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£200 Charge!!!

Basically my Dad actually asked me to make this thread (i.e. in order to get some opinions from other people) lol and I don't blame him really :p:

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I'm applying to uni at the age of 20, and a year or so ago whilst moving house I misplaced my certificates (inc. both GCSE and A-Levels, as well as stuff like DOE, Mentoring ones as well that I got through high school/college) :rolleyes:

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Now I contacted the exam boards on Friday and to get my GCSE and A-Level certificates re-ordered I am looking at nearly a £200 Bill (as I have sat for various different exam boards).............

My Question

- Does UCAS Not Check The GCSE and A-Level Grades of Every Application Made Automatically (and hence therefore I don't need these certificates re-ordered as UCAS will check it themselves + Universities will have confirmation of my grades through UCAS then) - or is this wrong?.................

Any help would be greatly appricated, as I don't really want my dad to fork out nearly £200 (and I myself am unable to get a job at the moment as I am working voluntarily for a charity)..............

Kind Regards, Simon :tsr2:

Reply 1

20083

£200 is obscene. If they had said £20/30 then fair enough, you lost them so cough up. But £200???

Reply 2

sophierw

I think so long as you know what grades you got so you can put them on your application you'll be okay. I dont have my Alevel certificates but I didnt get charged for uni this year. Dont take my word for it though, see what other people say.

Reply 3

Purple

If you are applying as an individual then they will probably ask for proof.

Reply 4

cpj1987

UCAS will check your grades for you - so provided you know your grades/exam boards etc you won't need the certificates at this point.

If your uni ask for them later for confirmation, then you can always pay later; but it's not likely they will.

Reply 5

Jxhn

yeah i agree, just apply as long as you know the grades and exam boards, IF they wish to check you, they will ask, but more likely that not, they wont!

Reply 6

bright star

i had to show my exam certificates to 5/6 of my unis that i applied for (and i didn't get offered the one i didn't need them for) you're gonna need these to show employers for the rest of your life..... i'd pay up and try to look after them...... it's a pain but it'll take ages for them to actually arrive, imo it's better to have them before someone demands them.

Reply 7

Juno

It costs £30 for each certificate at that level with each exam board. So check you're adding it up correctly. All AS and A Level grades with the same exam board will cost £30 etc.

They may ask to see your certificates, but it depends on the uni. UCAS won't check them for you though.

Could you go back to your school and ask for a letter on headed paper stating what grades you got? That might be accepted instead of certificates. But you would need your certificates for when you get a job anyway

Reply 8

YouAreWhatYouEat

Thanks for the replies guys :smile:

........

For those wondering why the cost is nearly £200, it's because i have done 4 exam boards for both GCSE and A-Level (damn WJEC!!! lol :biggrin:

) and so the costs = £200 (£25 for each certificate).........

- OK I don't quite seem to understand at the moment,

Juno - you are saying UCAS won't check my grades for me, but do UCAS not check the grades of everyone who applys, therefore in a way confirming to universities my grades (applying post a-level so no predictions)??..........

and djjz13 - i don't quite understand, are you saying UCAS will email you confirming your grades or something? (if not, could you just expand on what you said please) :confused:

........

I do understand the importance of these certificates for future employers etc, but I was thinking I could therefore get the certificates later (when i get a job etc) as I won't need them to show universities..........

Thanks for the advice guys :biggrin:

.........

Reply 9

L i b

Ouch.

But yes, UCAS doesn't need any exam certificates; however I did have to show them to my university at first matriculation.

Reply 10

devilschild

I would say for the moment don't order them, and if the uni asks for them at a later date get them before that. When I applied a few years ago UCAS didn't ask for any proof of my grades, but when I got to Cambridge they asked us for proofs of our A level grades when we matriculated (they accepted either A level certificates or the statement of results). So if you can find your results slips that may suffice for some unis.

Reply 11

Ellie1989

i havent once had to show my certificates and im in uni now. when applyin u just put em in ucas along with ur exam board and they check them, obviously cause otherwise anyone could lie. i also dont know anyone else who has had to show certificates apart from foreign students.

Reply 12

daisyflower112

I amj also facing the same problem having misplaced alot of my certificates

My main problem is that I cant remember what exam board each subject was under...any way of finding this out??

Reply 13

maffsman

Well to find out if it was AQA check the past papers on their website and you will see the paper you sat on there if you did it with them

Reply 14

Ilora-Danon

I haven't had to show any certificates at any part of the uni/ucas process....

Reply 15

ezyazd

I've never had to show any certificates infact i've lost them, I have the results slips and have only had to show them once and that was the GCSE ones to go to college. Once you have a degree I'm not really sure why employers would be bothered about past GCSE/A Level results as some people have mentioned above. The degree proves that you have worked way beyond this stage. As others have said don't pay for it yet, only pay as a last resort.

Reply 16

Rhys.

daisyflower112

My main problem is that I cant remember what exam board each subject was under...any way of finding this out??

Could you talk to your old school/college? They should have your results and what exam boards on record.

Reply 17

bright star

i wouldn't be so inclined to bother with the GCSE's however, A levels are important throughout your life.... my mum had to dig out her certificates (she's scottish so it was highers....) a couple of months ago for a new job!! i would NOT have been allowed to come to uni without my certificates. i kno some people that forgot them when they came to interview here, and they weren't offered a place until they came back and produced them.....