Don't have GCSE maths but want to apply for new job

[twiceasnice47]

I am looking to change jobs as I work in a school and now my kids are grown up I want a job where I can work all year round and take my holiday when I want. My only problem is I only have 2 GCSE's at grade A-C and I got an F in maths. I originally failed all of them but went back to college and got a B for English and French. But Maths is an F and this job says that you must have English and Maths GCSE grade A-C. I managed to get on to a level 2 college course in business back in the early 90's and got a distinction and since then have really succeeded in the workplace, I also have an English A level and an English degree which I got a 2:1 for. So my CV is actually pretty good and I have said I have 8 GCSE's and haven't ever put the grades and don't think I have ever been asked. Not having maths GCSE has not hindered me at all until now.

I have worked as a team manager, a shop manager, a practice manager of a dental practice and am currently an HLTA and Cover supervisor in a school. I was never asked for any grades or proof of maths for any of these positions. Although I have no A-C grade in GCSE maths I often teach maths to year 6 students. I just had absolutely zero interest in learning once at school but as soon as I got to college I loved learning and have lots of different qualifications now.

I am looking at working in the NHS and their application forms want GCSE grades. If they see F grades for GCSE's (especially maths) surely they are going to reject it instantly. But I have lots of relevant experience and lots of other courses with distinctions over the years. It also says on the application form that all qualifications and grades will be checked. So basically as nowadays you have to have a C in maths is it worth me applying and do all application forms now ask for grades. I have worked in my current job for 15 years so applying for jobs is very different nowadays.

@twiceasnice47 AStar GCSE Equivalency testing is widely recognised by universities and employers. You will do it from your home and you will need a laptop with a camera. You can opt for a paper based test or online, the invigilator will watch you while you do it so you are not allowed to have anyone around you and will need to show them the room at the start or the rest. Have a look:

https://astarequivalency.co.uk/shop/exams/gcse-maths-equivalency-test/

Wow this surprises me.

Yes i’ve seen lots of jobs say they want Maths and English grade c but I’ve never been asked for my GCSE certificates! Definitely been hired based on interview competency and degree. Or had to do maths tests.

You can do it for free via the adult education centre

You contact the board and they tell you if you sat in with them, there are five in England. There’s a process so you wouldn’t be screwed.

Then they reissue your certificate for about £50. I had to do it when I wanted to teach in Australia.

1. it is not surprise NHS is in the state they are, they are struggling to recruit ppl, severely understaffed when they ask for GCSE results that have no relevance whatsoever with the job role. bad recruitment practices turn to bad candidates and terrible employee for the job
2. I am shocked you could teach math at y6 in a school with an English degree and no math formal knowledge as demonstrated by F at GSCE. It should not occur. Then you understand again why kids come to uni with very little knowledge if teachers are allocated like that

I work in the NHS and GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English is now mandatory. I would suggest doing functional skills which is generally free to adults you can either do it in evening classes or there are online courses. Look at Runway training https://runwaytraining.co.uk/ . You need to aim to have level 2 which is the equivalent of a GCSE!
Don’t blag that you have it as the NHS do require proof! You could also put in your supporting statement you would be willing to do it. Another bit of advice, when I advertise a job it’s not unusual to get 200 plus applications so make sure your supporting statement really stands out!

Nobody (not even the NHS) is going to want to see GCSE certificates from 30 years ago! They might want to see your degree or qualifications with relevant experience to the role. But who keeps their GCSE certificates?!? Where would you even get replacements. I don’t even remember what board I sat and the school I went to isn’t there anymore. I’d just stick a C down and be done with it, maybe chuck in a few Bs and at least one A ( not for maths though) that might be taking it too far! 😬

I work in the NHS and like all employers they want a basic level of education which includes GCSE maths and English! To be honest I work as a senior sister and when I put a band 3 healthcare assistant post it’s not unusual to have 200 plus applicants for one post. I manage outpatients in a busy London teaching hospital and I have zero vacancies. Certain roles are difficult to fill but for posts on lower bands it’s absolutely a recruiters market!

I have some experience in NHS recruitment, I would apply but put your honest grade on and see what happens. My trust are currently offering maths functional skills to staff who need it so you never know, that may be an option for you.

NHS senior sister here, they do!!! And I’m the wrong side of 50 and still have all my O and A level certificates! They’ve serviced multiple moves and live in the bottom of my wardrobe!

They have to go through and get an ENIC which is a document that compares international academic and professional qualifications to UK standards. It's primarily used to verify qualifications for UK immigration, education, and employment purposes, particularly when a foreign degree needs to be assessed against UK educational benchmarks. The certificate essentially confirms the level and comparability of a foreign qualification to the UK system

1. Maths GCSE is a basic qualification and a C Is a reasonable expectation for most jobs. The NHS's recruitment crisis is more about staff wellbeing, doctor training post numbers being so small v number of doctor applicants for the posts, moving abroad due to pay and conditions, and the cost of university and unpaid placements during university. All healthcare professional roles (doctors, midwife, nurse, PA, nursing associate, speech and language therapy, dieticians and more) need at the very least A-levels and most of the time degrees. So to get into 6th form and the days university, it's impossible to do so without good GCSEs and bare minimum: English Language and Maths GCSE. Unless you do an acess to higher education course, (normally mature students not younger people, they're expected to go back and do GCSEs). Even if you do BTECs, you have to get GCSEs or resist alongside your BTEC studies. Other jobs in the NHS, managers, logistics again they likely have degrees, if it's a job like receptionist etc - you'd be surprised on the maths skills they use, so it should definitely be at least in the desirable requirements, unless there's loads of experience. The NHS doesn't help itself if it lowers requirements to get less qualified staff.

