Would you lie about your grades on an application form?

[girlsmum]

Hi, I'm just looking to go back to work and am filling out an application form.

Really want this job and have just written down my Maths GCSE as a grade C (I wish!).

Would you do this? Have you done this? Am I really terrible? Can they find out - this is the only thing I have lied about.

No. If I was concerned I'd retake instead. I've had to reproduce proof many years later.

GCSEs not GCSE's

Good grief!

Anything public sector-y or similar will always be an application form, yes. Annoying if you've done a lovely cv and no one wants to see it. And annoying if the company have designed the form so poorly you waste huge amounts of time and space writing in irrelevant information about GCSE Home Economics at the expense of useful information about your experience and skills.

I am not anti-application forms btw before anyone gives me a lecture about them being better for equal opps etc!

..a C is virtually a fail though isn't it these days. A* yes, but why pretend you did so badly as to get a C in maths?

Xenia - you are going to get so much flack for that!

ROFL at Xenia clearly dying for a fight!

If you haven't got a GCSE in Maths and need one, there are easier ways of doing it these days.

A friend of mine needed one recently to apply for some training, and did a "Level Two" numeracy qualification - which apparently is equivalent. She said it was dead easy, and only took a few hours to complete. She did it all online through Learn Direct I think.

No I wouldn't. I have had to provide my GCSE English and Maths certificates, despite going for jobs that also require degrees, at interviews.

Any employer would know that GCSE grades have changed a great deal over time. They only have to look at the dates to see that informatio. Besides all most employers are looking for re GCSE is that someone has grade C or above, not the specific grade.

If wanting/needing to do a refresh on Maths skills have a look at Level 2 Numeracy.

Practise Numeracy L2 test here

You can also do Literacy ones too.

I'm not very bright but I got an A in mine in the days when they were harder than 15 years ago, when we had O levels (and then there were the easier CSEs). It was when we merged them we had to introduce the A* because GCSE was esier than O level being a merger of the easier CSEs some people did and the O levels the rest did.

Message withdrawn

But I think in the response to the fact they were getting so easy and so many got As.

I wonder how much of this is down to types of school - did I get my A because my parents paid fees?

I love Xenia admitting to not being very bright.

FWIW I got a B in O-level maths despite being in the bottom set (in an academically selective school). Have always felt slightly 'SO THERE' about it.

My elder daughter got an A and was in the fifth (bottom) set for maths.

I am certainly not anything like as clever as lot of people I know.

my ds got an A* in french gcse last year - he took it at 14 in an afer school club - 1 hour a week for 20 weeks

he was CRAP at french

i tested him ... i read his work ..

I went silent on the phone to the head when he told me his grade

in answer to the OP NO i would not lie!

don't lie - whenever there was someone at work that we wanted rid of, the first thing we would do was go through their CV and try to find something to pull them up on! Exam grades were often the first and easiest thing.

Quite a few people "make up" degrees too. Very easy to trace.

Don't do it! If numeracy is important they will give you a management test to do anyway.

Some employers will not accept an 'equivalent of course' in lieu of GCSEs/A--levels, etc. They want the exact exam(s)/grade(s) they specify in the job spec and if you don't have them, tough. Someone else will. A very well-known high street retail shop has just this policy...

PaulaYates - I read today that oral exams in languages are to be abolished since they're 'too stressful' apparently.

Words (almost) failed me .

Oh god depends on the job, how recently you took your exams etc like LL says.

I lied on mine, I threw in all sorts of o'levels I never got, including Maths. But I judged my employers right, and knew they had A'levels and degrees to look at and didn't think they'd check. And they didn't.

So, depends.

I wouldn't lie. A course I applied for asked me to produce certificates! (luckily I had em - oooh it was all a while ago)

I think if you lie and they find out they can sack you if they want.

Yes agree with others, retake it! or don't put down the grades, I never do now (28 yrs since did O-levels)

Also depends how necessary it is to lie, I think. I mean if you are going for a job as an accountant then you shouldn't lie because you will get found out when you burst into tears on the first day. If you're applying for a job in a shop and can count change, then bump it up to a C.

I lied to get my first job. [ruthless liar]