FPP Qualification
I think one has to look at all of this with a large dose of reality.
The recruiters have sat around the table and come up with those initial qualifications after much discussion. They'll have looked at other airline recruitment schemes and also RAF and military recruitment models. To start with-if you don't have the paperwork you're unlikely to get far.
Years ago when Hamble was recruiting some squeezed in without paper as it was less easy to check on your qualifications. Those days are gone. (Incidentally one of those courses was a Pure Arts A-level entry. Due presumably to being wired differently from the science students they all shone with their different approach to the task).
During a previous BA recruitment drive my nephew applied. He has only 2 A-levels, no maths, due to illness at exam time. Thanks to his school intervening with his university application, he went on to achieve an honours 2:1 in Maths. However as his subsequent BA application showed only 2 A-levels and the rider about a degree wasn't in the previous scheme he didn't get past the first stage which I believe is computer assessed, or someone matching boxes. No amount of pleading nor cajoling was able to change this. There will be thousands of aspirants for this scheme. Of those that get on the course some will fail-more if the economy shows that BA won't need all they've recruited. On my initial course the chop rate was 30%. As You-Tube says " you'll have to be very good".
45+ years ago I believe the entry rate was 1 in 300 interviewees. Fortunately that feedback wasn't available 'on the web' and we simply went along for a day out and to enjoy ourselves, desperately keen to fly though we were. If I'd known of that attrition rate I doubt that I would've applied-even with the paper qualifications under my belt. There has to be some luck in all of this!
If you don't have the qualifications then perhaps this is your first hurdle to show that you really want to join BA and enable you to go back and get your paper so that you may apply at a later date. As mentioned this is the first 'fly-for-free' scheme in years so there will be a rush and BA will be able to be as picky as hell.
At the end of the day though it's merely a few hours of time to fill in the application and a 1st class stamp...what do I know.