To think not getting a C is maths gcse is affecting my career 30 years later

[Mathsismynemesis]

I've been asked by my boss if I'd consider going for a senior role that's coming up in thr new year. It's a role I'd considered when it came up in the past, but the timing was never quite right.

I'm wondering if now is my time. However, I don't have a C in maths gcse, and although I have 20 years experience in the industry, a degree, can do the arithmetic required in my role, and could probably do the job with training and guidance, I wonder if this would mean the job would never be offered to me. I've been told in the past it's a prerequisite, but not sure if they're so black and white about the process these days.

I can't let on as my current leadership team are not aware. I'm not sure they'd even care. I've proven myself in the role I'm currently in. But the recruitment of the senior role would be done by head office.

I won't have time to do a functional maths course before the application has to be in.

Do I just go for it and hope they don't worry about it, but risk that they do and it becomes a big deal? Or do I just leave it?

Does anyone have experience of not having a C in maths but climbing the career ladder anyway?

I have my O level certs (I was the last year, I’m 55). I was asked for them at my last interview despite having been staff for nearly 20 years, and having several more tiers of higher level qualifications.

NHS you do have to. I knew a nurse with vast experience and a masters in her field. She had to resit her maths GCSE before she could be promoted.

Not having C grade Maths has hindered me no end, I’ve been unable to access the social work degree I wanted to. My Son recently left school and has the same issues, passes in everything but Maths - the college won’t actually allow him to sit AS levels without maths grade C. In the meantime he’s stuck in a limbo of being unable to access any
Level 3 course without maths, the only ones being available are those that he graded distinction/B at GCSE already… I can see there are lots here whom it hasn’t affected but I think it does depend upon your career choice.

Seems bonkers and my D in GCSE maths in the early 90’s hasn’t affected my career. If your company do require it then i’d look at doing it. You can probably teach yourself these days as will be countless videos online explaining each concept. If i’d have been able to just google it and watch a video, i’m sure i’d have done better.

No, but people can use any excuse they wish too but it will only affect themselves

It’s a funny one isn’t it, I went to a grammar school in the 80s but it wasn’t unusual to do a small handful of O’Levels. I think my maths is a D, and both English are C. Never had any impact on my career, DH is far more successful and doesn’t have a single O’Level.

DD had to provide her maths and English GCSE certificates for a Band 7 NHS post together with her degree certificate but not her A’Level ones.

i saw your title and had to reply.
i don’t have a C either (I was the last year of O levels and got a grade 2 which is D equivalent). I think it has held me back somewhat.

Ive got a degree and started w a reasonable career in publishing (took a while to get going and im sure my bad o levels contributed to that as I’d had reasonable experience) but after I had DCs it went a bit south anyway. A few years ago (after I git made redundant from a decent job!) I thought about re-taking it but I did get a role so didn’t in the end.

it shouldn’t matter once you’ve got a degree and work experience unless you want to retrain be an accountant or something. When I need to work w some figures I’m really careful that I get it correct as i know it’s my weak spot.

I hated math at school and scraped by with a C back in 88 and that was with a lot of hard work! When my children were at school I realised that how they were taught was like a foreign language 😁, for that reason I signed on at my local college and did my functional skills in math and actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

Me too! It was so different back then. You needed a C for teacher training but no-one cared otherwise. I was gutted I didn’t get my cse grade 1 in maths. I was in ‘set 3’ the top two sets did level but there were 5 sets so I was far from the worse!!

@summerday25- that’s so frustrating re your son. It’s just so different these days. You didn’t need gcse maths to progress to A levels (provided not maths based) or a degree in say English for example up until fairly recently.
Funnily enough my DCs both got As in maths A level - def from my DH’s side!

Apply OP they can only say no.

You don't need to attend a course to sit functional skills, if you can find a place that will let you sit the exam do it.

It’s not a-levels. It’s this weird thing about requiring gcse English and maths at a grade C or above.

but I really do think it’s unlikely to hinder the OP.

I don’t think anyone will care. although I do know that 35 years after the event, I was still being asked why I had taken Greek Literature in Translation for GCE. Panels just found it a good opener.

if it’s external refs you can usually get around this by only including your highest qualification.

I don’t think I’m even asked now about high school exams, I have two professional qualifications and a post grad degree so if they’re going to be worried about my Higher Maths they’re not the right place for me.

I’d stop worrying about it, apply for jobs that fit your skill set and experience and see what happens.

I'm too old to have one of those folders. Not even sure I could lay my hands on my degree certificate in a hurry!

I was interviewing candidates years ago for quite low level posts and the requirements were maths and English GCSE/o level if born after a certain date when it was compulsory to stay on to 16. We did a written test (maths and English) - surprisingly enough it was those who were old enough and left school at 15 who did the best at the test which was basic arithmetic/measuring and able to read product orders and explain what the customer required.

I have an A in GCSE maths and can't help my 11 year old with his Year 7 maths homework so I'm not sure the grade is really relevant now.

I’m a nurse, I never got above an F in maths. It’s not hindered me at all. I can do the maths I need for my job and we all use calculators anyway. Got my top up degree this year.

I got a D in maths and have a phd and a senior role at work. Just crack on and forget about it.

Absolutely not, I left school with 8 GCEs at C and above and one very poor a level, by the time I qualified in my chosen profession, no one cared what school qualification’s I had, I could have said I had 8 A,s and three good A levels, no one ever asked

I got a B in maths, it’s been so useful to know how to quickly calculate the interior angle of a polygon 🙄 I wouldn’t worry about it too much OP, are you sure they’ll even ask for your results? Past a certain level of seniority, employers are only interested in your degree and any professional qualifications you may have.