BTEC, Cambridge Technical, WJEC Applied Diplomas, and Level 3 Extended Certificates
Source: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-welsh-northern-irish-qualifications/btec-cambridge-technical-level-3 Parent: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/download-guide
Entry requirements for applicants with Level 3 qualifications including BTEC and Cambridge Technical.
We accept one BTEC National Extended Certificate, Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate, Level 3 Extended Certificate, or WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in combination with two A levels, for entry to our degree programmes. If you have an A level and a BTEC in the same subject, we will count only the qualification in which you have the highest grade.
We do not accept BTEC International qualifications for entry to any of our degree programmes apart from degree programmes in art and design, excluding MA Fine Art, where our accepted qualifications are listed below.
Accepted subjects
We currently accept the listed Level 3 qualifications in the following subjects:
BTEC National Extended Certificate
- Applied Human Biology
- Applied Law
- Applied Psychology
- Applied Science
- Art and Design
- Business
- Children's Play, Learning and Development
- Computing
- Engineering
- Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
- Health and Social Care
- Information Technology
- Sport
- Sport and Exercise Science
Music Performance is accepted for the BMus Music and BSc Acoustics and Music Technology degrees only.
Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate
- Applied Science
- Business
- Engineering
- Health and Social Care
- Information Technology
- Sport and Physical Activity
AQA Level 3 Extended Certificate
- Applied General Business
- Applied Science
WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma
- Business
- Criminology
- Health and Social Care: Principles and Contexts
- Medical Science
Grade comparison
We consider grade D* as equivalent to A level grade A* and BTEC grade D as equivalent to A level grade A.
We do not generally accept BTEC grade M except for the BTEC National Extended Certificate in Applied Human Biology, which we accept at D*/D/M for Biomedical Sciences.
Required subjects
Some of our degrees require an A level in a specific subject.
You cannot use an Extended Certificate or Level 3 Applied Diploma to take the place of the required A level qualification in that subject, except for the following:
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BTEC National Extended Certificate in Applied Human Biology, which we accept in place of a subject requirement for either A level in Biology or A level Human Biology
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BTEC National Extended Certificate in Psychology, which we accept in place of A level Psychology for applications to BSc Psychology
We do not typically count subjects that contain a high proportion of common material (such as biology and human biology) separately.
Art and design
We accept the following qualifications for entry to art and design degree programmes, excluding MA Fine Art:
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University of the Arts London Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design: approved for entry to degree programmes in art and design only, excluding MA Fine Art. Grade required: Merit.
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Pearson BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Art and Design: approved for entry to degree programmes in art and design only, excluding MA Fine Art. The BTEC National Extended Certificate in Art and Design is accepted for all degree programmes in art and design, including MA Fine Art. Please check the degree finder for required grades.
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Pearson BTEC International Level 3 in Art and Design; approved for entry to degree programmes in art and design only, excluding MA Fine Art. Grade requirements will be the same as the requirements for the Pearson BTEC Level 3 Nationals, please check the degree finder.
GCSEs required for entry
We require you to achieve at least a GCSE in some subjects.
Core Maths
For information on acceptance of Level 3 Core Maths, please see our page on GCSE requirements.
Entry requirements
You should have achieved (or be predicted to achieve) our entry requirements, including required subjects, for the degree programme you have applied for.
For some degree programmes, we may be able to consider all applicants who meet the entry requirements. For highly selective degree programmes we may only be able to consider candidates who exceed the requirements, as these degree programmes attract many highly qualified applicants.
You can use our degree finder to find entry requirements.
Related links
This article was published on 2026-01-29