BTEC - how does it compare?

[paulears]

so if you get distinction you get 3 A's if you get merit its 3 B's and a pass is 3 C's

 

Nope - not so. (well, close)

 

If you pass a Level 2 First - this could be a GCSE B or C

If you get a merit, it could be a GCSE A or B

and a distinction would equate to a GCSE A or A*

 

Hope that helps

 

Most people use P/C, M/B, D/A, as you mentioned, but it isn't quite as easy as that. However, most colleges use a Level 2 Pass in the same way that they view a GCSE D - it's a pass, but only just. If you want to impress them, then a spread of merits and Distinctions are pretty vital!

[iamchristuffin]

An average BTEC (not a BTEC first) is worth three A levels

 

Remember that within each BTEC group (Firsts, Nationals, etc.) there are three levels - Award (6 units, Distinction is equivalent to one A grade at A-level/GCSE); Certificate (12 units, Distinction is equivalent to two A grades at A-level/GCSE; and Diploma (18 units, Distinction is equivalent to three A grades at A-level/GCSE), so just saying 'I've done a BTEC National in Technical Theatre' is not enough- you need to say which level you did as well.

 

NOT Levels - Nationals are all called Level 3 qualifications, Firsts are Level 2. So all the uni need to know is NA, NC or ND - Don't mention the word 'level' unless talking about the NQF Level, 3 in this case. Paul

[Simon Lewis]

Universities and Colleges will use this as guidance. The relationship between single, double and three unit BTEC Nationals is shown quite clearly.

 

However, don't get carried away... it's unlikely that your pass in Stage 3 Horse Knowledge and Care will count towards technical programmes ;-)

[LewisHeinz]

I am doing BTEC next year and it sounds really good!!

 

Its much better than Theatre Studies A-level which is a load of rubbish about some old playwrights.

 

It can be worth 1, 2 or 3 A-levels depending what course you do and is much more specific than anything else.

 

I can't wait!!

[dave singleton]

Don't be mislead, the B-Tec still is about old playwrights etc.

[paulears]

This week I have seen Stan and Bertie twice during BTEC outings - although in fairness, this does depend on the things the teachers want to teach - so if you have somebody who simply loves classical theatre, then expect commedia dell'arte, and plenty of Greek theatre.

 

The thing to remember about BTEC is that some units are 'core' - everyone in the country on that particular pathway will be doing the same thing,while others are left up to the centre to choose. In general the pathways fall into performance, production, acting and dance - each can have a bit of the others in them, although there are a few 'rules'. What this means in pratice is that each place offering BTEC will be doing a different version. The quantity of units sets the award(6), Certificate(12), or Diploma(18) title - just an indication of the number of hours spent 'learning'.

 

So when you send for details, you need the unit names, not the 'pathway' - as a guide, a production award could be all sound, all lighting or all stage management - or a bit of each - you need to check.

[svincent]

thankyou for correcting me in various areas

 

 

Don't be mislead, the B-Tec still is about old playwrights etc.

 

not nessasarily a Btec unit can be achived in many ways but in my cource you do whatever the director etc want to do you only reserch what you need to for your show like in any professional show

 

but yes if your doing a shakespear then you have to reserch the play, its origins, and the era etc

[Frag_Me]

Its much better than Theatre Studies A-level which is a load of rubbish about some old playwrights.

 

My favourite course summed up in so few words!

 

 

To be fair though - the A level (in my case Drama and Theatre Studies) is still an exceedingly good option for those who don't mind learning and writing about the more theatrical side of things. The amount I've learnt non-technically whilst on the course will certainly give me a much better understanding of my future directors' needs and the way in which theatre communicates with it's audience and how I can help that.

 

I'd have been interested to have been offered a BTEC when choosing my options - they've got one running in the year below me but it's got a bit of a bad press for being "the course for people who couldn't get into A-Level Drama". I'm sure this isn't the case and it's unlucky that it's got this reputation where I am as there are a lot of people who aren't at all suited to the A-Level but are excellent at working in a theatrical environment.

