Guides

Every claim here cites a real source — see the ground rules in t-level-site-content-plan.md.

Choosing and applying

T Level vs A-Level: what's actually different

A sourced comparison of T Levels and A-Levels: structure, assessment, UCAS points, and which students each one actually suits.

T Level vs BTEC: how the two compare now BTECs are being withdrawn

How T Levels and BTECs differ structurally, the real (and repeatedly delayed) BTEC defunding timeline, and how to choose between them right now.

T Level entry requirements: what you actually need to get in

T Levels have no single national GCSE requirement — entry rules are set college by college, and real requirements vary more than most guides suggest.

T Levels and UCAS points: how the tariff works

UCAS Tariff points for every T Level grade, what the three-A-Level equivalence means, and why university acceptance still varies by course.

The industry placement

What a T Level industry placement actually involves

What the mandatory 315-hour T Level industry placement actually involves day to day, how it can be scheduled, and why it exists, with official sources.

Who arranges your T Level industry placement — and what to do if your school doesn't

T Level providers, not students, arrange your industry placement — what to ask your school before enrolling, and what happens if one falls through.

T Level industry placement hours: how they're counted, and what happens if you fall short

How T Level industry placement hours are counted, what happens if illness or a lost placement causes a shortfall, and how often that really happens.

Can a T Level industry placement be remote, or split across employers?

What DfE's current guidance says about remote hours and multi-employer T Level placements, and how those rules differ from the earlier Covid-era rules.

Grading and outcomes

How T Level grading actually works

How the core, occupational specialism and industry placement combine into a T Level's Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction* grade, sourced.

What happens after a T Level: university, a degree apprenticeship, or straight into work

What real DfE, UCAS and employer data shows about where T Level completers actually go next — and where solid data doesn't yet exist.

T Level results so far: what the data actually shows

Five years of DfE results data on T Level pass rates, industry placements and subject-level gaps, checked against Ofsted and NAO scrutiny.

Parents' guide

A parent's guide to T Levels: how they actually work

A sourced guide for parents on how T Levels actually work — the two-year structure, the industry placement, and what comes after.

T Levels and university applications: what parents need to know

Whether specific university courses accept T Levels, how to check properly, how acceptance has widened since 2022, and what to do if a course says no.

What to ask a school or college before your child starts a T Level

A practical checklist of specific questions to ask about T Level placements, entry requirements, outcomes and support — with the DfE source behind each one.