International Students: Presenting your qualifications to employers

When you apply for jobs, employers will be interested in your achievement in your undergraduate degree or postgraduate course. However, many UK employers will also be interested in the qualifications you gained before starting your university course. So that they can better understand what you have achieved, they may want to know how the qualifications you gained in your home country compare to UK qualifications.

In this leaflet you will find information on the UK education system, on UCAS points (see details below), and suggestions of different ways to present your qualifications to employers. There is also a table here to give you an approximate indication of how qualifications from different countries compare to UK ones, and some information on sources of further help and information.

The UK education system and common UK qualifications

The pre-university level UK qualifications that employers are most often interested in are A Levels. These are academic-based subjects and students usually study three or four subjects. The final examinations for these are usually taken at age 18. They are usually the last exams most UK students (Scotland has a slightly different system) sit before starting university.

Employers may also be interested in the results of GCSEs, the qualifications studied prior to
A Levels, usually at age 16. At GCSE level students usually study 9 or 10 subjects; sometimes more are taken. It is compulsory to study Maths, English Language and a Science subject. Some UK schools offer the International Baccalaureate, so you may find some employers are familiar with this qualification already.

UCAS points

On some job adverts you will see employers asking for candidates with a minimum number of UCAS points or UCAS Tariff points. The UCAS Tariff is a points system used to report achievement for entry to higher education in a numerical format. It is used mainly by universities to set entry standards for various courses – however, some graduate recruiters to also take into account an applicant’s UCAS tariff score when considering them for a job. For more information on this please go to the UCAS tariff calculator.

Ways you can tell an employer about your qualifications

Some employers may require you to get an official translation of your results.

It is worth checking if this is the only information an employer will accept. In many cases employers may accept other information about your qualifications:

The graduate recruitment departments of larger, more established graduate recruiters may have a lot of experience in receiving applications. If you clearly state the type and level of qualifications you have obtained, they may be sufficiently familiar with overseas qualifications to establish how your achievement relates to their entry requirements.

When asked for the specific number of UCAS points you have achieved, you could explain what the entry requirements for the course you’re currently studying were. For example, if you are studying on a course which required 120 UCAS points for admission, then this will give the employer an indication of the level you achieved in your pre-university education. The admissions tutor in your department or your personal tutor may be able to tell you the UCAS points required for your course.

The University of Sheffield has a useful comparison site which gives an indication of how international qualifications compare to UK qualifications. Find it here.

ECCTIS is an organisation which can help you to understand how your home country qualifications relate to UK qualifications. Please submit a query to MySurrey Help if you’d like to ask the Careers Team to use our ECCTIS membership to ask them to compare your qualifications.

When stating your qualifications on your CV or application form, try to make it as easy as possible for the employer to understand what they mean. If it is not clear from the title of the qualification, some explanation of what it is may be helpful – “final school leaving examinations” for example.

It may also help to explain the marking scheme. The UK uses a numerical marking scheme for A Levels, from A* (high) to E (low). Other countries use different systems, so if you don’t think it will be clear to the employer, add some explanation. You could state the percentage you achieved as well as your grade or give information on where you ranked in your class – “2nd in my class of 30” for example – if this is relevant.

You can include these explanations or notes in the relevant section of your CV or application form. Alternatively, you may include them in the ‘additional information section’ of an application form, or in any covering letter you send with your CV.

You are welcome to bring your CV or application form to a ‘Quick Query’ session to have it checked over by a Careers Consultant. Please book on Pathfinder.

Further sources of help and information

International Student Support (ISS)

UK Council for International Student Affairs includes information about visas, working during and after your studies and recognition of qualifications

Finally

Don’t forget we are always happy to help you with every aspect of your career planning and development, wherever you are in your journey. If you are unclear about where to start or what to focus on first, just make an appointment with a Careers Consultant via Surrey Pathfinder and we can help you develop a plan for moving forward.

Visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion careers resources to find out more about diversity initiatives, employer perspectives and support at Surrey.

If you would like more information, visit MySurrey Help to find answers to the most common questions and details on how to ask us a question if you require more support.