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Applied Science BTEC Extended Diploma (Level 3)

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Applied Science BTEC Extended Diploma Course Outline

Advanced Level 3
Awarding Body: Edexcel

This course will not be available from September 2026. It will be replaced with the T Level in Health. More info can be found here.

Study Applied Science

The UK is facing a skills shortage in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) subjects. This means that there are plenty of opportunities for those who have skills in these subject areas. Science lies at the core of STEM, providing you with analytical and problem solving skills, teaching you to think, investigate and come up with solutions. 

This is a full time course for those who wish to pursue a career in the Biological Science / Biomedical field.  The course will provide you with a good grounding in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and some Mathematics, with the optional units giving you specialist understanding of applications in the field of Biology. 

Entry Requirements

The General entry requirements for Advanced Vocational Programme courses are five GCSEs at grade 4 and above (4-9), including English Language.

Grade 4 English - 5 in Maths - 55 in Science

Content

Board: Edexcel / Pearson 

This is a two year full time course which is made up of 7 mandatory units and 6 optional units: 

Mandatory: 

  • Unit 1: Principles and Applications of Science I  
  • Unit 2: Practical Scientific Procedures and Techniques 
  • Unit 3: Science Investigation Skills 
  • Unit 4: Laboratory Techniques and their Application 
  • Unit 5: Principles and Applications of Science II 
  • Unit 6: Investigative Project 
  • Unit 7: Contemporary Issues in Science. 

Some examples of the optional units are: Physiology, Medical Physics, Microbiology, Biological Molecules and Metabolic Pathways. 

Assessment

Individual units will be graded as Pass (P), Merit (M) or Distinction (D). At the end of the qualification the points are added up to create an overall grade, ranging from PPP to D*D*D*. 

Year 12 assessment (7 units) 

Unit 1               3 x 40 mins exam papers 

Unit 3               Practical exam followed by 1h 30min exam paper 

Other units       internally set assignments 

Year 13 assessment (6 units) 

Unit 5               3 X 50 mins exam papers 

Unit 7               2 hours 30 mins exam paper 

Other units       internally set assignments 

You must achieve a minimum Pass grade in all the mandatory units to achieve this qualification. 

Progression

Most students who complete a BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science progress to university, where a wide range of degree courses are on offer to students such as Forensics, Radiography, Biomedical Science, Pharmacology, Microbiology or Nutrition. 

Alternatively, you may progress to an apprenticeship or directly into employment such as laboratory work. Employers highly value the skills gained by science students.    

Student Testimonials

"I particularly enjoy the physiology part of the course, understand drug interactions with specific receptors and neurotransmitters, it makes you think about why we behave in a certain way and how we adapt to the environment." 

"I enjoyed the practical activities, they made science come to life!" 

Extra Curricular

The science department is affiliated to the Society of Biology and the Royal Society of Chemistry. 

There will be plenty of opportunities to take part in extra-curricular activities such as conferences, visits and field trips.  You will also be expected to complete a work experience placement. 

We subscribe to weekly scientific journals and Science apps. Some of the journals are also available to read online. 

Department Staff

For further information please contact Head of STEM, Mr Cernuschi@ cce@stcharles.ac.uk

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