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 ??

I think your B would still have been a B, but any As you got might have been A*s, had they been high ones.

with the exception of teaching (where I believe the documents are also used to confirm you are who you say you are for safeguarding) I’m genuinely shocked how many people are so rigid about the wording of the job ad. I don’t have maths gcse because I didn’t go to school in England. I do have a maths degree - some in this thread would have me disqualified from applying for this job in such a technicality. Crazy!

But then you have an equivalent to GCSEs in maths. One assumes people from Scotland would also be okay.

@museumum it invariably says "GCSE Maths or equivalent" so you'd be fine.

Yes my experience too. Probably more of an honesty test that what you've claimed on the application form is true and accurate.

Especially public sector and education.

You should be fine - if you were a school leaver they may ask more but your career history will trump the grades. They put that on the JD to whittle out totally unsuitable candidates. You interviewed and got the job try not to worry. If they needed a specific degree it may be different

One of my staff once received a final written warning a year into employment for lying about his qualifications. He stated he had 5 GCSE passes and he had 4. The warning was in relation to his dishonesty.

I’ left school twenty years ago and failed every gcse.
I’ve told every employer since the. I got 7. A- C and never once had it checked.
you will be fine.

If the criteria is "Maths GCSE or equivalent" then you can argue that your 15 years of banking experience is relevant.

I got an A in O Level maths 40 years ago. I have no idea now how to do a quadrilateral equation as I've never had to do one since. I've never had to show my O level certificates. I work in Local Government and I've only ever been asked to show my Masters Degree certificate.

It depends on the employer. Some always check, some never do. My last employer retrospectively spot checked some who hadn't been checked on entry. (I do not know if they had reason to check.) At least one guy was sacked for having lied about his qualifications.

I’m surprised at the lack of checks. Every job I’ve ever had has asked to see all qualification certificates and taken copies. Where I work currently we take copies at interview stage (Local Government).

OP, any developments? Do you have to hurriedly resit basic maths?

Nothing yet, I haven't said anything and I signed my contract last week and they've been doing checks, nothing has been said so far.
I'm booked to go to a team meeting in my first week and have been in touch with my new team leader for the tech I need to be arranged for me.

I’m amazed that people are so blasé about significant paperwork. I’m 57 and keep all exam/degree/qualification papers in a safe place.

All the best. Let us hope the financial system is stable enough to survive your poor skill at algebraic equations or lack of proficiency with a protractor.

Glossie 😂😂😂

I am older than you are OP and I've only ever been asked to prove GCSEs once.

The chances of being asked to prove it are slim, though not impossible.

Usually people are happy with your experience and more advanced qualifications.

It's not dishonest to leave things off. We all leave things off. It would eg be silly for me to include all my work experience and Saturday jobs, as well as a short-lived job that I only had for six months. I just don't give the months of the jobs either side, just the years.

I do agree with this, I could lay my hands on my various certificates within about 10 seconds!

And these days you can take photos and keep them on your phone so you've always got a digital copy at least.

If it's a job in education they might ask, if it's an apprenticeship they will ask, otherwise it is highly unlikely.

Yup.

Me too. It might even include my cycling proficiency cert... Definitely includes all academic stuff, plus first aider certs and DBS.

And what about people who were not in the UK at 16? (as they moved here later)
They wouldn't be able to provide proof of GCSE's.
Nor equivalent for English GCSE as their mother tongue is not English and perhaps didn't study it until later.
A SELT test for a visa or citizenship is hardly equivalent to a GCSE English
You would like to think that there are some discretion instead of hard and fast rules for recruitment

It probably depends on the role. A colleague who grew up in an Eastern European country had maths equivalents (but had to pay for the certificate to be translated and authorised) and had to do an English test, which was no issue for her, as she's fluent and been living here years, but it was an annoyance.

People may have done things like IELTS, which are primarily aimed at academics - some native speakers would struggle with the higher levels of those.

It's also going to depend on the employer - I worked for an international company with offices in many countries, but English was the working language. However, while some were fluent, others struggled with certain accents (various British, American, Australian, Indian, Hong Kong, plus all the varieties where English wasn't their first language,) and some were clearly more comfortable with text rather than speech. We usually got by, though.