Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To lie about GCSE grade to get on to course?

129 replies

hellohh · 01/02/2020 08:37

I have GCSE maths at grade C and want to re-do maths to get on to a grad scheme. I can't afford to pay for a course at the moment.

I know you can get funding if you don't have a maths GCSE at grade C. So I was wondering if colleges check if you've already done GCSE and what grade you got.

Btw, my maths is rusty so I would love do to it again.

OP posts:
TheMotherofAllDilemmas · 01/02/2020 11:07

A B+ would be equivalent to a 6 but I have no idea how anyone can check if you got a B-, B or B plus in a GCSE. The certificates would only show a B.

OP, are you in another country?

looselegs · 01/02/2020 11:10

Please don't lie- you could be taking a space from someone who actually deserves it....

LyndaLaHughes · 01/02/2020 11:15

Regardless of the lying aspect, such a course would not be suitable for you. It would be designed to get people up to the standard of a C and you want higher than that. It's not what you need!

RedskyAtnight · 01/02/2020 11:29

If you have a C from the old style GCSE, I would actually be quite wary about taking the new style GCSE. My observation from supporting DS is that the standards required and the content included is much higher than it used to be. I suspect there is quite a high chance that you might not end up with any higher grade (particularly if your maths is rusty) and actually end up with a worse one.

I'd contact the grad scheme and ask if there is any wriggle room in the (presumably) B or higher requirement. or if they accept other qualifications.

PrayingandHoping · 01/02/2020 11:31

Don't lie. If it's a requirement of the course they will definitely ask to see the certificate when you enroll.

Softskin88 · 01/02/2020 11:34

Sorry, but being dishonest to get funding for something is a criminal offence called Fraud.

Don’t do it.

Namechangers87171717 · 01/02/2020 11:45

@Softskin88 totally agree -I said this too! Deffo would be fraud.

Urkiddingright · 01/02/2020 11:47

I teach in a college and yes, we do check previous qualifications. That said, if you turned up and said you simply don’t have a maths GCSE (maybe you left school early) then you’d probably be able to get away with it.

You can pay to do the exam if that’s an option.

WhatKatyDidNot · 01/02/2020 11:51

B+ doesn't mean B+ - it means B or higher.

ohhkay · 01/02/2020 11:57

I did a grad scheme with a Time's Top 10 grad employer a few years ago. I had to provide certificates for my GCSEs. Initially, I couldn't locate them so asked if it was okay to show them a screenshot of my UCAS application. They insisted on being sent the original documents due to having had issues with photoshopped certificates in the past.

I wouldn't risk it tbh. Plenty of employers have lower entry requirements.

GreyishDays · 01/02/2020 12:10

@TheMotherofAllDilemmas

You’ve misunderstood

She’s talking about pretending she has no GSCE, in order to get a free place on a maths GCSE course.

LonginesPrime · 01/02/2020 12:14

That said, if you turned up and said you simply don’t have a maths GCSE (maybe you left school early) then you’d probably be able to get away with it

Even if OP did this (which would obviously still be fraudulent), she'd have staff working to help her to get a 4 (i.e. a standard pass at GCSE, old grade C) - as PPs have said, that's the aim of these funded courses and a 4 is what they're aiming for as it's obviously better than nothing.

If OP lies and says she has nothing, she's going to be hard-pushed to convince the centre to put her in for the higher paper and risk her not getting that coveted standard pass that everyone else on the course is desperate to achieve.

GreyishDays · 01/02/2020 12:18

OP could still say she has no maths but needs a B or above?

LIZS · 01/02/2020 12:24

What grad scheme is it? You may find your subsequent qualifications trump the B gcse requirement or you could sit a numeracy test, if you are a strong candidate otherwise.

If you did your gcse again and sought funding you would be asked about your level of education and it would be self evident that you would not have progressed without gcse maths. Agree the aspiration level of a resit course is unlikely to cover material enough to get you a 6 or above.

binkyblinky · 01/02/2020 12:25

That would be committing fraud

binkyblinky · 01/02/2020 12:26

Especially if you stand to get funding. It used to be called 'obtaining a pecuniary advantage' I think

Elle7rose · 01/02/2020 12:28

Honestly if they probably wouldn't check, I definitely would lie about it. However they will probably ask to see your certificate!

Becky11 · 01/02/2020 12:48

Yes we check everyone's government personal learning record which tells us ALL qualifications started and achieved. Even if they have certificates, we still check. For the lady in her 50s, doesn't go back to O levels.

lanthanum · 02/02/2020 09:50

The grad course may accept something like this:
www.equivalencytesting.com/

CSIblonde · 02/02/2020 10:12

If you're unemployed you can do it at your local College for free.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 02/02/2020 11:05

If you're unemployed you can do it at your local College for free

English or maths at level 2 is only free if you dont already have them. OP already has GCSE maths at grade C, so no it will not be free for her.

radioband · 02/02/2020 11:19

I went to college to redo my maths and English, I was never even asked what grade I did get. I'm 35 though, I think it is easier to check if you're younger.

Likethebattle · 02/02/2020 12:47

Wow I actually just checked and my sqa results are recorded! I can remember my candidate number from 1994 even though I can’t remember what I had for breakfast lol.

CecilyP · 02/02/2020 13:05

SQA is a bit different as it’s the only awards provider in Scotland. It was 1991 and still Scotvec when I did mix qualification but I’m still on there. But if all the GCSE providers have to report to a central government database, it will be checkable.

Oxfordnono12 · 02/02/2020 13:13

I has serious anxiety about Maths. It scared the life out of me. I would come out in a rash and heat up when someone started doing maths or even when someone talked about it.

I was honest on my application and I got in but when I had a my termly chat with the tutor and that's when she realised I had no math GCSE, (I got an E) so we agreed that I'd go back an do it. I dont think they looked at my results. So I did go back and do it. Only it was essential skill level 3 but it was enough.