BTEC Level 3 Engineering

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What are BTEC Nationals?

BTEC Nationals are qualifications that are designed to provide specialist work-related qualifications in a range of sectors. They give learners the knowledge, understanding and skills that they need to prepare them for employment. The qualifications also provide career development opportunities for those already in work.

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Engineering

This qualification has been designed as a two-year, full-time course that meets entry requirements in its own right for learners wanting to progress to employment in engineering. Learners gain relevant skills and knowledge from studying a range of content focused on electrical/electronic and mechanical disciplines, for example electrical machines and maintenance of mechanical systems.

Progression could be either directly to employment in Level 3 job roles, higher apprenticeship programmes or via higher education courses in engineering.

Course structure: 15 units of which 7 are mandatory and 3 are external.

Mandatory content (56%).

External assessment (33%).

Key features of the BTEC Nationals in Engineering

The BTEC Nationals in Engineering have been developed to focus on:

• education and training for employees in the engineering industries
• providing opportunities for engineering employees to achieve a nationally recognised Level 3 vocationally specific qualification
• giving learners the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised vocationally specific qualification, to enter employment in the engineering sector or to progress to higher education vocational qualifications such as the Edexcel Level 5 BTEC Higher Nationals in Mechanical Engineering or Electrical/Electronic Engineering
• Giving learners the opportunity to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal skills and attitudes essential for successful performance in working life.

BTEC Nationals are said to be the ‘real world’ equivalent of A levels. You can use them to go on to further study. BTEC Nationals earn you UCAS points and are therefore valued by universities, allowing you to go on and take a BTEC HND/HNC or honours degree.

BTEC National Extended Diploma = 3 A levels

Qualification Structure

For the Extended Diploma, you will study 7 core units (c) plus 8 specialist units - 7 units in year one and 8 units in year two.

Each year is also divided into 2 semesters. In year one you will study 4 units in semester one and 5 units in semester two.

Year 12

Internal assessed units

• Unit 2: Delivery of Engineering Processes Safely as a Team - 31707H
• Unit 4: Applied Commercial and Quality principles in Engineering - 31709H
• Unit 19: Electronic Devices and Circuits - 31737H
• Unit 41: Secondary Machining Processes - 31746H
• Unit 42: Manufacturing Primary Forming Processes - 31756H

External assessed (Exam) Units

• Unit 1 Engineering Principles – 31706H
• Unit 3 Engineering Product Design and Manufacture – 31708H

Year 13

Internal assessed units

• Unit 5: Specialist Engineering Project - 31710H
• Unit 7: Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems - 31723H
• Unit 8: Further Engineering Mathematics - 31724H
• Unit 10: Computer Aided Design Engineering - 31711H
• Unit 22: Electronic printed Circuit boards - 31742H
• Unit 24: Maintenance of Mechanical Systems - 31714H
• Unit 27: Static mechanical Principles in Practice - 31717H

External assessed (Exam) Units

• Unit 6 Microntrollers Systems for Engineering – 31725H