Background
The BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma dates back to the 1930s as a full-time two-year course. After the Haselgrave Report, the Business Education Council (BEC) and Technician Education Council (TEC) took over the accrediting of this qualification (called the "Ordinary National Diploma") and others in the stable, such as the National Certificate, Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma. The portfolio of courses was integrated when the BEC and TEC merged to form BTEC.
The Ordinary National Diploma is a vocational qualification at Level 3. It is the equivalent of 3 A levels. It is a course that lasts two years and has 18 units altogether unlike the Advanced VCE that is only worth two (Double Award). This is often a very good alternative way to achieve A Levels in the UK, excluding parts of Scotland.
The course is available from Edexcel and is in many different subjects. This qualification is mainly studied in further education colleges and along with the right passes at GCSE, can qualify you for degree level at university.
As BTEC stands for Business & Technology Education Council, the best known subjects for a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma are business and Information Technology. This qualification has become more popular recently, especially with the demise of the AVCE.
The course is assessed in units, consisting of 18 in total. Students are assessed by coursework and exams.
The Level 3 Extended Diploma is the BTEC qualification most commonly taken in order to gain entry to university, and is recognised by most universities. However, as it is mostly coursework based some of the more acclaimed universities such as Oxford or Cambridge will not accept it as a standalone qualification (unless combined with more traditional qualifications such as A-levels).
On graduation, students are permitted to use the postnominals OND or Dip after their name, usually followed by the course name in brackets.
Read more about this topic: BTEC Extended Diploma
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