When a job requires GCSE (or equivalent) Maths and English

[ReorderProduct]

But oh took those decades ago and have no idea where the certificates are.

1. Would you expect to have to provide the certificates? You have loads of relevant experience but no formal professional qualifications

1. How would you go about getting duplicate certificates? No idea who the exam boards were.

It's not me, actually, but someone I've made a job offer to.

I don't know where the oh came from, it's not oh either.

There's a government system called MIAP but it only goes back 10 ish years.

If it's you making the offer could you overlook the requirements to have them?

Would you employ them if they enrolled to resit?

Op. I would be in this situation. I took o levels in 1987 and A levels in 1989 but have no idea what happened to my certificates. I have a vague recollection of showing them to an employer in 1997 when I moved jobs but have no idea what I did with them after that. My school has long since closed down and I have no idea what exam boards the exams were. If anyone has any ideas about where to start I would be interested. Luckily, I haven’t needed to present them to anyone since but they are worth having for the future.

Yes, TBH, I'd employ this woman whether or not she has GCSEs, it's on the person spec as a standard requirement just to try and get a decent level of literacy (although no guarantee there even with GCSEs IMO!)

I am however, uneasy about someone who may have lied about their qualifications - she has a very elaborate story about how they got lost and what she did at her previous job to satisfy their requirements. Maybe I'm being overly suspicious but something doesn't ring true. It's become a matter of trust rather than qualifications iyswim.

My Dh had to provide copies of all his certificates when he changed jobs about five years ago and his were from the 1980’s. He fortunately asked his mum and she had filed them in her loft. I have mine in a brief case in a wardrobe.

I had to produce mine recently, having not seen them for more than 25 years. There are about six consolidated exam boards, and if you can’t remember which one your GCSEs were from, and your old school can’t tell you, you’ll just have to go through them one by one until you get lucky. Basically you fill in an online form saying where you went to school, which subjects you took and when, and they’ll search their records and either send you copy certificates or an official statement which is equally valid. They all charge differently- some it’s one lump sum for the lot, some charge per subject and some will give you a partial refund if you draw a blank. So start with the cheapest. And you ought to be able to claim the cost back from whoever you have to provide the certificates to.

Oh sorry, I’ve just re-read your OP. Basically you’ll be putting this woman through a lot of hassle and expense, so if you’re going to insist you should at least foot the bill. Worst case scenario at up to £50 per board, if she had to go to all of them it could add up.

It doesn’t solve the trust issue, but is a maths and literacy test an option?

If you work for a big enough company, you could ask HR to provide a test for her to take that would assess whether her literacy skills are good enough.