[iamchristuffin]

At my school, they have decided to phase out Theatre Studies A-level and Dance GCSE, and combine them in a Performing Arts A-level, which combines Dance, Singing and Theatre Studies, which would have left less than about 2 performances a year where I could tech, out of about 12 or 15, so I decided to do the BTEC instead. Like Lewis has said, Theatre Studies is very intellectual, as our Drama teacher also said on Wednesday, with about 3/4 of lessons spent at the whiteboard and learning about Brecht and Stanislavsky (Did I spell that right?). Not a course for technical students, I'm led to believe!

[David Ripley]

For universities and colleges interviewing potential students the main problem with BTecs is the wide variation in quality. This was something that the Metier NVQ's were supposed to sort out by creating a level playing field. Unfortunately as awarding bodies in England and Wales are commercial companies, they did not feel the take up would make them any money so they weren't offered.

 

Because of the range of BTec standards we tend to look at these students as requiring 'deprogramming' before we can start teaching with them. I've seen portfolios from people showing appalling practice, I'm sometimes amazed they are still alive with some of the LX teaching.

 

This may be unfair to some BTec providers but until there is some consistency what can we do?

 

David

[blackbird]

... learning about Brecht and Stanislavsky (Did I spell that right?). Not a course for technical students, I'm led to believe!

 

Not that it is entirely related to the overall point you're making, but there's nothing wrong with knowing about Stanislavski et al as a technician! When DSMing, I often wish I had studied more theoretical drama (even to GCSE maybe?) in order to give me a better understanding of the techniques being used, the methodologies of directors and the styles of theatre which are striven (is that word?) for. And before anyone says so, yes I could and probably should read up on it (when I have some free time!!), but it would be lovely just to have that nice overview that compulsory education gives!

[iamchristuffin]

... learning about Brecht and Stanislavsky (Did I spell that right?). Not a course for technical students, I'm led to believe!

 

Not that it is entirely related to the overall point you're making, but there's nothing wrong with knowing about Stanislavski et al as a technician! When DSMing, I often wish I had studied more theoretical drama (even to GCSE maybe?) in order to give me a better understanding of the techniques being used, the methodologies of directors and the styles of theatre which are striven (is that word?) for. And before anyone says so, yes I could and probably should read up on it (when I have some free time!!), but it would be lovely just to have that nice overview that compulsory education gives!

 

I ddn't mean to imply that I don't WANT to learn about the 'fathers of theatre', jut that I don't want to learn about them for 5 and a half hours a week for two years! We've done the very basics of Brechtian theatre, and talked about the Stanislavski method, but it's not something I want to spend an entire A-level on! Does this make sense?

[paulears]

If your teacher decides that classical and contemporary theatre is important, then your version of the BTEC will have these famous practitioners in it. The difference in Theatre Studies is that it's all about studying things, not doing them. Theatre studies, film studies, media studies etc are all about looking at, deconstructing, analysing, evaluating and other lovely descriptive words, but you don't have to be able to 'do' them. this is why any practical content is often minimal, or added just for generating material for analysis later.

 

David R's comment about standards is valid, but not something the boards really have much control over. With any criteria based assessment there is by nature a built in snag. If the work meets the criteria, it attracts a grade. The trouble is, the content of the work that does not get 'tested' by the criteria does not always have an impact on the end grade. Let's say a student has been told for some very strange reason that ALL theatre lanterns that have runners at the front can have barn doors. They always fit them, but the grades might be for focussing - meaning pan/tilt/shutter/barndoor/focus/zoom/lamp - so if they do that bit right, they get the grade - fitting the barndoor to a profile which we rarely do would not have an impact on the grade. The quality of the teachers knowledge doesn't have much importance, if the specification is covered. This means, that when a subject is taught by a non-specialist, they may learn techniques and methods that need un-learning later on. This is not something that is just a school/college problem. I know someone with a degree in a sound based subject who had never ever seen a speakon connector - so the problem is at all levels of learning.