Should I put failed A levels on cv?

[SugarSpike]

Well first off my other half said to put my A levels down and lie about the results, which Im not going to do. At the moment Ive just put the A levels I did but havent put the achieved grade next to it.

To be honest I dont remember what the exact grades were, I remember one being a near pass, not sure of the other two but know I failed. There are reasons why, I and my whole year where very much let down by a failing school which was knocked down and rebuilt a few years after my exams, I remember having substitute teachers most of the way through my studies. I really wish I'd appealed for a re-mark,I was a good student and was predicted grade c's and I was told my coursework was good, but at the time I was young, and it was really the last thing on my mind.

Anyho, I dont know whether to leave them off completely,however they may notice the two year gap and ask what I was doing..although I was working part-time. Or I could put them on there without a grade or with a failed grade...not sure what to do really?!
I also have no clue where the certificates are so cant prove anything to an employer.

If you put them without a grade you are lying because the assumption will be that you passed them. If you put them down and say you failed that highlights the fact that you failed.

Do they need to go down at all? How old are you, do you have relevant work experience? You don't necessarily need to put an in depth account of everything you've done since the age of 16 if you are in fact quite a lot older than that and have done a lot since. I wouldn't bother putting my A Levels on a cv, not because the results weren't good, but because I've got so much since then that is actually relevant.

Im 28 so done my A levels bout 10yrs ago, I did an ecdl course a year after,which is relevent to the job, although it was along time ago,I then worked part time for 6 yrs as a checkout supervisor, where I gained all my experience, Ive been a sahm for the past four years.

I wouldn't mention them. I CV it to tell potential employers what you can do, not what you can't.

If they mention the gap - tell them the truth - that you sat A levels, failed them but went on to do something that you love and are good at.

Can I ask what the job is?

For most jobs unless you are a school leaver or have very little else to put on your cv, A Levels are not going to be relevant or useful information for a potential employer. Have a look at the job description, the kind of skills and experience they are looking for. Unless you need to mention failed A Levels to highlight that you have on of the things they require, they are probably irrelevant and can be safely left off. It wouldn't be a gap anyway - put your work experience first on your CV anyway, then after that put education traing and just put your course and any training you've done since.

Ok thanks, I think I'll leave them off and like you say if they ask if I studied after my gcse's I'll just have to be truthful. I think the reason my other half is so adamant I put them down is it shows I was studying. I did work to the best of my ability with the limited support I had from the school,me and OH blame the school but an employer wont see it that way, they'll just see an fail.

I wouldn't put them down at all. You can talk yourself up on a CV, but you cannot lie.

Don't mention them at all unless you are asked. Only put positive things on it.

Its for a library assistant, there is no specific qualifications asked for apart from good english and numeracy, and ecdl is desirable.

Well you don't need failed A Levels to demonstrate good English and numeracy. If they want academic proof of the numeracy thing presumably you have a Maths GCSE you can mention. Having a desirable qualification will obviously make a difference anyway.

How can you not remember the grades?

I would love that job sugarspike
Good luck with your application.
Let us know how you do :)

Thanks everyone, I know its terrible I can't remember my grades, I probably just wiped the bad experiance from my brain. I searched through some old diaries and stuff yesterday, and I'd written down my grades,so I know what they were now, but dont have the certs. Ive finally completed my cv, and 7 questions I had to answer on the application, had to get my brain working , Ive left the a levels off and if they ask I will be truthful. Fingers crossed Im shortlist for an interview, even though If I did I'd be totally cacking it!!!
Next problem may well be that'll they'll want orginal certificates, Ive heard for a job within the council they may well do.

If you need the certificates, you can get them from the relevant exam board, for a fee. If you contact your school, they can tell you the name of the exam board. (My dp had to do this.)

GL I hope you get the interview

How can you not remember the grades? I'm 39 and remember all the grades for all of my exams up to University.

Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to CVs. It will come back and bite you on the bum otherwise.

I work for an examboard and you can either apply for copies of certs (but quite pricey) or you can request a statement of results to be sent to any potential employer who wants to know what you got (again you have to pay but costs less than certs)

My first A levels in 1982 were
D in Maths, E in Geography, O in Physics
My second ones in 1983 were
A in Geography, B in Maths, C in Physics.
Nobody forgets their A level grades.
Everything E and above is technically a pass.