Guidance

TQ Central Learner Pipeline - Results: guide to the data submission process

Updated 29 June 2026

Applies to England

Introduction

In order to fulfil our regulatory and accreditation functions as set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, we require awarding organisations to provide exams delivery data for regulated qualifications.

What data will be collected?

Central Learner Pipeline – Results data will be collected for all Technical Qualifications (TQs) within T levels for learners in England.

When will data be collected?

Data will be collected according to the vocational and technical qualifications reporting schedule which is agreed and maintained by Ofqual’s data services team. Updates to formats and guidance

Updates to formats and guidance

This guidance document will be updated regularly. Any changes to procedure will be incorporated into the guidance document.

How to submit your data

Your data should be submitted to us in CSV format. Please refer to the ‘Connecting to Ofqual’s data portal and uploading data’ document on our web page to help you submit your files to us. If you need to ask us about a data submission please do contact the Data Services team, please do not send your data files via email to Data Services or to any other Ofqual email address, or via Contact the Regulator in the Portal.

Uploaded data

Once files have been successfully uploaded, the data will be validated against a set of validation rules. These are detailed in the sections below. If validation is successful, the data is automatically transferred into our systems and you will receive email confirmation. If the file is unsuccessful at any stage of validation you will receive an email with details of the validation failure. Please correct your file and resubmit it.

Amendments to data

Ofqual staff will not alter data once it has been submitted. If you find an error or omission after you’ve had a successful upload, please notify us by email. We need to reject the existing submission before you can upload a new file.

How your data will be used

This data will be used to undertake our regulatory activities and, where required, to produce Official Statistics to fulfil our responsibility as a government department.

General completion guidelines

• Results data should include all assessments taken within the reporting period, regardless of whether or not the candidate has completed all elements of the Technical Qualification.
• One row of data should be given for each assessment taken by a candidate. Marks and grades at the sub-component level and component level should be consistent across each row giving assessment-level information.

File format

The file must be CSV format and the first row must be headers as displayed in the ‘Name’ column of the table below. The subsequent rows must have the values of the data to be reported which must match the format and validation rules below.

