Do employers check GCSE's?

[cyberfairy]

but what about local colleges? i am 99% certain the ones in my area offer gcse courses for about 20p for people on JSA and some of them were in the evening. just an idea, obviously

Might look into it as not going to get this job-tried making the E look a bit like a C but it looks like an E with scribble on it so now look illiterate and innumerate. Fair enough really

 

[Pingu]

I'd lie and make it a C tbh - you've got nothing to lose really.

unless they find out and are really cunty

you can get done for obtaining a percunary advantge by deception (fraud) though i would say its really rare for an employer to actually take you to court. most likely just dismiss you on the spot.

 

[5t3IIa]

I have 1 GCSE and always put "8 GCSE in English, Maths, I.T. etc etc Town High School, East Blahsex" on my CV.

I'm 33 and only once have I been asked, in an off hand way, "Cs and above?" and I said "Yup".

So - I lie and get away with it. Once you get passed trying to get into UCAS do they even matter?

 

[Belushi]

A bit like my access course as opposed to A-levels

I did an Access course, if you've got a degree employers dont give two hoots that you didnt do A Levels.

 

[Belushi]

Once you get passed trying to get into UCAS do they even matter?

Not really, unless you want to go into teaching or something where they want C or above in Maths and English.

 

[keefor]

A grade 'E' at GCSE is still a pass. It does seem to be the case that 'C' and above are generally asked for.

With regards to lying. If you do, you are giving an employer a potential loophole to dismiss you if you are found out. Chances of being found out would be rather slim I'd assume although they may well ask to see your GCSE certificate if it is a big deal to them.

Why not get yourself on a GCSE course and in the meantime you can happily state that you are re-taking the subject to get a better pass? The fact that you have a degree and you are actively striving to get a better GCSE Maths grade should impress them enough.

Good luck.

 

[_angel_]

Not really, unless you want to go into teaching or something where they want C or above in Maths and English.

Civil service and councils are quite demanding about this - sometimes even want to see them.

 

[Xanadu]

The application form has a space for GCSE's and want grades, date taken and examining board so have to do whole truth or lie-can't leave anything out. So much conflicting advice!
Right, think I will definately make a squiggle inbetween a C and an E-If I'm invited to interview and asked to explain it, at least I will have got that far and by then hopefully they will be bowled over with my charm

Sounds like they'll be checking up properly then.

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

I might just do a squiggle between an E and a C on my application form and hope they assume it's a C I've done it before and got jobs and no-ones asked me about it or complained about my maths
Cheers for your advice

a curly C and a curly e if written nicely look very very alike you know

 

[janeb]

Public sector almost always asks to see certificates, we always do - did some recruiting today and we got copies of the certificates to confirm the grades as we were doing the final assessments.

But, having said that as others have said if they are saying C is desirable, not essential, and as an E technically counts as a pass, I wouldn't have thought an E would rule you out - unless at shortlisting there were lots of candidates meeting all the same criteria as you so they had to look to sift out on other grounds (sorry)

 

[bikergrrl]

Don't lie... put in your covering letter any relevant maths experience, and try to slip it in at the interview that you're going to/ are taking night classes to get a C grade. That'll really impress them.

 

[chilango]

Not really, unless you want to go into teaching or something where they want C or above in Maths and English.

Yeah.

I had to contact the exam board and certified list of results from 15 years earlier to get into teaching.

 

[Dowie]

They mentioned in the ad that they wanted applicants with maths GCSE (although not mentioning what grade) so can't not mention it. To talk myself up to a C seems somehow like lying more

Was it after people with just GCSEs or was it a degree/Alevel type post that also stipulated that they wanted passes in Maths and English at GCSE.

If the GCSEs are the only qualifications mentioned and you've got a degree then surely you'd be OK (I'd assume anyway - in which case I'd be tempted to simply put down X number of GCSEs at grades A*-C on the CV and leave it at that).

Though if they have specified grade C/pass at GCSE Maths in addition to other quals then I'd guess that they might want to check it then and might have a reason for asking for it. Though if you've done maths later on at Uni/College then perhaps it would be best to point this out to them straight away and simply put your GCSE down as a bad exam when you were younger (say you had family problems at the time or some other story).

 

[cyberfairy]

Thanks again everyone for advice-regretting the squiggle thing now -if I don't get to interview for this job, going to look at courses in maths even though tis such a scary scary subject to me. Glad I didn't properly lie-would have been so so nervous at being found out but squiggle does look a bit amateur and obvious-I will just come clean if get interview and tell them to ask my referrees if they have ever had a problem with my maths as I know they haven't

 

[Mr_Nice]

Just lie, whats the worst that gonna happen - you will get the sack hey ho at least have some experience and have worked, on the plus side if they do find out own up, put your hands up explain its the job that you always wanted and accept the consequences ......

 

[Kuso]

My mum got her current job because it turned out the lady who was originally offered the job had said she'd got better exam results than she had. My mum was really glad she'd decided to be honest!!!

