Unobtainable proof of GCSEs - options?

[Lord Camomile]

O........k. This is a long shot, but worth a punt.

A friend of mine is supposed to start with the ambulance service on Monday. They've asked to see proof of her GCSE results, which she simply can't find.

She's spoken to her old school, college, uni, the exam board... none of them keep records beyond 10 years, and the GCSEs were 22 years ago.

Apparently proof of her degree, which required GCSEs, isn't good enough.

Does anyone know of anything else we can try? Or, alternatively, any experience of convincing someone they don't need to see proof of GCSEs (beyond Jedi mind tricks)?

This is potentially devastating for her; she's been so excited about starting, and obviously has quit her old job so could be in a really shit situation if this all goes south.

 

[Pickman's model]

Go back to the exam board

 

[Lord Camomile]

Go back to the exam board

And ask really nicely?

 

[scifisam]

They do provide transcripts, not replacement certificates. Past results and lost certificates I had to get a couple myself. The difficulty there is she might not know what exam board she took her exams with, and the exam boards have amalgamated. Also it will take at least 4 weeks.

Her employers should be aware that this might be a problem, though - it's not exactly unusual. She could probably ask for a waiting period while she tries to get proof, or ask if they have any alternatives. It's definitely not worth giving up. There's no legal requirement on them to hire people with those specific GCSEs, which makes it more likely they'll be somewhat flexible.

 

[Pickman's model]

O........k. This is a long shot, but worth a punt.

A friend of mine is supposed to start with the ambulance service on Monday. They've asked to see proof of her GCSE results, which she simply can't find.

She's spoken to her old school, college, uni, the exam board... none of them keep records beyond 10 years, and the GCSEs were 22 years ago.

Apparently proof of her degree, which required GCSEs, isn't good enough.

Does anyone know of anything else we can try? Or, alternatively, any experience of convincing someone they don't need to see proof of GCSEs (beyond Jedi mind tricks)?

This is potentially devastating for her; she's been so excited about starting, and obviously has quit her old job so could be in a really shit situation if this all goes south.

You can still get proof of fucking o levels so gcses from the 90s must be a piece of piss

Get a replacement exam certificate

 

[danny la rouge]

Apparently proof of her degree, which required GCSEs, isn't good enough.

Doesn’t her degree trump them anyway?

I had a similar problem because there was a strike when my “O” Grades were marked (obviously I supported the strike). The exams were marked but no certificates were issued that year. So although my school wrote to me telling me my grades, I never received a Scottish Exam Board certificate.

I subsequently sat Highers, which I did get a certificate for, and usually that’s perfectly adequate. But one employer made a fuss. The job offer was conditional on production of certificates. I had to argue with them that a) a whole cohort of Scottish pupils did not get certificates that year and b) I have certificates for subsequent, higher, qualifications. Why were “O” grades important to them?

I did get the job in the end.

What was the specification? Can’t she argue that she has quite adequate qualifications which she can provide proof of?

 

[Gaia]

Go back to the exam board

if it was 22 years ago, the exam board in question - if she can remember what it was - may no longer exist. The government has a list of what exam boards were merged into what here:Get a replacement exam certificate.

Pretty bad form of the Ambulance Service not to tell her that when she went for the interview (or, at the very least, when it told her she was hired).

 

[Pickman's model]

if it was 22 years ago, the exam board in question - if she can remember what it was - may no longer exist. The government has a list of what exam boards were merged into what here:Get a replacement exam certificate.

Pretty bad form of the Ambulance Service not to tell her that when she went for the interview (or, at the very least, when it told her she was hired).

See my post 5

 

[Steel Icarus]

I get people with similar problems through my Learning Centre door a lot; admittedly mainly to get onto access or degree courses but often people who haven't seen their certificates in years let alone know what exam board they passed through.

One option for your friend to consider if certificates prove unfindable is for her to do Functional Skills Maths/English at her local Learning Centre (if there is one). Course should be free and often courses/employers will accept you "working towards" these qualifications while doing the job. Worth a shot as a last resort.

 

[Lord Camomile]

You can still get proof of fucking o levels so gcses from the 90s must be a piece of piss

Get a replacement exam certificate

What can I say, she says the exam board told her no. I did check out that link but assumed she'd have found it too, but I guess it's better to be sure than just assume so will send it anyway.

Doesn’t her degree trump them anyway?

What was the specification? Can’t she argue that she has quite adequate qualifications which she can provide proof of?

She's tried, but apparently no dice. It does seem bananas, but that's what she said. Maybe they're just playing hardball to make a point and/or be sure she isn't just being lazy?

One option for your friend to consider if certificates prove unfindable is for her to do Functional Skills Maths/English at her local Learning Centre (if there is one). Course should be free and often courses/employers will accept you "working towards" these qualifications while doing the job. Worth a shot as a last resort.

She did an Access to Higher Education qualification, which covered the Functional Skills stuff, to get into uni; she's paid some service to see if they can find it, but it was 16 years ago so apparently no guarantees.

