How to list GCSEs and A-levels on a UK CV

List your GCSEs and A-levels in a short Education section with the qualification, subject, grade and year. Put your highest and most recent qualification first, group GCSEs into one line rather than listing every subject, and keep the grades you are using in the same system throughout. If you have a degree or substantial work experience, shorten school qualifications to a single line or leave out the lowest grades.

This guide covers where to put school qualifications, how to show grades and resits, and what to do with qualifications from outside the UK. The examples are fictional.

Where do GCSEs and A-levels go on a CV?

Put them in an Education section. If you are a student or school leaver, place Education near the top, directly after your profile. If you have a degree or several years of work experience, move Education below Work Experience and shorten the school section. Our guide on how long a CV should be explains how to decide what to cut.

How to format them

List the highest qualification first, and keep every entry in the same pattern: qualification and level, subject and grade, then the school or college and year. For example:

• A-levels, Hillside College, 2025: Biology (B), Geography (B), Psychology (C).
• GCSEs, Hillside School, 2023: 8 GCSEs including English Language (6), Maths (5) and Science (5).

Say "including" and name English and Maths, because many employers look for them first. You do not need to list every subject.

Grades: numbers or letters?

Use the grade shown on your certificate. GCSEs in England are graded 9 to 1, while older GCSEs, and some qualifications elsewhere in the UK, use letters such as A* to G. Do not convert one system into the other. If your results mix both, show each in the form you received it. If you are unsure what a grade means, the awarding body or your school can confirm it.

Predicted grades and results you are waiting for

If your exams are still to come, say so honestly. Write "A-levels, Hillside College, expected 2026: Biology, Geography, Psychology (predicted grades to follow)" or include predicted grades marked clearly as predicted. Never present a predicted grade as a result.

Resits and grades you are not proud of

If you resat a subject, list the grade you hold now and the year you passed it. You do not need to mention the earlier attempt on the CV. If a grade is low, it is usually enough to group it into the "including" line and keep the key subjects in view. Do not change a grade or omit an exam in a way that misleads the reader, because certificates can be checked.

Qualifications from outside the UK

If you studied abroad, give the qualification name as awarded and the country. Do not claim it is equal to a GCSE or A-level unless you have checked it. UK ENIC, the official body for comparing overseas qualifications with the UK system, can provide a statement of comparability. Mention it on your CV only if you hold one, and say what it is.

When to cut school qualifications

Once you hold a degree or other higher qualification, employers care more about that than your GCSEs. A single line such as "GCSEs and A-levels, Hillside College, 2019" is usually enough, as long as English and Maths are not required to be shown for the role. If the advert asks for a specific GCSE grade, include it. Our guide on tailoring your CV to a job description shows how to match your CV to what the advert asks for.

What to leave out

• Every subject and every grade. Group and summarise.
• Primary school and nursery. Not needed.
• Altered or rounded grades. Use the exact grade.
• Qualifications you did not finish. If you started a course, say that you studied it and do not imply you completed it.

Check your CV before you send it

Run the free CV scan, which runs in your browser and uploads nothing, or try the free CV checker. Both are automated checks, not a verdict from an employer.

FAQs

Should I put GCSEs on my CV?

Yes, if you are a school leaver, student or early in your career. If you hold a degree or have years of experience, a short line is enough, as long as the advert does not ask for specific grades.

Do I need to list every GCSE?

No. List the number you hold and name the subjects the job values, usually English and Maths, with their grades.

Should I put A-level grades on my CV?

Yes, if you have them or they are predicted. Mark predicted grades clearly, and list the subject and grade for each.

How do I show GCSE grades from the 9 to 1 system?

Show the number on your certificate, such as English Language (6). Do not convert between numbers and letters.

What if I failed a GCSE?

You do not have to list it. If you resat and passed, show the grade you hold now. If a role requires a grade you do not yet have, say you are working towards it only if that is true.

How do I list qualifications from another country?

Give the name as awarded and the country. Do not claim they equal a GCSE or A-level unless you have checked. UK ENIC can provide an official statement of comparability.

How Evident helps

Evident compares your CV with the job advert, asks up to five targeted questions to find the experience you may not have written down, and drafts wording only from your answers, which you approve line by line. That includes checking that the qualifications an advert asks for are visible on your CV.