Student says T-Levels were 'much better way to study'

Brandon Hextall says it "feels so good" to get his results

A Leicestershire student says taking T-Levels instead of A-Levels was pivotal in him gaining a university place.

Brandon Hextall, 18, said his heart "lifted off the ground" when he opened his results letter at Leicester College on Thursday.

Mr Hextall, who is neurodivergent, says the T-levels were "a much better way to study" as the process meant he could focus on one subject instead of three.

After earning a merit in his programming course, he is now going to study software engineering at De Montfort University in Leicester.

He said: "I feel really good about my results because this entire morning I was stressing my heart out."

T-Levels were introduced in 2020 and are the equivalent to three traditional A-Levels.

They focus more on practical subjects by teaching students through work placements.

When asked why he chose to study T-Levels, Mr Hextall said: "It seemed a bit easier for me to manage as a neurodivergent with ADHD and autism.

"I could focus on something that I was passionate about rather than three separate areas that had nothing to do with it.

"It just seemed like the right road for me to go down."

He said work placements, which included the creation of an app at De Montfort University, allowed him to put what he had learned into practice.

Mr Hextall said having one subject to focus on instead of three made him "a lot calmer" for exams.

When asked if he had a message for anyone thinking of doing T-Levels, he said: "I would say go for it.

"It’s a much better way to study because you can put all of your coursework into action."

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