Who is this qualification for?

The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business is an Applied General

qualification. It is for post-16 learners who want to continue their education through applied

learning. It is equivalent in size to three A Levels and has been designed as a full two-year

programme. Learners who wish to take this qualification will have successfully completed a Level 2

programme of learning with GCSEs or vocational qualifications.

The qualification aims to provide a wide-ranging study of the sector. It is primarily designed for

learners studying full time in the 16–19 age group, who wish to pursue a career in business,

primarily via higher education to access graduate entry employment with businesses, or

alternatively through junior business employment.

What does this qualification cover?

This qualification gives learners experience of the breadth and depth of the sector that will prepare

them for further study or training. This includes the opportunity for learners to choose several

topics from a selection of options reflecting the progression pathways in business.

The learning programme covers the following content areas:

• business environments

• finance

• marketing

• international business

• management.

The optional units have been designed to support progression to business courses in higher

education, and to link with relevant occupational areas. They cover content areas such as:

• human resources

• accounting

• financial services

• marketing

• law

• retail.

What could this qualification lead to?

The qualification carries UCAS points and is recognised by higher education providers as

contributing to meeting admission requirements to many relevant courses, for example:

• BSc (Hons) in Business and Management

• BA (Hons) in Business and Finance

• BA (Hons) in Business with Human Resource Management

• BA (Hons) and BSc(Hons) in Business Studies

• BSc (Hons) in International Management

• BSc (Hons) or BA (Hons) in Marketing

• BSc (Hons) in Retail Management.

Learners should always check the entry requirements for degree programmes with specific higher

education providers.

After this qualification, learners can also progress directly into employment, however it is likely that

many will do so via higher study. Areas of employment include junior business roles in marketing,

administration, finance, financial services, procurement, events management, human resources,

and other related areas in the business sector.