SDRs for 2026 - Which files should be submitted in each SDR, and what data do they contain?

Summary

This article provides information about which files to submit for each SDR return, and what the files should contain. 

 

Which files are submitted in the SDRs?

IND: For the March SDR return (the Indicative Enrolment Data Collection/Return, or 'IND'), submit these three files:

• Learner
• Course Enrolment
• Course Register

SDR: For the April, August and December SDR returns, submit these five files:

• Learner
• Course Enrolment
• Course Register
• Qualification completion
• Course Completion

December SDR: Submit your workforce questionnaire (WFQ, 'staff return') before you submit your December SDR. We won't be able to accept your December SDR without a processed workforce questionnaire.


More information about each of the files is provided in the sections below.

All files are extracted from your student management system (SMS) and must be in .CSV format. 

• For information/instructions on how to extract data from your SMS, please contact your SMS vendor directly.

• For instructions on how to resubmit an historical SDR (previously submitted in STEO) by converting the files from STEO legacy .TXT format to DXP Ngā Kete .CSV format, see:
  • DXP Ngā Kete User Guides: Data Submissions > Single Data Return and scroll down to 'Convert to new format'.
    
     

Information on the types of files

1. Learner file

The 'Learner' file contains records (DoB, ethnicity, NSN, etc) for all individual learners who are enrolled in a course or qualification and have not received a complete refund of tuition fees.

All learners for which a confirmed learner enrolment has been made in the SMS must be reported. A confirmed learner enrolment occurs where:

• a learner and an organisation have entered into an enrolment or tuition contract or arrangement and the learner has paid or committed to pay their fees, and
  • the period during which the learner is entitled to withdraw from a course, programme or training scheme and receive a full refund of fees (less any applicable administration fee) has passed, or
  • the learner has not received a full refund of fees (noting that applicable administration fees may have been charged)

2. Course Enrolment file

The 'Course Enrolment' file contains records of all confirmed learner enrolments. For each individual learner, a record of each separate course enrolment is required.

Every learner in the Learner file must appear at least once in the Course Enrolment file.

At a minimum, the 'Course Register' file contains records (course code, credits, learning hours, etc) of all courses that learners are enrolled in for the current year.

Every unique course in the Course Enrolment file should appear only once in the Course Register file.

Notes:

The Course Register file does not limit the courses reported to ones that have a corresponding enrolment in the Course Enrolment file.

TEOs should include all courses (regardless of level of study or funding source) that they have open on the TEC course register in the Course Register file. By including all courses, the various attributes (eg, fees) can be kept up to date.

4. Qualification Completion file

The 'Qualification Completion' file contains records for individual learners who have met the requirements to be awarded the qualification as set out in the approved regulations.

Only learners who have completed a qualification should be included in the Qualification Completion file. The records are required to be reported once only, unlike the other files which are cumulative for the year.

5. Course Completion file

The 'Course Completion' file contains records of all current active enrolments for:

• Type D learners (ie, learners enrolled in a formal course with a total EFTS value greater than 0.03) who do not have a funding source of 06, 07, 08, or 11, and
• all completions from previous years that need to be updated with an outcome, ie that have not been previously reported with an outcome code of:
  • 2 - Completed course successfully
  • 3 - Completed course unsuccessfully
  • 4 - Did not complete course

Notes:

Once a code of 2, 3 or 4 has been reported for a course completion, it is not required to be included in the next SDR return.

If you need to submit course completion information at the end of the academic year but before the December SDR, there is a guide for submitting voluntary course completion files between SDR return periods.

For more information, see:

• the 'Process overview and guidance for the Single Data return' (docx) in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.
  • Refer to the Voluntary Submission of Course completion files section. 

Workforce questionnaire (WFQ, 'staff return')

For information about workforce questionnaires, see Workforce Questionnaire annual return | TEC website.
 

Further information

For more information, refer to:

• Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website
  • This webpage contains links to:
    • the Data Specification for the Single Data Return (docx)
    • the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx)
    • the Guidance for the Single Data return (docx)

• the DXP Ngā Kete user guides  (see Data Submissions > Single Data Return)

If you have any questions, contact 0800 601 301 or customerservice@tec.govt.nz with the subject line '[EDUMIS #] - SDR query'.