Entering education and employment details help.

Hello there,

I am filling out the application to join and need a little help entering in my qualifications, since I am not sure what I should be selecting in the "Exam or Award" drop down menu. I entered GCSEs, an NCFE qual and also a B-TEC. But I also have Edexcel functional skills in both Maths and English at level 2, which I gained whilst completing an apprenticeship at college. I cannot find the relevent Award in the drop down menu, I have tried typing Edexcel, Functional skills, but there does not seem to be an option.

Any help please? Sorry if this is the wrong section.

 

The only accepted educational qualifications are those listed. You can always add to your list of qualifications by bringing your certificates with you when you sit the recruit test.

Be aware that whilst educational institutions will claim something is "worth" a few GCSEs or A Levels, employers may not always accept them as equivalents.

 

Thanks. There are other quals in the drop down list though that are worth the same, or even less, than functional skills (example basic skills), so maybe it is listed under a different name that Im not aware of. Anyway I entered them manually which is says to do if you cannot find them in the list, I missed that info the first time around.

One other question, how important are GCSE results when it comes to the selection process? Would they be more of a factor for someone who recently left school as opposed to someone in their mid twenties like me? I ask because my GCSE results were fairly poor, I attended one of the worst school in the country. My confidence for the fitness, recruiting tests and interviews is high, I have been for job interviews in the past with success and completed many aptitude tests for various jobs with a very good pass rate. I am however slightly worried that my GCSE results may be a bit of a put off during selection?

 

From a careers perspective, assuming you are joining as a rating & the branch you're joining does not require GCSEs, it will only matter if you later wish to become a Warrant Officer or Commissioned Officer.

That said, depending how long ago you left education, your previous educational history is of relevance - particularly with regards attendance, punctuality, attitude to discipline/authority, etc. If you've been out of full time education for more than a couple of years & can demonstrate consistency & reliability in the workplace, there's unlikely to be a major issue.