1. OP was a HLTA in a primary school not a teacher (she would have had all GCSEs including Maths and English checked foe a PGCE and also by any school she applied to work in as a teacher). However I do agree they should be checking that, I have done roles in schools and had mine checked. Though as I said in an earlier post, all my friends in all the jobs we've done/applied to have, bit we are younger and so perhaps older applicants get away with saying they don't remember, font have the certificates and have decades of experience so it doesn't matter as much for those in our 20s. I have my certificates in a folder and I have them scanned onto my laptop as I was needing to attach the scanned copies of GCSEs and A-levels so much, I just saved it there as its easier.

I'd be surprised if you were rejected based only on a 35 year old maths grade and I say this as someone who has recruited into the NHS. Obviously it is a huge organisation and things won't be the same in every department/trust but I'd say just go for it and apply.

Read the person specification carefully and highlight all the skills and experience you have relevant to that. If you have most of what they are looking for you have a chance of an interview. If you are happy to do the GCSE or equivalent then look into that and say on the application you are "working towards" it rather than "willing to" do it so they can see you are serious about it and are being proactive in achieving the qualifications you need for the role.

A friend I know has worked for the nhs for over 10yrs. They have never been asked for GCSE. They just lie and say they have 7 GCSE all above grade c and have never been asked for the certificates. They have btech and a degree ( not health related)
I have never been asked for my GCSE either and I'm qualified staff. Just my registration documents

Never had to show my GCSE results or A level results for any NHS job. I have always just put down my university degrees, e.g.

• 9 GCSES
• 3 A levels (subjects)
• degrees (titles)
• work history experience

You say not having it hasn’t hindered you, but that’s only because you are lying on your CV,
claiming to have 8 GCSEs.

If you are now fairly confident in your maths then why not sit the exam? That way you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

Also, my paper results will be folded up with a Wham poster in my parents’ garage so no chance. Just state how many GCSEs you got then move on to the important stuff that you’ve been doing in recent years that make you suitable for the position.

I didn’t get a job because I’d lost my certificates in house moves and getting replacements wasn’t possible in the time frame - I have a masters degree but they still wanted me to show them maths and English GCSE/o level

You can do an assessment of your maths level on National Numeracy Challenge for free, and if you're working at Level 2 can book a maths L2 functional skills exam. Have a look at Learn Direct. You can even do the exam at home, there's invigilation available online.

I'm in my 50s - got CSE grade 5 maths at school (hated it then) 😬 Stuck at home during lockdown I decided to put that right & did maths GCSE online with the City Lit (loved it, the teacher was fantastic) - they still offer this online https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/essential-skills/maths/maths-gcse. In the meantime, OP, find ways of showing in your application form & in interviews of how you have used & do use maths/numeracy in your work/life eg do you manage finances/budgets or use statistics in any way. If you show that you can do maths & are going to do the GCSE it might do the trick - good luck!

I'd apply and as others have said state that you are working towards it and then enrol for it or an equivalent. It's not worth the risk of getting caught.

I'm a bit surprised at how many have lost their certificates, I'm nearly 60 and have every certificate I've ever earned in a folder that has always moved house with me, my parents made sure I understood their importance. Although I've never needed to show any except my degree. My DCs have theirs in folders in a safe place too plus they are all scanned onto cloud storage for easy reference or if the originals are lost. They are finding they have to quote every single one on job applications despite in the older one's case now having a degree.

Good luck OP, this scuppers me too.

I’ve got 7 A and B GCSE’s and then an E in maths (I had to leave school to work at 16, so that’s it for me). But it was the mid 90s, it wasn’t a massive deal then.

I tried to go back to college in my 30s, but they wouldn’t let me on a level 3 without maths. The GCSE course wouldn’t even let me on as I did laughably bad in the assessment. They put me on a functional skills course and I couldn’t even do that. 6 months of two lessons a week and it ended up with the teacher shouting at me that he has women who can’t even speak English pass this, why couldn’t I? i stuck it out for a year, failed it three times and I gave up. I don’t qualify for any of the free courses now as I have A’s in English lit and English language. I can’t be arsed anymore at 46 anyway, plus I’m going blind now, which makes it ten times harder.

I’m just really, really shit at maths, always have been. (No, I do not have dyscalculia, I have no other signs apart from being shit at maths).

The irony is, I ran my own business for years, did all my own accounts, I was the manager of someone else’s business, doing accounts and payroll.

But now I can’t get a job on reception picking up phones as they all seem to want to see a maths certificate now.

As an ex employment advisor, you will rejected by the NHS. It clearly states you need the qualification to be eligible. With all due respect you’d be causing them extra admin having to check back on when/if you do the outstanding qualification. Also they have no clue if you’d pass so would be a waste for them to train someone up then let them go if that person failed. Just too messy. The NHS is swamped with applicants so can take their pick of highly qualified and suitable applicants from the get go.

Have all of mine safe but such a good idea to scan them.

DD got her degree certificate last week and I think I will get it copied properly.

I've worked for the NHS for 11 years, different positions (non clinical) and I have never been asked to present a certificate.
I am sure if you are a nurse or doctor, you must present proof of that, but not GCSE's