How to Write First Class Honours on CV: A Guide

Writing First Class Honours on Your CV

The best way to write your degree on your CV depends on the stage of your career and how important qualifications are to the roles you’re applying for. For junior, entry-level and graduate positions, the outcome of your degree will carry more weight than roles later in your career, after you’ve established a body of relevant work experience. As such, if you have a first class honours degree, you’ll really want to draw attention to it early in your career.

Formatting Your Degree Entry

The key to listing your first class honours degree on your CV is clarity and formatting. Follow a clear, organised structure to the education on your CV so the reader can quickly and easily understand your degree, specialisms and performance. Take a look at the CV examples below for guidance on how to structure your degree listing:

Using Correct Degree Abbreviations

When writing your degree in your education section, first specify the type of degree using standardised abbreviations. Some of the most common degree abbreviations are: 

• BA for Bachelor of Arts
• BSc for Bachelor of Science
• MA for Master of Arts
• MSc for Master of Science
• MBA for Master of Business Administration
• PhD for Doctor of Philosophy

If your degree was an Honours degree, remember also to include this by adding ‘(Hons)’ beside your degree abbreviation. Honours degrees are typically a higher level of qualification than standard degrees, so it definitely adds value to your applications.

Using the Correct Format for ‘First Class Honours’

For clarity, and to avoid confusion, reference your degree grade in full as ‘First Class Honours’. This makes it stand out to employers reading your CV. If preferred, you could use a hyphen and list your degree as ‘First-Class Honours’.

Other ways to write your degree level include ‘First’ or ‘1st’. You might choose to use these if you’re short on space in your CV, but it’s usually better to write your grade out in full so it grabs the attention of the reader.

Another consideration is whether to include your overall degree score in your CV. Degrees are scored out of 100, with scores of 70 and above earning a first class degree. However, if you scored closer to 100 than 70, you might wish to mention this as it can help to set you apart even further from other strong candidates.

Including Academic Achievements on Your CV

Listing your academic achievements on your CV are one of the best ways you can prove you’re a suitable candidate for the job. Combined with your work experience, skills and career achievements, academic achievements can help showcase the necessary credentials to get you through to the interview stage.

The significance of academic achievements on your CV will depend on various factors. One of these is your career stage. If you’re a recent graduate or you’re applying for a first major role, academic achievements tend to take on more significance. This is because you’ll have limited work experience to prove yourself to employers. Equally, if you’re writing an academic CV for postgraduate studies or a role within a university, your degree is likely to take centre stage.

Another variable in the significance of academic achievements on your CV is the type of role you’re applying for. Some jobs might have a degree grade threshold, such as upper second class honours (2:1) or first class honours (1st). In these circumstances, it’s essential to add your degree grade to your application.

In addition, there are plenty of professions that require a specific type of degree or professional qualification to be eligible for the role. In these cases, your CV education section takes on greater importance. Whether the requirement is for a degree in a certain subject, or a professional qualification such as a Legal Practice Course or, for accountancy, the ACA, make sure you draw attention to these on your CV.

Using Academic Achievements to Your Advantage

Whether your academic achievements include a first class honours degree, an award or some other indicator of high achievement, such as a scholarship or fellowship, it can be powerful to include them on your CV. First class degrees indicate a level of dedication, intelligence and mastery of your subject area, as well as showing employers that you have a strong work ethic.

You can use other types of academic achievement to create a point of difference between yourself and other candidates. This could be particularly strong grades in certain subjects or modules of your degree, or winning awards for dissertations or other projects. Whether you received a first class degree or excelled in some other area of your studies, it’s important to make the most of it in your CV.

Other Places to Reference Your Degree on Your CV

While the most common and obvious place to mention your first class degree on your CV is the education section, this needn’t be the only place you mention it. If your degree is of particular importance to the job you’re applying for, you may reference it in your CV summary. You could even reference your degree in your cover letter. Just choose a cover letter template that gives you the chance to add details about your degree and other achievements.

Special Cases for Listing Your Degree on Your CV

There are certain special cases where you might need to treat the listing of your degree differently on your CV. If you’re still studying and you’re applying for jobs, your university student CV will either need to include a provisional grade, or simply state that your degree is ‘ongoing’. Nevertheless, it’s still worth mentioning the degree you’re studying towards. If you’re a student applying for further studies, your college student cover letter and personal statement are the ideal place to mention your degree, in addition to your CV.

Another special case for listing your first class degree is if the role requires foreign language skills, and your degree is in the required foreign language. In this case, you could mention your languages degree as early as your CV header, among your personal information. Alternatively, you could mention it in the additional information section, under languages.

If you studied towards a degree but never completed it, you may still wish to mention the studies you undertook, if they’re particularly relevant to the job. Mentioning an incomplete degree can help you avoid gaps in your CV. In this case, list your degree in the same way as you would a complete course, but instead of listing your grade, add ‘(incomplete)’. In the bullet points underneath this entry, or in your cover letter, you could reference your reasons for not completing the course, along with any relevant modules you completed.

Common Mistakes To Avoid with Adding Your Degree to Your CV

Avoid making these common mistakes to ensure your degree makes the best possible impact on your CV:

• Over-emphasising your degree: a first class honours degree is a major achievement, but on its own it probably won’t be enough to get you the job. Make sure you dedicate enough attention to other valuable experience and skills.
• Using overly complex degree abbreviations: if your degree has an unusual abbreviation, it might be best to leave it out to avoid confusing the reader.
• Using inconsistent formatting: make sure the presentation and formatting of your education section is consistent. Capitalise ‘First Class Honours’ and other degree grades and use bullet points to add detail about your studies.

"Combined with your work experience, skills and career achievements, academic achievements can help showcase the necessary credentials to get you through to the interview stage."

Key Takeaways for Adding First Class Honours to Your CV

Understanding how to list your first class honours degree on your CV can help you to effectively communicate your academic achievement to employers. This can make the difference for various jobs, especially when the field of applicants is particularly competitive. Jobseeker offers CV templates that showcase your skills, experience and qualifications with clean, professional designs. Sign up today to access a wealth of tools and CV articles. You can also find cover letter articles to help you draft this important part of your applications.