Alton College

Advanced Courses

Academic or Vocational?

If you will be studying an Advanced Level course you have the opportunity to choose either an academic course (International Baccalaureate or AS/A levels) or a vocational course. You may have the opportunity to take an AS/A level alongside a vocational course.

In vocational courses everything you learn is directly related to your chosen career. The course usually includes work experience and gives you the opportunity to work on tasks as a member of a team. Your results are based much more on your coursework than on any examinations that you take. Employers, colleges and universities recognise vocational courses to be equivalent to academic courses.

Will a vocational course suit you?

Yes, if one or more of the following statements apply to you:

  • You are reasonably certain of the career area that you wish to enter
  • You enjoy applying your knowledge and solving problems
  • You prefer coursework to examinations
  • You want to concentrate on your favourite subject area
  • You want some work experience in your course
  • You enjoy working in teams

To be successful on a vocational course you need to be well organised and enthusiastic about the subject you are going to study.

Eight vocational courses are on offer at Advanced Level. They include BTEC National, AS/A level Double Awards and CACHE.

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Entry Requirements

Please see our Entry Requirements page.

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Student Comments

"I chose Alton because of the high level of education. The variety of study and friendly classmates really motivate me to do well."

Alex Kergozou (Robert May's)