifically for success within the workplace. Key Skills qualifications also grant you points that can be used for university admission so your grade can count towards your UCAS points.

To study level 3 qualifications (such as a BTEC National Diploma) you normally need a number of GCSEs (grade A* - C) or a level 2 qualification in a related subject. Level 3 qualifications earn you points on the UCAS tariff system for entry into higher education in the same way that A-Levels do. Both BTEC and OCR Nationals can earn you the equivalent points to AS and A-Levels. For example, a candidate who achieves a BTEC National Diploma with an overall of 3 merit grades will earn 240 UCAS points (one A-Level at grade A constitutes 120 points).

The grades awarded for the successful completion of BTEC and OCR Nationals are as follows: pass, merit, and distinction.

Advanced Vocational Certificates of Education (AVCEs), or Vocational A-Levels, are new qualifications equivalent to ordinary A-Levels. They can comprise of units from GNVQs, Vocational AS Levels, Key Skills, and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). AVCEs and GNVQs are designed to develop students’ skills and knowledge and are particularly appropriate for subjects such as art and design or catering for examples. The emphasis is on coursework, projects and assignments rather than exams. Vocational A-Levels consist of six units but, like A-Levels, you can take three-unit Vocational AS Levels over a one-year period. It is also possible to take twelve-unit double award Vocational A-Levels which are worth the equivalent of two vocational A-Levels.

Useful Websites:

www.qca.org.uk – Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
www.ucas.com – UCAS
www.dfes.gov.uk – Department of Education and Skills
www.learndirect.co.uk – Learn Direct
www.aimhigher.ac.uk – Aim Higher
http://www.direct.gov.uk – Direct Government