Degree maker PDFs look perfect. Here's the one check they never pass

Inspection report: an online degree maker PDF, test by test

Here is the scorecard:

Two passes and a maybe sounds respectable. But a safety inspection doesn't average out. A gleaming paint job won't save a car whose brakes fail, and no polish on the page makes up for a record that isn't there.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​⁠

The first three are run by you and people with no way of knowing. Only the fourth is run by an office that knows the answer, and no degree certificate maker can get a PDF through it.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​⁠

Never been inspected? Test four has no fixed date: it can come with an offer or a promotion, and the Clearinghouse lists current employees among those employers verify. A PDF that passed a glance once can still fail it later. More in when employers really check.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​⁠

Test four, step by step: what the inspector does

A degree check doesn't start with the certificate. It runs like this:

1. Consent. You sign a consent form; Hedd, the UK service, needs one signed and dated.
2. The request. The employer sends your details (name, date of birth, course, dates) to the university or to Hedd. In the US, the National Student Clearinghouse handles many colleges' checks.
3. The search. Hedd verifies "using records held by the relevant higher education provider". The answer comes from those records, not your PDF.
4. No match. A homemade certificate finds no matching award, and Hedd marks a check it can't confirm as "cancelled". If it names a university that doesn't exist, there are no records to search at all.
5. The copy. When details don't match, Hedd says, the university may ask to see a copy of the certificate; the Clearinghouse sends unmatched requests to the school for review by hand. If your PDF borrows a real university's name, it lands on the desk of the one office that knows exactly what its certificates look like, and who has earned one.

A printed verification link or QR code proves nothing: Hedd's degree fraud toolkit describes bogus universities whose websites "offer verification services for employers", so a careful check goes to the university directly. Test any such page with our verification check.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​⁠

Genuine digital records, such as My eQuals in Australia and New Zealand, come "directly from the issuing Education Provider". A template can copy how a certificate looks. It can't copy where one comes from.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​⁠

Test zero: the law inspects the making

Making a certificate on your own laptop can feel private, even harmless. The law looks at what you meant to do with it.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 makes it forgery to make a false document intending someone to accept it as genuine and act on it, to their own or another's prejudice (section 1).

The document never has to be sent: the making, with that intention, is the offence. Using it is a second offence (section 3), and claiming the degree to get a job can also be fraud by false representation under the Fraud Act 2006.

Other countries have their own laws: see what a fake degree can cost. And one cost these sites never mention: your real name, typed into a stranger's website, next to a degree you didn't earn.

Already made one? Withdraw it from inspection

If it hasn't gone anywhere, don't send it. Delete it, and any copies. Nothing has been used, and nothing needs to be.

If you have sent it, put things straight before a check does. Write to whoever received it:

"Please disregard the degree certificate I sent with my application. I don't hold that degree, and I'm sorry I included it. My actual education is [your true education line]. If you're still willing to consider me on that basis, I'd be grateful."

If it has already got you a job, a visa or a licence, speak to a solicitor (or a lawyer where you live) before anything else.

Tonight's advert: apply as you are

Back to the advert that started this. Only the employer can tell you whether "degree required" is a firm rule or a preference, and an honest application is how you find out.

Put your real education on the form, then add one sentence to your cover note:

"I don't hold a degree. What I bring instead is [your experience in one line], and I'd welcome the chance to show how it meets what the role needs."

If they say no, you've lost an application, not your name. If they say yes, nothing in your file can take the job away later.

The retest: documents that pass test four

For the longer run, start with what you may already be owed: a document a real institution made. The first yes below is your next step.

1. Did you finish the degree?

   Then nothing is missing but the paper, so don't make a copy yourself: it would still claim to come from the university, and can count as a false document.

   Your university can issue an official replacement and confirm your award to employers: here's how to get the real one back. Test four: pass.

2. Did you pass any modules before you left?

   Ask for an official transcript, and list the study as it was: "[University]: [subject], [number] modules (or credits) passed (degree not completed)". Test the line in our CV check.

   In the UK, ask about an exit award too. The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications (PDF) let a university award a lower qualification, such as a Diploma of Higher Education, to a student who leaves a longer course part-way and has met that award's outcomes. Test four: pass.

3. Have you finished a recognised course since?

   A professional qualification counts, and so does an apprenticeship. List it under its real name: the body that awarded it can confirm it from its own records. Test four, at the awarding body: pass.

4. None of these yet?

   Start from your experience. Universities across the UK, in Scotland and England for example, can give credit for prior learning, then let you study the rest part-time; each decides what your experience is worth. See the honest routes to a degree while you work. Test four: pass, on the day the university awards your degree.

   For help applying, ask our admissions service.

Sources

• Hedd: FAQs: consent forms, the provider's records, the details used, "cancelled" results and requests for a copy
• National Student Clearinghouse: Verify Now: participating schools, candidates and current employees, self-verification, unmatched requests reviewed by the school
• Hedd and Prospects: Degree fraud toolkit for employers (PDF): bogus universities with their own "verification" websites
• My eQuals: Document Verification: signed credentials from the issuing provider
• Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 1: forgery; section 3: using a false instrument; section 9: meaning of "false"; section 31: not Scotland
• Fraud Act 2006, section 2: fraud by false representation
• QAA: The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies (PDF): exit and lower qualifications; listed on QAA's qualifications frameworks page
• SCQF Partnership: RPL Hub for learners: recognition of prior learning in Scotland; London Metropolitan University: Accreditation of Prior Learning: an example from England

Also worth reading

• Real or fake diploma? Test yourself against the forgers
• Lost your diploma? Don't buy a "replica". Get the real one back.

#FakeDegrees #DegreeCertificate #DegreeVerification #HonestCV