What the education line on a CV doesn't tell you

One line, in exploded view

This specimen is made up, years and all. Assembled, it looks like any other line:

BSc (Hons) Business Management, 2:1
University of Example, London · Sept 20X1 to June 20X4

Pull it apart and you get five claims you can see and a sixth you can't. Each leaves a gap, and each gap has one keeper.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠

Each piece comes back below, in the order you check it.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠

Start in the middle: how to confirm education on a resume

The line leads with the degree; your check starts with piece ③, because each answer decides whether the next question is worth asking.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠

③ First: who awarded it, and are they recognised?

GOV.UK notes that not all colleges that teach degrees can award them, so look for the awarding body. Check the exact name too: Hedd's toolkit pairs a real university with a bogus one whose names differ only in word order.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠

Then find that body on its country's official list:

• UK: the OfS Register for England; GOV.UK names the lists for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• US: DAPIP, which lists institutions accredited by agencies the US Department of Education recognises, or CHEA's database.
• Australia: TEQSA's National Register of higher education providers.
• Elsewhere: the education ministry's list, then our government warning lists.

Check piece ④, the city, at the same time: if the awarding body sits abroad, see how a foreign degree gets checked.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠

If the body isn't recognised, there is no recognised degree to confirm, whatever its files say.

Back on the specimen: University of Example is on the register as a body that awards degrees, and it is in London. ③ and ④ close.

① and ⑥ next: the award, under the right name

Ask the awarding body to confirm the award, with the candidate's written consent and the name they studied under.

• UK: Hedd, if it covers that university; otherwise the registry.
• US: the National Student Clearinghouse, for colleges that take part.
• Australia and New Zealand: a My eQuals record the graduate shares.

Find the route yourself, never from the certificate: an earlier Hedd guide warns of fake verification services modelled on real ones. The verification trap check tests an address for you.

Back on the specimen: no record under the CV's name. ⑥ was the gap: the candidate studied under a former name, and a second search finds it (the ⑥ row below). Hedd confirms BSc (Hons) Business Management, 2:1, at University of Example, with dates of attendance. ①, ② and ⑥ close.

② Then the grade, from the right document

A Hedd check returns the grade with the award, so ② is already closed here. For a US degree, ask the candidate to have the registrar send an official transcript straight to you, because a Clearinghouse degree verification leaves grades out.

⑤ Last: lay the dates over the record

Our CV education check flags impossible dates in seconds.

Back on the specimen: attendance matches, and the university's record dates the award after June 20X4, which the first row below shows is normal.

When a piece comes back different

Most gaps between the line and the record are innocent. Save your worry for the last column.

Found the awarding body on a warning list? Our employers' guide covers what to do next.

To ask about a difference, keep it neutral:

"Our check with [university] shows [what came back], and your application says [what you wrote]. Could you help us understand the difference, or ask the university to confirm it to us? Nothing is decided until we hear from you."

Read it literally, not generously

Some lines never reach that table: careful candidates choose small words that stop them overclaiming. If anyone gets it wrong, it is the reader who rounds them up.

"Attended" or "Studied at"

Time at a university, not an award. Confirm the dates, then ask plainly whether a degree was conferred.

"Expected", "predicted" or "due"

Not awarded yet. Confirm enrolment instead (in the US, the Clearinghouse confirms it too), and diary a second check for after results.

"GPA 3.8" or "magna cum laude"

Confirm both on the official transcript the registrar sends you, or with the college.

"PhD candidate" or "ABD"

Enrolled on a doctorate, not holding one. ABD is American shorthand for "all but dissertation": the thesis is still to come.

"(Hon.)" where you expected "(Hons)"

Often a world apart, but not always. Hons marks an honours degree, earned by study. Honorary degrees are marked h.c. (honoris causa), and often Hon.: a tribute, not evidence of study. Some universities write Hon. for honours too, so ask the awarding body which it is. See what an honorary doctorate is, and isn't.

"Equivalent to a UK degree"

A comparison, not an award. Ask what it rests on, usually a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability, which UK ENIC says should be treated as guidance. The degree itself is still confirmed with the university that awarded it.

Steal this: six fields, one for each piece

Most of the trouble above starts with what the education section of a CV leaves out. Ask for each piece up front, in the record keeper's terms, and the first check usually finds the record, former name and all. Copy these into your application form:

• ① Qualification and subject, exactly as on the certificate
• ② Final grade or classification, if there is one, not a predicted one
• ③ Awarding institution, as named on the certificate
• ④ Where you studied, if somewhere else
• ⑤ Dates of study and date of award, or "not yet awarded"
• ⑥ Your full name while studying, if different from your name now

The specimen, rebuilt through those fields:

① BSc (Hons) Business Management · ② 2:1, final
③ Awarded by University of Example · ④ Studied in London
⑤ Sept 20X1 to June 20X4, awarded [month] 20X4 · ⑥ Name while studying: [former name]

Then add a consent line that covers every field:

"I consent to [employer] confirming the qualifications, grades and dates above, under any name I studied under, with the institutions that awarded them and their official verification services."

Hedd needs proof of consent, and its toolkit suggests telling applicants up front that you verify, to deter a bluff.

Sources

• Hedd (Higher Education Degree Datacheck): coverage, what a check returns, proof of consent, and the employers' degree fraud toolkit (look-alike names, consent as standard, telling candidates you verify)
• Hedd and Prospects: an earlier degree fraud guide: fake verification services modelled on real ones
• GOV.UK: Check if your university or college can award a degree: UK bodies only, and the list for each UK nation
• Office for Students: The OfS Register: providers in England
• US Department of Education: DAPIP, CHEA: accredited institutions and programmes, and ENIC-NARIC: United States on what each covers
• TEQSA: National Register of Higher Education Providers (Australia)
• National Student Clearinghouse: Verify now: degrees, attendance dates and current enrolment, not grades; the transcript shows grades, GPA and honours
• My eQuals: official credentials platform for Australia and New Zealand
• UK ENIC: How we check qualifications: statements are guidance

Also worth reading

• Do employers actually check your degree? Often after you've said yes

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