A new report says T-level students are 20% less likely to graduate than students on other course types.

The two-year course combines study and work experience and is equivalent to three A-levels.

But there have been delays to the planned expansion of T levels, with some subjects starting late and others abandoned altogether.

What are T levels, how are they marked and what are they worth?

T levels are vocational qualifications for 16-19 year olds in Englandwhich focus more on practical subjects than academic ones.

Introduced in 2020, the qualification includes a mix of classroom learning and on-the-job experience. An internship of at least 315 hours – or nine weeks – represents approximately 20% of the course.

T Levels are designed to cater for students who want an alternative to A Level but do not wish to take an apprenticeshipwhich typically requires that up to 80% of a student’s time be spent with an employer.

Final grades are based on a combination of exams, coursework, and industry internship completion.

Students earn one of four grades, ranging from pass to distinction*. Their certificate shows their overall grade and lists their experiences on the course.

A distinction* is worth 168 Ucas points, the equivalent of three A*s in the baccalaureate, and a merit is equivalent to three Bs in the baccalaureate.

For those wishing to pursue higher education, the Department for Education (DfE) advises that T Levels are accepted as an entry qualification by over 150 UK universities and colleges.

What T level courses are available?

There is currently over 20 T level subjects to choose fromincluding accounting, craft and design, engineering and media production.

There have been delays in the availability of some courses, such as catering.

Some proposed T levels have been scrapped altogether, including hair styling.

How effective are T levels?

The number of students taking the T level has increased each year and there were 16,085 enrolled in the 2023-2024 academic year.

The overall pass rate of the 7,262 students who received grades in July 2024 was 88.7%, compared to 90.5% in 2023.

Dropout rates are high. Retention rates for most A-levels and other equivalent qualifications are consistently above 90%.

In comparison, only 71% of the 10,253 students who started a T level in 2022 completed the two-year course.

The dropout rate for first-year T-level health and science students was even higher, at 31 percent, according to a report from the Education Policy Institute.

Nearly half of these students end up dropping out of school altogether.

As well as problems relating to the range of subjects available, there have also been problems relating to the quality of teaching.

In July 2024, exam watchdog Ofqual fined NCFE exam board £300,000 for ‘major failures’ with papers presented by 1,200 T-level health and science students in 2022.

How do T Levels compare to other professional qualifications?

When T Levels were introduced by the previous Conservative government in 2020, there were more than 12,000 professional qualifications, offered by more than 150 awarding bodies.

T levels were designed streamlining this landscape and making post-16 options less confusing for students and employers.

As part of the introduction of T Levels, funding was to be withdrawn for some other vocational qualifications, such as BTecs, which were seen as “overlapping” with the new T Level programmes.

Before the general election, Labor said it would “pause and review” plans to defund these courses.

Once in office, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson confirmed the government would review some of the proposed funding changes, with results expected in December.

However, the Protect Student Choice campaign, a coalition of 25 education organizations and unions, wants ministers to consider the future of any qualifications that will be abolished in the coming years.

Other professional courses available in the UK include:

• BTecs (available across the UK)

• NVQ (available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

• Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ).

Have you passed a T level? Tell us about your experiences. E-mail [email protected].

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