I just read this on wiki:
I'm better qualified than I thought.

I remember hearing that some teachers considered grade 2 CSE was equal to an O level but that's it.

In reality all the careers sessions, all the careers literature ever given to us at school and all the job ads made reference to O levels needed for some jobs and then other jobs for CSE.

I remember having information about printing employment and that actually broke down the CSE grades for the particular jobs.

I never saw any jobs advertised that needed a grade of O level, just the fact that an O level (or however many) was obtained. But not having any got any O levels, maybe I didn't pay that much attention if it wasn't relevant. But if job ads said O levels or CSE grades 1-3, I think I'd have noticed.

I actually got taken on in the Civil Service as a casual straight from school in 1973 with permanent employment dependent on my CSE exams resulting in two grade 1s as the equivalent to the 2 O levels normally needed for that job when the results came through. I didn't get them.

But I did get three CSE passes at grade 2 and two at grade 3, so according to wiki I did really get 5 O levels, albeit at the lower levels, but passes nonetheless.

The Civil Service certainly didn't recognise that and I had to take their own exam (equivalent to 2 Os) to be made permanent and then, later, another exam equal to 5 Os to get to the next grade.

Anyone else have CSE experiences from back then?

I vaguely remember CSEs , & that a grade 1 was supposed to be the equivalent of a O level pass. If I recall correctly, a pass at O level was A, B, or C grade; D & E were fails. I also vaguely recall CSEs being "looked down on" in certain circles .

(I have a physics CSE - grade 2, 'cos my school didn't like "bad" grades messing up its nice record of no fails & there was no way I could have passed a science O level I passed a stupidly large number of O levels which have been of no earthly use since! ).

I vaguely recall a couple of friends who got decent results at CSEs retaking some subjects at O level in order to go on to A levels & university, &/or doing extra exams (civil service & banks, I think) in the workplace.

I don't recall job ads requiring specific grades, just O level/CSE, & sometimes specifying how many of each or either.

Thats what I remember (I did O levels and CSEs in the early 80s).
CSE Grade 1 was the equivalent of a Pass at O Level.
An O Level Pass was a Grade A, B or C. D and E were fails. And if you were seriously bad and had spent even more time bunking off to go to the pub than I did the you got a U or Unclassified!

A Levels were the same, A B and C were passes.

I'd forgotten about the 'U' grade!

It seems to me that at A level, grades A to E were officially all passes, but only A to C were actually considered as such for most practical purposes. (however, Oxford/Cambridge used to have their own entry procedures & would offer places with the requirement of 2 E grades).

I did O levels graded 1 to 6 as passes. CSE grades 3 and above were considered O levels. A levels were passes at A to D, E was an O level equivalent. AO levels were 1 to 6. This was the Cambridge Exam Board.

Ha. Physics was one of my grade 2s. I got a grade 3 for Chemistry too. Physics was entirely down to a change of teacher who made a previously dull class interesting.

Yep that's as wiki has it. Just not the Civil Service. Not that their exam was difficult, it would have been nice if they just made me permanent without it.

I also applied for a job with the then South West Electricity Board and they didn't recognise my "five O levels" either.

I fancied the idea of journalism too - but at the careers sessions held, 'proper' O levels was stated an absolute minimum.

Is there someone I can sue?

My brother had the same problem so mum and he just registered to sit English O level at the college. No classes attended and they both passed of course.

I was in the first year of the comprehensive system. The school I went to had been a secondary modern before it was combined with the former grammar school on the same campus, to create a "comprehensive" school.

Comprehensive my arse. We were streamed the same way as we would have been under the old system. The pupils on the CSE path were regarded as knuckle-draggers, including by the teachers.

I got a grade U, unclassified failure, in CSE French.

Me fais chier, that did.

Ich did geslightliert better auf deutch mit ein CSE grade zwei. But my formative experience of the german language came from reading "Warlord" as a kid. Apparently "Die Englander scum" and "Achtung Spitfeur" weren't phrases that there was a lot of call for in CSE german in the mid 80's.

M'a fait chier, unless of course your are still narked (me fait chier)

See. Buggered tenses. That's why I failed.

I got an E for French. I was delighted as I got an F for my mock!

Football and Love are the only true languages a man needs.

Well alcohol too.....

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Nobody else does.

When I started working for the Canadian guvmint (nearly 20 years ago!), I thought I had better brush-up on my French and dug out my Bescherelle (the tense bible) to remind myself of the several hundred French tenses.

My boss, a highly educated franco (and 3-time Canadian ambassador), told me not to bother because most francos only know about five anyway.

Two Es was just to qualify for a grant. My offer from Oxford, like a couple of my friends', was unconditional, though I already had two A-levels when I applied, so it was kind of pointless .