If heyre asking for what exam board etc it could be to faciliate checking your results...

 

[_angel_]

Thanks again everyone for advice-regretting the squiggle thing now -if I don't get to interview for this job, going to look at courses in maths even though tis such a scary scary subject to me. Glad I didn't properly lie-would have been so so nervous at being found out but squiggle does look a bit amateur and obvious-I will just come clean if get interview and tell them to ask my referrees if they have ever had a problem with my maths as I know they haven't

Maths is not a scary subject. There's also quite a chance the gcse maths is easier now than it was when you did it.

Don't know about where you are - but english and maths GCSE's are tuition fee free in all Leeds colleges.


It's so silly to need a GCSE maths for most jobs anyway. I passed in 1989 and couldn't do any of it now.

 

[cyberfairy]

Maths is not a scary subject. There's also quite a chance the gcse maths is easier now than it was when you did it.

Don't know about where you are - but english and maths GCSE's are tuition fee free in all Leeds colleges.


It's so silly to need a GCSE maths for most jobs anyway. I passed in 1989 and couldn't do any of it now.

Just to say I asked today at Jobcentre about maths course but because I've worked so much and was in work until quite recently, am not allowed to enrol on any free course till my contribution based Job Seekers allowance runs out at beginning of October or something Seems a bit shit that because I've worked a lot in my life, I have to sit on my ass and wait to get any support to help me find a job or pay myself and have no money to do so but there you go.
Heard a classic at Jobcentre today-a man came in to sign in and was told that he missed his last signing on two weeks ago and was asked why.
'I was doing summat'
'What were you doing so you couldn't even ring and let us know'?
He rolls his eyes impatiently
"Cos I was fucking BUSY!"

 

[subversplat]

I bet he still got his giro though.

I love the jobcentre really. They're full of so much guff about sanctions and restrictions and all this, but they're pushovers at the end of the day.

 

[Blagsta]

You don't need to put GCSE's on your CV if you have a degree. Put your HE qualifications and leave it at that.

 

[cyberfairy]

You don't need to put GCSE's on your CV if you have a degree. Put your HE qualifications and leave it at that.

It wasn't for a CV but an application form for a council job as teaching assistant and they wanted to know what my GCSEs were, what grade, when achieved and the examining board. Not bothered about my degree in the slightest! The job is working with very young kids and even an E at GCSE maths is far higher than what I would be teaching but they seemed very specific

 

[cyberfairy]

I bet he still got his giro though.

I love the jobcentre really. They're full of so much guff about sanctions and restrictions and all this, but they're pushovers at the end of the day.

The ones up here are far nicer and more human than when I was on the dole in London-they call me 'pet' and natter on for ages so reckon the guy was pretty confident-too confident IMO-not much effort to go to one place for ten minutes once a fortnight to get free money

 

[baldrick]

Just to say I asked today at Jobcentre about maths course but because I've worked so much and was in work until quite recently, am not allowed to enrol on any free course till my contribution based Job Seekers allowance runs out at beginning of October or something

do they want people to get a job or what?

 

[subversplat]

do they want people to get a job or what?

I don't think they give a shit while you're on contributions based JSA, it's sort of your own money anyway. They only start caring when you're caining the government's money on income based JSA

 

[cyberfairy]

I don't think they give a shit while you're on contributions based JSA, it's sort of your own money anyway. They only start caring when you're caining the government's money on income based JSA

Think thats pretty much it in a nutshell. I didnt sign on for two months when jobless as could not deal with hassle-wish I had now-would not be in so much debt but reckon thats how they 'save' the money I've paid in N.I

 

[Prince Rhyus]

How picky are they being with the GCSEs as qualifications?

Failing that, you could apply for a distance-learning GCSE via the NEC - or plan to do so in which case you could write "grade pending."

That way you've not lied about it and it also shows that you still have the desire to continue learning.

 

[Thora]

I bet he still got his giro though.

I love the jobcentre really. They're full of so much guff about sanctions and restrictions and all this, but they're pushovers at the end of the day.

They made me sign a statement once saying I missed my signing because my brother was in a car accident and I had to rush to his hospital bedside. They were really nasty about it It was a bare faced lie of course, I'd just forgotten to sign on, but if I'd have been telling the truth all that hassle from them would have been really traumatic

 

[JTG]

do they want people to get a job or what?

don't be silly, they'd all be out of work if they did that

 

[AnnaKarpik]

The application form has a space for GCSE's and want grades, date taken and examining board so have to do whole truth or lie-can't leave anything out. So much conflicting advice!
Right, think I will definately make a squiggle inbetween a C and an E-If I'm invited to interview and asked to explain it, at least I will have got that far and by then hopefully they will be bowled over with my charm

The council would have to pay to check your grades with the examining board, wouldn't they? Council here wants to see the bloody certificate!