BTec stands for the Business and Technology Education Council. These qualifications focus on practical learning, assessed through exams, coursework, projects, and sometimes placements. BTec Firsts are equivalent to GCSEs, and often taken in combination with them. They can be advantageous for students aiming to enter further education colleges.

BTec Nationals are Level 3 qualifications, similar in level to A-levels, and can be studied over one or two years. They can be pursued alongside or instead of A-levels. Research indicates that one in four students use BTec Nationals as a pathway to university, while others acquire specific occupational skills to enter the workforce directly.

BTecs are graded on the following scale: Starred Distinction/Distinction Star (D*), Distinction (D), Merit (M) and Pass (P). Some BTecs are valued at two or three A-levels. Typically, students receive their results on the same days as A-level and GCSE results although some students may receive them earlier.

Approximately 280,000 students study at least one Level 3 applied general qualification, according to the Sixth Form College Association. An additional 200,000 are estimated to be pursuing BTec Firsts and other BTec qualifications. Popular subjects include health and social care, applied science, construction, electrical engineering, and art and design.

BTec Nationals are accessible to all age groups, with many over 22 years old taking them to develop practical career skills. They are particularly favored by white working-class students, based on research by the Social Market Foundation think tank.

In the UK, other vocational qualifications include National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), TechBacs, Cambridge Technicals, and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).

In 2020, there were over 12,000 vocational qualifications offered by more than 150 awarding bodies, as reported by Ofqual, the qualifications regulator in England. The Department for Education aims to streamline post-16 education, leading to the defunding of many BTecs and other Level 3 courses to accommodate a new qualification known as T-levels. However, the Education Select Committee has expressed concerns that these plans may limit student choice.