 

[Lord Camomile]

So...

Upon further questioning, it's her college that is the doozy. She did some GCSEs at school which she could find out the examination board for, but the college has since changed ownership and databases and they have no idea who the examination board was in 1997.

The investigation continues...

 

[equationgirl]

So...

Upon further questioning, it's her college that is the doozy. She did some GCSEs at school which she could find out the examination board for, but the college has since changed ownership and databases and they have no idea who the examination board was in 1997.

The investigation continues...

Someone will know, even retired staff. If she can track down anyone via LinkedIn or Facebook, it's worth a shot at this point.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Someone will know, even retired staff. If she can track down anyone via LinkedIn or Facebook, it's worth a shot at this point.

Ooh, nice shout, I'll suggest it. Cheers

I've suggested she respond in Latin, because she studied classics in, y'know, HER FUCKING DEGREE

 

[pseudonarcissus]

was there an announcement in the local paper of the school's results?

I'd struggle to find my 1983 O-level certificate...and I always wanted to drive an ambulance

 

[pseudonarcissus]

was there an announcement in the local paper of the school's results?

I'd struggle to find my 1983 O-level certificate...and I always wanted to drive an ambulance

is microfiche still a thing?

 

[Lord Camomile]

was there an announcement in the local paper of the school's results?

Do papers do that?? I don't think she would have been featured in a general "students get their results" type article.

 

[baldrick]

So...

Upon further questioning, it's her college that is the doozy. She did some GCSEs at school which she could find out the examination board for, but the college has since changed ownership and databases and they have no idea who the examination board was in 1997.

The investigation continues...

I was going to say, the exam board should definitely know as legally they need to keep records for at least 25 years. The difficulty is knowing which exam board, and you get charged for the search, the certificate is free. So a scattergun approach will cost a lot of money.

Is she in contact with any school friends from GCSE year? Or can find them on Facebook? That might be the easiest route - ask someone in the same year group what exam board it was. Hopefully if she can find a few people, at least one will have their certificates.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I was going to say, the exam board should definitely know as legally they need to keep records for at least 25 years. The difficulty is knowing which exam board, and you get charged for the search, the certificate is free. So a scattergun approach will cost a lot of money.

Huh, well I dunno where this "10 years" thing came from.

She's paid for a search for the Access to HE/Functional Skills thing, and has got the right one there, so hopefully that's all that's needed. If not, could get fiddly.

 

[baldrick]

Huh, well I dunno where this "10 years" thing came from.

She's paid for a search for the Access to HE/Functional Skills thing, and has got the right one there, so hopefully that's all that's needed. If not, could get fiddly.

Yeah, that bit is quite dodgy tbh.

Anyway, hope the search works for her old Access certificate.

What about old school friends? Can she find any of those on social media to ask?

 

[Pickman's model]

is microfiche still a thing?

Newspapers more commonly on microfilm than microfiche

 

[Lord Camomile]

What about old school friends? Can she find any of those on social media to ask?

I suggested it to her, so we'll see

She also said she was genuinely touched for all the help

 

[Pickman's model]

I suggested it to her, so we'll see

She also said she was genuinely touched for all the help

She better get the job

 

[Lord Camomile]

She better get the job

She has the job! Well, except for this bloody certificate bollix.

I better get free healthcare after this!

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Do papers do that?? I don't think she would have been featured in a general "students get their results" type article.

They certainly used to - pages upon pages of results from every school and college with names, subjects and grades. Granted, this was a few years ago so they might not anymore.

 

[Lord Camomile]

They certainly used to - pages upon pages of results from every school and college with names, subjects and grades. Granted, this was a few years ago so they might not anymore.

That is... insane

 

[farmerbarleymow]

That is... insane

It was the sort of thing that parents and grandparents would buy. It wasn't a special supplement just tons of pages in the normal paper (they were probably mostly broadsheet format in those days lthough)

 

[pseudonarcissus]

Newspapers more commonly on microfilm than microfiche

still? that's reassuring. thank you!

 

[pseudonarcissus]

Do papers do that?? I don't think she would have been featured in a general "students get their results" type article.

the Westmoreland Gazette does although looking at the article, I'm not sure what it all means....looks more like bookmaker's odd to me.

 

[scifisam]

So...

Upon further questioning, it's her college that is the doozy. She did some GCSEs at school which she could find out the examination board for, but the college has since changed ownership and databases and they have no idea who the examination board was in 1997.

The investigation continues...

In a way, it doesn't matter. There are only a couple of exam boards now and they will search based on the details you give them. Different areas used to use different exam boards more, and I found the people on the phone at the exam boards very helpful.

I called the college I was at and asked them, and they didn't know, but they did know the boards they use now, and when the exam boards were amalgamated they didn't do it randomly.

Local announcements in newspapers wouldn't help any more than having a degree does. The certificate or transcript is what you need.

 

[equationgirl]

is microfiche still a thing?

Oh yes, but not all libraries have a microfiche reader and the stuff can degrade if not stored properly.