Name	Description	Position	Validation Regular Expression	Description of Regular Expression / Accepted Values
ReportingDate	Date the file was due to be submitted to Ofqual regardless of when it was actually uploaded (this date will be made available by Ofqual)	1	^(0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[/](0[1-9]|1[012])[/](20)\d\d$ or ^(20)\d\d[-](0[1-9]|1[012])[-](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])$	The date in the following format: day (2 digits), forward slash, month (2 digits), forward slash, year (4 digits), or: year (4 digits), a dash, month (2 digits), a dash, day (2 digits)
RegistrationDate	Date candidate registered for the TQ	2	^(0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[/](0[1-9]|1[012])[/](20)\d\d$ or ^(20)\d\d[-](0[1-9]|1[012])[-](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])$	The date in the following format: day (2 digits), forward slash, month (2 digits), forward slash, year (4 digits), or: year (4 digits), a dash, month (2 digits), a dash, day (2 digits)
AwardingOrganisation	Acronym of the awarding organisation	3	^.{1,100}$	A valid AO Acronym. 1 to 100 characters accepted Note: value must be consistent within the file
QualificationNumber	Unique identifier for the TQ as it appears in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated qualifications	4	^.{1,10}$	Valid Qualification Number. 1 to 10 characters accepted
QualificationTitle	Name of the TQ as it appears on the Portal and Register	5	^.{1,1000}$	1 to 1000 characters accepted
Route	Name of the TQ route	6	^(Agriculture, environmental and animal care|Business and administration|Catering and hospitality |Construction|Creative and design|Digital| Education and childcare|Engineering and manufacturing|Hair and beauty|Health and science|Legal, financial and accounting)$	Accepted values: • Agriculture, environmental and animal care • Business and administration • Catering and hospitality • Construction • Creative and design • Digital • Education and childcare • Engineering and manufacturing • Hair and beauty • Health and science • Legal, financial and accounting
Pathway	Name of the TQ pathway	7		Accepted values: • A valid TQ Pathway Note: pathway details can be found on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s website
ULN	Unique Learner Number	8	^.{0000000001, 9999999999 }$	A numeric value between 0000000001 and 9999999999
UCI	Unique Candidate Identifier (JCQ code)	9	^.{1,13}$	Alpha-numeric 13 characters Note: enter -2 if not available
Forename	Candidate Forename	10	^.{0,150}$	0 to 150 characters
Surname	Candidate Surname	11	^.{0,150}$	0 to 150 characters
DateOfBirth	Candidate Date of Birth	12	^(0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[/](0[1-9]|1[012])[/](20)\d\d$ or ^(20)\d\d[-](0[1-9]|1[012])[-](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])$	The date in the following format: day (2 digits), forward slash, month (2 digits), forward slash, year (4 digits), or: year (4 digits), a dash, month (2 digits), a dash, day (2 digits)
Sex	Student’s sex	18	^(M|F|-2)$	Accepted values: • M for male • F for female • -2 accepted for other or not stated
UKPRN	UK Provider Reference Number	14	^.{10000000,9999999 9}	a Numeric Value between 10000000 and 9999999
NCN	Centre ID - National Centre Number	15	^\d{1,5}$	Up to 5-digit integer Note: enter -2 if not available
AssessmentSeries	Assessment series data relates to, for example June 2023	16	^(June)([][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9])$	Full month name and year of Assessment series, for example June 2023
ComponentCode	Unique identifier for the component which the assessment relates to (assigned by the awarding organisation)	17	^.{1,10}$	1 to 10 Characters
SubComponentType	TQ sub-component which the assessment falls under	18	^(Core Exam|Core Project|Occupational Specialism)$	Accepted Values: • Core Exam • Core Project • Occupational Specialism
EntryDate	Entry date for the assessment (may differ from the registration date)	19	^(0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[/](0[1-9]|1[012])[/](20)\d\d$ or ^(20)\d\d[-](0[1-9]|1[012])[-](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])$	The date in the following format: The date in the following format: day (2 digits), forward slash, month (2 digits), forward slash, year (4 digits), or: year (4 digits), a dash, month (2 digits), a dash, day (2 digits)
AssessmentDate	Exam date or submission deadline for projects	20	^(0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[/](0[1-9]|1[012])[/](20)\d\d$ or ^(20)\d\d[-](0[1-9]|1[012])[-](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])$	The date in the following format: The date in the following format: day (2 digits), forward slash, month (2 digits), forward slash, year (4 digits), or: year (4 digits), a dash, month (2 digits), a dash, day (2 digits)
AssessmentCode	Unique identifier for the assessment (assigned by the awarding organisation)	21	^.{1,10}$	1 to 10 characters
AssessmentMethod	Mode of the assessment	22	^(Paper-based test | Online test|Portfolio|Course work|Performance- based|Mixed method | -2)$	Accepted values: • Paper-based test • Online test • Portfolio • Coursework • Performance-based • Mixed method Note: enter -2 if not applicable
ExamPaperModification	Type of modified paper	23	^(Braille and Braille labels|18-point bold|24-point bold|modified language| tactile diagrams with print labels|transcripts of listening test / video|non-interactive electronic question papers|other|Non-modified)$	Accepted values: • Braille and Braille labels •18-point bold • 24-point bold • modified language • tactile diagrams with print labels • transcripts of listening test / video • non-interactive electronic question papers • other • Non-modified(if the paper is not modified) Note: enter -2 if not applicable
MarkingMethod	The method of marking for this candidate taking this assessment (may depend on delivery mode)	24	^(Full Script Paper Based |Full Script Electronic| Item Based Electronic| marked with external moderation)$	Accepted values: • Full Script Paper Based • Full Script Electronic • Item Based Electronic • Centre marked with external moderation
AssessmentRawMark	Final raw mark for the assessment before any weighting/scaling has been applied	25	^\d{1,3}$	Number between 0 and 999 allowing decimals Note: enter -2 if not applicable
AssessmentUMSMark	Final UMS mark for the assessment	26	^\d{1,3}$	Number between 0 and 999 allowing decimals Note: enter -2 if not applicable
SubComponentRawMark	Final raw mark for the sub- component that this assessment relates to	27	^\d{1,3}$	Number between 0 and 999 allowing decimals Note: enter -2 if not applicable
SubComponentUMSMark	Final UMS mark for the sub- component that this assessment relates to	28	^\d{1,3}$	Note: enter -2 if not applicable
ComponentRawMark	Final raw mark for the component that this assessment relates to	29	^\d{1,3}$	Note: enter -2 if not applicable
ComponentUMSMark	Final UMS mark for the component that this assessment relates to	30	^\d{1,3}$	Note: enter -2 if not applicable
AssessmentGrade	Assessment grade where given	31	^(A*|A|B|C|D|E|U|Q|X|Distinction|Merit|Pass| -2)$	Accepted values: • A* • A • B • C • D • E • U • Q • X • Distinction • Merit • Pass Note: enter -2 if not applicable
SubComponentGrade	Sub-component grade where given	32	^(A*|A|B|C|D|E|U|Q|X|Distinction|Merit|Pass| -2)$	Accepted values: • A* • A • B • C • D • E • U • Q • X • Distinction • Merit • Pass Note: enter -2 if not applicable
ComponentGrade	Final grade for the component (including fail grades)	33	^(A*|A|B|C|D|E|U|Q|X|Distinction| Merit|Pass| -2)$	Accepted values: • A* • A • B • C • D • E • U • Q • X • Distinction • Merit • Pass Note: enter -2 if not applicable
NumberOfResits	Number of resits a candidate has taken for this assessment For the first attempt by a candidate this should be recorded as ‘0’; a subsequent attempt of the same assessment should be returned on a separate row with ‘1’ recorded in this field, and so on.	34	^\d{1,2}$	Whole number between 0 and 99
CompletionDate	Date candidate completed all the planned components for the TQ (both mandatory and planned optional assessments).	35	^(0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[/](0[1-9]|1[012])[/](20)\d\d$ or ^(20)\d\d[-](0[1-9]|1[012])[-](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])$	The date in the following format: day (2 digits), forward slash, month (2 digits), forward slash, year (4 digits), or: year (4 digits), a dash, month (2 digits), a dash, day (2 digits)

Contacts

For all queries relating to the data collection process, amendments to data previously provided, or for general guidance. please contact:

Data services

Ofqual
2nd floor, 1 Friargate
Station Square
Coventry
CV1 2GN

Email data.services@ofqual.gov.uk