Gcse certificates required for job - I'm mid 40s!!

[JoyOrbison]

What do I do??

Job requires evidence of GCSEs, says certificates. I'm mid 40s, I rang my old high school but they say their records won't go back that far. How do I sort this?

The school used lots of different exam boards so I've no idea where to start!

Have you been offered the job?

I'd check with them as they may only need English and Maths, so only two exam boards to contact?

www.gov.uk/replacement-exam-certificate

[quote mrsmacmc]www.gov.uk/replacement-exam-certificate[/quote]
This is where we signpost learners too if they need grade information. Good luck!

Can you evidence that you have been working successfully in a role that requires maths/English higher than gcse level? They might accept that as equivalent evidence.

Incidentally, where I work we ask for GCSE certs for our entry and next level up jobs (regardless of age) but not for senior leadership roles…

I don't actually remember what o levels I got

To find out which exam board your school used, ask school mates via social media. Someone will have all their certificates in a folder somewhere
☺️

If it's a job in a school, you will have to produce them, meaning all of those you have claimed on your cv, not just maths and English. No getting around it, even for staff with much higher level quals.

I'm school support staff and luckily didn't have to produce them.

I was so glad to be out of school and off to college I don't even think I bothered collecting them 😂

You can get replacement certificates/statements. I've had to do this recently (am also in my 40s). You do have to pay, however.

Seriously how ridiculous

Where might they be? In your parent's loft maybe? I can't imagine they would've been thrown out.

I also needed mine for a job in my forties, eventually found them in said loft!

I’m 53 and have no idea what grades I got anymore. I just take an educated guess now these days. No one has ever asked for proof, not even the school support job I did for 7 years. I left school in 1984 and it doesn’t even exist anymore.

Maybe next job I’ll put a degree!

I wanted to do a part time (a day a week ) art course, which was designated City & Guilds ( don’t need any more qualifications at my time of life but it had the right mixture of disciplines) I had to present a portfolio and was then offered a place.

I was told that, because of the C&G, I would have to provide them with my long lost GCE certificates in Maths and English and no, my English and Philosophy degree, my Economics related post grad and my professional qualifications would not do ( had copies of all of those ) - all UK, and I could not have got onto the first degree without passes in ‘O’ level Maths and English ! .

I sat in the adult Ed college library and took the equivalency tests ( easy) - utter waste of everyone’s time.

Thanks everyone!

@spotcheck Here I am! National Record of Achievement folder at hand with GCSE and A Level certificates filed accordingly geek
@JoyOrbison I left school in 1994. If you happened to go to school on a small island in South East Essex, let me know…!

I went there.
It's still standing but in a reincarnation of itself, and with a different name.

@CatonMat I know exactly what you are talking about but I went to the other school - the maroon one!

That's about 2 minutes walk away from me.
Small world!

@CatonMat It is indeed! I’ve moved away now but am still a regular visitor to The Rock to visit family.

Don't pay for replacement certificates. I got in touch with the exam board and did a freedom of information request (do it online). They came back to me within 28 days with my information. It was free of charge.
I've since got a place on a Masters and got a new job (regulated, Local Authority) on the back of the email confirmation from them.

@JanetandJohn500

Don't pay for replacement certificates. I got in touch with the exam board and did a freedom of information request (do it online). They came back to me within 28 days with my information. It was free of charge. I've since got a place on a Masters and got a new job (regulated, Local Authority) on the back of the email confirmation from them.

Oh, can you tell me more about this? We get enquiries from people going back to the 1970s and would far rather help them find the information for free when they're only trying to get a job to tide them over until they can get the pension they expected at 60.

I said mine had been lost as I had (truly) moved countries a couple of times. They said it was fine. I was 47 at the time.. 😂 I just had no idea where they were.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup I just googled AQA FOI and there was a form. It took me less than 10 minutes. I had to put my name as it was then, my school and the years I did my GCSEs and A-Levels. I did mine in the 1990s.
I went to 2 different schools and I knew the subjects I'd done so I included that info.
With FOI they have to come back to you within 28 days and sure enough, my email came on 28th day.
Randomly though, a couple of my grades had gone up over time! I always thought I got a B in one A Level and they recorded it as an A so now I have a dilemma over putting what they say I got or what I KNOW I got on application forms 🤣

[quote JanetandJohn500]@NeverDropYourMoonCup I just googled AQA FOI and there was a form. It took me less than 10 minutes. I had to put my name as it was then, my school and the years I did my GCSEs and A-Levels. I did mine in the 1990s.
I went to 2 different schools and I knew the subjects I'd done so I included that info.
With FOI they have to come back to you within 28 days and sure enough, my email came on 28th day.
Randomly though, a couple of my grades had gone up over time! I always thought I got a B in one A Level and they recorded it as an A so now I have a dilemma over putting what they say I got or what I KNOW I got on application forms 🤣[/quote]
Thank you so much! That will help so many people over time!

I'm in my 50s with a degree in a relevant subject but still had to produce proof of Maths and English OLevels.

I doubt the offer would have been withdrawn if I couldn't produce them though. Talk to the prospective employer.