GCSE results at 41??

[onyabikeivy]

Hi I've had a verbal job offer confirmed, it's an amazing job a huge step up in terms of wages and job role. I've been part time for 18 years following having my 3 dcs (aged 7,9 and 18)
So my question is, on my cv I put 7gcses grade A to C, and when the job specification was sent to me it said C or above in math and English, I didn't give it a thought as I wasn't expecting to get the job. I've now handed my notice in and told all my colleagues I'm leaving and I'm staring to worry I won't get it if they look into it and realise I only got a D in maths 😫 I have other relevant qualifications and experience, before this job I worked in a bank for 15 years.
Has anyone had experience of this please ??

So the job spec clearly says A to C in maths and English and you have chosen deliberately to not mention that you got a D?

I would expect the offer to be withdraw.

It's mandatory where I work and you have to supply evidence.

Sounds like you have mislead them, maybe inadvertently, but it's too late now.

Contact your local college and try and get enrolled on a fast tracked functional skills level 2 which is equivalent to a GCSE

I'm 50 been working in education for thr last 15 years and had to show my maths and English gcse cert for each job I've had in a school.

But you're working in the education sector. OP is in banking.

I’ve worked in the education sector for years too & never shown my GCSE results. I can’t even remember most of my grades! Only ever showed a degree certificate.

Every job I've had, I've had to provide my GCE (O level certificates) as well as my Degree certificate!

Yes I do - all originals. Keep them with my other qualification certificates.
I did mine in 1984 (and 1983).

I either don't include my gcse grades or I knock a few of them up a grade. I've got a-levels and a degree so who cares about my GCSEs. No one has ever asked for gcse proof (or a-levels) just want proof of degree. I've been successful in every interview

I start a new job next week, and I've been a bit surprised they don't want to see any certificates. Most jobs, public and private, have at least wanted to see degree certs.

About 5 years ago, I had to show GCSE certs (from 1988) for English and Maths for something i was applying to - I did point out they'd already seen my degrees, which I wouldn't have been able to do without at least C in English and Maths at GCSE.

do you not understand the basic principles of employment law? Do you try and insult everybody who tells you something you don't like? What is it you are trying to say about people who do happen to have "rigid rules and thinking"?

You’re in your 40’s and have experience - they won’t go looking for qualifications and if they wanted evidence they’d have asked. I certainly don’t have my GCSE certificates anymore. I also got a D in maths and it’s not affected my career thankfully.

That’s just not true @Zanatdy in many sectors you have to prove your qualifications. We went through this with DP a couple of years ago. He couldn’t find an O level certificate from the 80s so he had to sit an exam. Maths and english O level were mandatory for the job.

And yes I also have all my O level certificates (from 1983). I could put my hand on them in 10 seconds. I don’t think that’s unusual.

yes but they’d do this before offering the job surely? I doubt any GCSE maths is involved - we have AI / tech for that in our company, plus we scrapped qualifications altogether. You get through the interview and sift, you’re in.

I do understand quite a lot of employment law, having been an employer. Which specific element of employment law are you thinking of? I would suggest that actually there's quite a lot of flexibility in the law and how an employer applies it. I was an employer who wouldn't reject an eminently suitable candidate with experience because they didn't quite make the grade in an exam on one day, 20 years ago.

And as I've said in a previous post, I've been fully employed since I left university in many different jobs, including working at the Institute of Education in the 90s and various large household name companies from 1983 to right now, and I've never once been asked to offer evidence of my degrees, let alone my O and A levels.

And yes, based on what you've contributed to this thread, I do think you are displaying rigid, black and white thinking and I don't think it's helpful to the OP.

@Zanatdy nope. He’d been offered the job (teaching) and only After that did he have to prove he had o levels in maths and english As part of the onboarding process.

Teaching is different, I’d imagine you can’t teach it if you aren’t proficient in it.

He wasn’t teaching maths or English. But I’m just trying to explain that there are jobs where proving these old qualifications is mandatory. And that you only do so once you’ve been offered the job.

But the OP isn't talking about working in education...

They changed the grading system right after I took my gcses, added A*. So my b would have been an a the next year.

So how is asking for this type of grade fair?

I know the op isn’t talking about education 🙄 I was just stating that there are in fact jobs (including the OP’s) that have a requirement for maths and English O level, that that there are jobs that ask for proof, after the job offer. Just to counteract the people saying “I’ve had 47,000 jobs and never been asked.”

Common to ask for certificates in the public sector, even for candidates with 30 years in the workplace/with a wealth of experience. Otherwise you could give a job to someone who doesn’t meet the person spec.

I'm 51 and have a D in Maths GCSE.

Never needed it until recently when I applied for a promotion that requires some study alongside - they insisted on Maths C OR Functional Skills Level 2.

I found a course online and you can sit the exam with doing the course or you can book the exam cram. When I did the test paper I remembered almost enough for a pass mark anyway so I booked the exam and revised for four days before it. I passed.

Level 2 is easier than GCSE in the it actually is more 'functional' and doesn't have trigonometry or algebra etc.

Result came in a few days.

Point being you could do this if they really want the C and pass before you start.

That's interesting, thank you I'll have a look 😎

It's not that rare to be asked. One of the super high up professors of surgery was recently bitching at trying to find olevel certificates in his early 60s for a role where he's already a senior lecturer/PhD etc etc

I'd fess up they'll prob be fine with it and much less stressful