Provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT)
A tool and user guides to help further education (FE) providers submit accurate and complete individualised learner record (ILR) data returns.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.
This guidance is for:
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FE providers that are required to maintain ILR data and ensure it is complete and accurate, which include:
- colleges
- independent training providers
- higher education providers
- employer-providers
- other organisations
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organisations that deliver funding audits and other reviews, which include:
- DfE
- accountancy firms
- external and internal auditors
PDSAT Online is a tool developed by a supplier to aid the analysis of learner and learning delivery data. It interrogates ILR data and produces reports, allowing providers to identify and investigate potential anomalies. A guide for how to use PDSAT Online is available on the supplier’s website.
It is a provider’s responsibility to put in place processes that ensure they return timely, complete and accurate data in their ILRs. We encourage providers to use PDSAT to regularly check their ILR data, reducing the risk of overclaiming funds from the Department for Education (DfE) that then need to be repaid.
To use PDSAT Online, providers need to register their organisation.
A desktop version of PDSAT is available for funding years 2016 to 2017 through to 2021 to 2022.
The ‘Reviewing PDSAT reports: user guide’ is for providers and the organisations reviewing their ILR data. User guides for the funding years 2020 to 2021, 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 are available in the National Archives.
The ‘Overview of PDSAT reports by type’ provides a categorised summary of all available PDSAT reports, to help users understand the purpose and potential impact of reports that are most likely to identify issues or funding errors.
For any queries, email the PDSAT helpdesk DSAThelpdesk@KPMG.co.uk.
Updates to this page
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We have added 'Reviewing PDSAT reports for 2024 to 2025: user guide'. We have removed 'Reviewing PDSAT reports for 2021 to 2022', 'Reviewing PDSAT reports for 2020 to 2021', 'PDSAT Online: user guide' and 'Access PDSAT', as these documents are now out of date. They are available in the National Archives.
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Added 'Overview of PDSAT reports by type'.
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Added 'Provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT) online: user guide 2023 to 2024' and 'Privacy policy: Provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT)'.
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We have published the Provider data self-Assessment toolkit (PDSAT) online: user guide.
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We have published guidance about the updates planned to the PDSAT.
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We have updated the Reviewing provider data self assessment toolkit (PDSAT) reports for 2021 to 2022: user guide.
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We have published the reviewing provider data self assessment toolkit (PDSAT) reports for 2021 to 2022: user guide.
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We have published the latest user guide for reviewing provider data self assessment toolkit (PDSAT) reports for 2020 to 2021.
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We have published the user guide for reviewing provider data self assessment toolkit (PDSAT) reports for 2019 to 2020.
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First published.