The BTEC First Diploma is a

vocational A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity. A calling, in the reli ...

qualification Qualification may refer to: Processes * Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS), a competitive contract procurement process established by the United States Congress * Process qualification, ensures that manufacturing and production processes can ...

taken in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and

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

and

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by young people aged 14 and over and by adults. The qualification is organised and awarded by the

Edexcel Edexcel (also known since 2013 as Pearson Edexcel) is a British multinational education and examination body formed in 1996 and wholly owned by Pearson plc since 2005. It is the only privately owned examination board in the United Kingdom. It ...

Foundation within the BTEC brand.

Qualification Overview

The ''BTEC First Diploma'' is a vocational qualification at Level 2. It is the equivalent of 4

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

grades A*-C. The course is available from

and is in many different subjects. This qualification is mainly studied at further education colleges. The course is designed to give students a good grounding to progress onto the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma / BTEC Diploma / BTEC Extended Diploma in a related subject. As BTEC stands for Business & Technology Education Council, the best known subjects for the Diplomas 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 ...

and

Information Technology Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...

. The course is assessed in units of which 11-13 consist in total. Students are graded on their understanding of the unit by the grading of either a pass, merit or distinction (highest achievable). Students who wish to progress onto a BTEC Subsidiary Diploma / BTEC Diploma / BTEC Extended Diploma will usually need to attain merit grades or above in order to meet the entry requirements, however, this can vary depending on the college.

Level

The First Diploma is regarded as equivalent in level to the

. However some students who may have three grade Cs could progress onto a degree in a university providing that they have gained a distinction or a merit profile. Most Universities will require a Level 3 qualification such as BTEC Subsidiary Diploma / BTEC Diploma / BTEC Extended Diploma so it would be advisable to contact each University first. The usual entry requirements consist of a mix of

subject passes at grades D-G or better. Equivalent entry qualifications are also commonly accepted, including an appropriate BTEC Introductory Diploma with a merit grade or higher.

Subjects available

Animal Care Art and Design Business Construction Engineering Health and Social Care IT and Computing Land-based Technology Media, Music & Performing Arts Vehicle Technology Science Sport Public Services Travel and Tourism Management Hospitality

Progression

Possible outcomes include: *progression to a

BTEC Extended Diploma The BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) Level 3 diploma is a Further Education qualification and vocational qualification taken in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The qualification is organised and awarded by Pearson within th ...

course at a further education college *progression into employment

References

External links

* http://www.edexcel.org.uk/quals/first/ * http://www.don.ac.uk/courses/full-time/full-time_courses/computers_ict/btec_first_diploma_for_it_prac.aspx * http://www.edc.ac.uk/all-courses/information-technology_44/cj20_188.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Btec First Diploma Educational qualifications in the United Kingdom Vocational education in the United Kingdom