Vocational and professional 

These qualifications are suitable for pre-16 students and are designed for learners who wish to focus on a work-related vocational qualification or work area. They are Level 2 qualifications, which means they are usually delivered in schools or colleges and are equivalent to GCSEs at grades A* to C in terms of the demand that they place on the learner. There are currently over 30 BTEC First qualifications in two sizes - Certificate or Diploma.
Learn more about BTEC Firsts
  

These qualifications are designed as specialist qualifications for students who have a clear view of their future career or are seeking progression to higher education. BTEC Nationals are equivalent to A levels and attract Ucas points required for applications to university within the UK. They are highly valued by universities, further education colleges and employers alike. There are over 250 BTEC Nationals to choose from, and they come in three sizes: Award, Certificate and Diploma.

BTEC Nationals are suitable for students of any age and can be delivered by schools, colleges, training providers or employers.  
Learn more about BTEC Nationals
   

These level 5 qualifications are suitable for students aged 16 or over and are available in two sizes, Certificate and Diploma. They are widely recognised by universities and employers and can be studied part-time - alongside employment - or full-time. Higher Nationals are designed to develop management and other higher level technical skills required by employers and can be delivered by colleges, training providers or employers.

Higher National Diplomas (the largest of the two sizes) typically take two years full-time to complete. Many universities will allow students who have successfully completed an HND to progress into the second or third year of a related undergraduate degree. 
Learn more about BTEC Higher Nationals
     

BTEC Specialist and short courses are available at all levels from 1 to 7 and are available in three sizes: Award, Certificate and Diploma. These courses cover a variety of sectors and are designed to develop skills, knowledge and understanding within a particular vocational discipline. The duration and the guided learning hours of specialist and short courses is dependent upon the level and size of the course. 
Learn more about BTEC Specialist and short courses
   

We work with key industry stakeholders such as sector skills councils and leading employers when developing our BTEC qualifications. This ensures that our qualifications meet industry needs and provide learners with the specialised skills, knowledge and - most importantly - behaviours that they need to progress into employment or higher education.
   

BTECs are currently delivered in over 45 countries, and we are actively pursuing recognition for these qualifications by governments, employers, and universities to ensure students can progress into employment or further education, wherever they are. You’ll find a list of universities and professional bodies that recognise BTECs here.
   

With BTECs, tutors are able to design tasks and assignments which assess learning outcomes in a style that suits their own institution, students and local resources. This flexible assessment methodology helps make BTEC more relevant to the learner and thus encourages better performance.
   

With approximately 900 standardised BTEC qualifications available, spanning over 30 sectors, we’re confident that training institutions looking to add a new qualification to their offering will be able to find what they’re looking for. However, if we don’t already have a qualification that meets your specific needs, we can work with you to develop a customised BTEC.

Customised BTECs can be made up of units from any of our standard BTEC qualifications, or we can help you to write your very own units. Learn more about Customised BTECs.
     

With BTEC, there are no exams, which makes them suitable for learners who find examinations stressful. They can also be taught and studied in the local language, making them accessible to those who do not have strong English language skills.
Availability at all levels and in various sizes means that anyone interested in learning will be able to find a qualification that suits their needs, regardless of how much previous study they have completed. Find out more about the various levels of Edexcel’s qualifications.
   

   

We support our qualifications by providing teachers and students with resources such as tutor support materials, learner guides, schemes of work and question papers on our website. In addition, our relationship with the world’s largest educational publisher, Pearson Education, gives us the opportunity to increase the number of textbooks and published resources created to support our qualifications.

Learn more about teaching and learning resources for our qualifications.