Oldest ever GCSE maths student passes exams AGED 92: Ex-RAF engineer gets highest possible grades

A 92-year-old who attended school during the Blitz in World War Two has become the oldest person ever to sit and pass a GCSE exam.

Derek Skipper, of Orwell, Cambridge, signed up to take the exam to challenge himself – and passed his maths GCSE with the highest possible grade. 

Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning, the father-of-two said: ‘I opened up this morning to find that I had got a five, which is the highest I could get on the very basic maths GCSE course that I took.

‘So I was delighted to have got it.

‘I was a little bit worried last night because knowing I was coming on camera, I thought boy-oh-boy, this is going to be a very short interview if I’ve failed.’

He took the exams as part of a free adult education course, where pass grades are only available at four and five. 

A grade five is the equivalent of a low B/high C in the old GCSE grading system. 

The granddad-of-three has said he is ‘very pleased’ about his results.

Derek said: ‘I was very, very pleased. When I started out on the course in September, it was very low key and I didn’t tell anyone I was even doing it, as I thought if I don’t finish it then it’s embarrassing so I kept very quiet until Christmas time.

‘The results didn’t matter to me at all, I was just doing it for my own fun.’

He added: ‘My family all think it’s a bit of fun, they’ve all laughed and if it gives people some pleasure then that’s fine.’

Mr Skipper found himself taking his exams in a room full of 16-year-olds – but it didn’t seem to phase him.

He said at the time: ‘I didn’t even notice they were there. I just had my head down and got on with it.

‘I’m obviously a bit slower and I found that I switched off at times. My brain just stopped working for a minute or two.

‘I did run out of time, but I had a go at most of the questions, except the ones I thought looked complicated which I’d have gone back to if I’d had time.

‘We have a friend whose 19 now and she couldn’t get her head round Maths and failed GCSE three times. I couldn’t help her, so I decided to try to beat her.

‘I thought it couldn’t be that difficult and it’s kept me occupied.’

The course wasn’t the only challenge for the RAF veteran – he took it online, meaning he accessed YouTube for the first time ever.

This morning the course provider, The Cam Academy Trust, said: ‘Huge congratulations to 92-year-old Derek Skipper on his Grade 5 in GCSE maths, the highest grade available on the foundation paper he took through our adult education programme.’

Course tutor Shane Day said ahead of the exams: ‘Derek was great, the best student in the class. He’s the first 92-year-old I’ve taught, the previous oldest was 74.’ 

Mr Skipper used to work in the RAF and is a war veteran, having served in the Korean war.

He used to cycle three miles a day to travel to school in bombed out east London.

He earned five School Certificates – the precursor to O Levels and the equivalent to GCSEs – including Maths which was gained with the help of a slide rule and book of tables.

After leaving school, he signed up for the RAF at 18 to learn a trade and became a radar fitter.

He described himself as a ‘typical boy’ when he was in his school days. Derek said: ‘It was just after the war and there was all of the bomb damage although it wasn’t very important to us.

‘I certainly wasn’t academic by a very long way.

‘I did my exams, and I did pass them but I was just doing something I was told I had got to do.

‘Now having done it as a mature student, it all does make a bit more sense. I have started to understand a lot more about Maths, and it is quite interesting.’

Derek has also tried to persuade his wife of 61 years Nancy, to take a GCSE exam.

He added: ‘She has been supporting me and helping me out. I’ve tried to persuade her to have a go at it, but she’s a bit reluctant.’

He currently doesn’t have any plans to take any more GCSEs.

Derek said: ‘I think that is going to be my lot and I’m going to retire now.

‘Having one is enough for me.’