Identify the size before the grade
The three common titles below describe different volumes of study. Count the full title, not just the number of letters you remember from a predicted result. Pearson also lists other sizes and qualification families; a similar-sounding award should be checked separately.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare all columns.
| Title | Size comparison | Example grade and tariff |
|---|---|---|
| National Extended Certificate | One A level | D = 48 |
| National Diploma | Two A levels | D*D = 104 |
| National Extended Diploma | Three A levels | DMM = 112 |
BTEC National Extended Diploma points
Use this table for the named Level 3 National Extended Diploma family. Do not apply a three-grade result to a two-A-level-sized Diploma. The tariff describes qualification value; a course may still specify the BTEC subject, mandatory units or particular grades.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare all columns.
| Grade | UCAS points |
|---|---|
| D*D*D* | 168 |
| D*D*D | 160 |
| D*DD | 152 |
| DDD | 144 |
| DDM | 128 |
| DMM | 112 |
| MMM | 96 |
| MMP | 80 |
| MPP | 64 |
| PPP | 48 |
BTEC National Diploma points
The Diploma has its own two-grade scale. In particular, D*D is an exact 104-point qualification. It would be incorrect to say that no single qualification can give 104 merely because the Extended Diploma has no exact 104-point band.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare all columns.
| Grade | UCAS points |
|---|---|
| D*D* | 112 |
| D*D | 104 |
| DD | 96 |
| DM | 80 |
| MM | 64 |
| MP | 48 |
| PP | 32 |
BTEC National Extended Certificate points
An Extended Certificate can form part of a mixed programme alongside A levels. Add the separate qualifications only when they are accepted together and do not duplicate study. A Foundation Diploma or a differently named Certificate needs its own lookup.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare all columns.
| Grade | UCAS points |
|---|---|
| D* | 56 |
| D | 48 |
| M | 32 |
| P | 16 |
Convert points without claiming subject equivalence
Equal tariff totals do not make different subjects interchangeable. An engineering offer might name Mathematics, while a health-related course may name specific units. A vocational route can be accepted in its own right without being treated as the same academic preparation as every A-level combination.
Copy the course wording into a comparison worksheet: exact award, accepted subject, required grade, compulsory units, additional qualification and any GCSE requirement. Ask admissions a precise question if one field is unclear.
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Questions worth sending to admissions
Instead of asking whether BTEC is accepted in general, provide the full award title and course code. State whether the grade is predicted or achieved and list the other qualifications you would combine. This gives the admissions team enough context to answer the actual offer question.
A useful message asks whether the named qualification meets the stated route, whether certain units are essential, and whether an additional A level is required. Keep the response with the course requirements rather than replacing your evidence with a self-calculated tariff total.