Should a CV include GCSE qualifications?

[StuffandFluff]

I have just posted about this elsewhere, but perhaps this is the better place to ask for this advice.
Ds is currently second year uni and applying for internships for next summer. Whilst he has x3 A*s at A level, his GCSE results (Covid context) are not so good - including in his main uni subject. He took a year out before applying to university to work in a warehouse, to build up funds (so gained some transferable skills that can be included in his CV),
What is the protocol for CVs - is it fine to just detail the A levels, or will prospective employers expect to see absolutely every qualification gained during education?

Yes you include gcse results

I'd put a sentence like 'Ten GCSEs including Maths (grade) and English (grade).

Or 'Ten GCSEs at grade 5+, including Maths and English'.

You don't have to include grades no.
You could easily put

(X insert number) GCSE passes at grade 5+ (or put Grade 5-9) (optionally add "including Maths & English)
Then list A level subjects with grades

If they care they'd ask. Most employers won't care. They will know that he's in the covid cohort for GCSEs and would be as likely to ignore a list of high grades as low grades for that yeargroup because everyone knows that year was a shitshow for education generally. What he's done since us way more important.

At this age and stage of life, yes, I think you should, at least the number passed. Otherwise, I think peppa will immediately realise they weren't great but will probably think that they are worse than they are. What sounds good if he includes his is that it shows an upward trajectory.

I wouldn't include them. Employers don't care about GCSE results

This. A lot of employers require maths and English so they do care about GCSE results. They just need to know they passed.

Ha! I'm 50, a very senior professional and have some mediocre GCSE results but I still list them on my CV asPPs have suggested - '12 GCSEs including Maths and English' and the dates I passed them as I did 2 more during ALevel time

All the CVs I see also do this irrespective of seniority and number of employment positions held. I'd expect to see them on a CV too.

Yes, a pass in Maths English and science is important to have and be recoded at your sons stage of life 😊

I have 10 GCSEs grades B-D. Including English B, Maths C, Science, C.

If I was applying for a job in say child care I may include my child development gcse

*I have on my CV

Yes they do need referencing, moreso Maths and English, and also Employers quite often ask for proof of qualification obtained too, even if you have gone on to higher education......quite frustrating when you have been in the world of work for 20+ years and obtained more relevant qualifications than a GCSE taken 23 years ago.

I would do as suggested up thread - 10 GCSEs including Maths (grade) and English (grade).

I am in my 50s and only list my two masters level quals, PhD and professional quals that are relevant to the job I'm applying for. I don't have dates on there anymore, I attended a webinar recently that suggested not putting dates on for quals at my career stage (to help to combat ageism). No one cares about my earlier quals.

I'm much older than the OP's son. Whenever I have not included educational qualifications or jobs from years ago on my CV I have always been asked about them! So some employers definitely do care.

OP - they may not have been great results, but the fact he's persevered and improved speaks volumes.

Depends on age, still in education or applying for first job - yes. Older and got a couple of jobs under belt and lots of bullet points to put on under your job roles instead - no.
In his case I’d say yes.

I just say number of O levels and A levels, then degree then professional qualification - and the year that I qualified.

I assume that my employers have relied on the fact that I needed a certain standard of examination grades to go further and I have never been asked about them. As PPs have said, I guess that this depends on age. Mine is a giveaway with mentioning O levels although I was one of the last years!

I don't know what industry you work in but my experience is the opposite of this. I haven't listed my school results even in summary (O and A levels) for decades and only very rarely see school results on CV's that I receive - usually only from new grads.
So in OPs case I'd suggest just a summary line of GCSEs as others have suggested - the degree will be far more relevant.

But the OPs son is only part way through his degree. His Cv will look unusual and very short without them. In my field (law) I would think the gcse results are poor if they were omitted.

I mentor graduates, we are not interested in GCSEs once they've got a degree, maths and english aside.

What do you mean by not so good? Does that mean that he got Bs and Cs instead of A*s and As or that he failed some?

At that stage of career/education include them , even if in summary if space is limited

It depends on the job. If it's one that involves taking professional exams, like accountancy, then they should be on there because employers want to see who is generally good at taking exams. It might be less relevant for more creative roles though.

My sixth former DS was advised by his school to present it as "12 GCSEs, 8.3 point score average"

Would an average better disguise his poor grades?

I work in recruitment and employers I work with are not interested in GCSE grades - apart from passes in maths & English- once the person has gone on to get a levels, a degree or a work history.

So I'd go with a pps suggestion of '10 GCSEs including maths (grade 6) and English grade 5/6'

But OP's DS didn't get his GCSE grades from taking exams. He got assigned them based on handwaving bollocks. Intelligent pupils in historically poorly-perforning schools got grades significantly lower than they would have got and less impressive pupils in historically high-performing schools got awarded higher grades than they deserved. Covid years GCSEs are not reflective of real ability. The A-stars at A-Level are all an employer needs to show he's capable, along with the standard English & Maths passes.

Yea I recruit accountants and assume if they just say gcse pass that they scraped through at g level or whatever the lowest is.
It should show the grades (even as simple as 5a's, 4b's)