SDRs for 2026 - Common error and warning codes, and their solutions

001

Student ID in Course Enrolment file is not in Learner file

Ensure the correct code is entered which uniquely identifies the student within each TEO. This code is 10 characters long. 

The student ID must remain constant for the student throughout their enrolment history at your organisation.

Student ID information must remain consistent across your Course Enrolment and Learner file.

002

Student ID is not unique in Learner file

Ensure the correct code is entered which uniquely identifies the student within your TEO. Ensure your Learner file does not contain any duplicate learner IDs.

This code is 10 characters long.

005
 

Student ID is blank

Ensure the correct code is entered which uniquely identifies the student within your TEO.

This code is 10 characters long.

014

Qualification Code in Course Enrolment is not approved for funding

and

FUNDING (Source of Funding) is 01, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, or 37

All qualifications submitted under the SoF codes listed in the column to the left must be approved for funding in DXP Ngā Kete.

021

Course Classification is not a valid classification code

Ensure the correct course classification code (or delivery classification code) is entered.

• Refer to the Course Classification tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website. 
• These are also listed in the Delivery Classification Guide (pdf), available in Delivery Classification Guide | TEC website.

026

This means either:

1. The Funding Category is not valid for the Course Classification

or

2. An error occurred when the organisation was established in TEC's systems

Solutions:

1. Ensure the correct Funding Category code is entered which is valid for the course classification.

    Select a value from the Funding Categories classification. 

• Refer to the Funding Category tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available at Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

2. Where this error relates to a TEO recently approved for funding, the Funding Categories may not have been mapped to the provider in DXP Ngā Kete. Email customerservice@tec.govt.nz or call 0800 601 301.

027

Funding Category is Z

and

Source of Funding is 01, 22, 28, 29 or 37

Funding Category Z is not valid for the SoF codes listed (ie, 01, 22, 28, 29 or 37).

Select a value from the Funding Categories classification. 

• Refer to the Funding Category tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

037

Course code is not on Course Register file (relates to Course Enrolment file)

Ensure the course is on the Course Register. 

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

039
 

Course enrolment start date is before the course start date

or

After the course end date on the TEC Course Register

Ensure the course start date is correct.

101

Gender is not M or F or D

Ensure the correct code is used to identify the gender of a student.

102
 

Date of Birth is invalid or blank

Ensure the correct format for date of birth is entered.

For all students the format must be an eight-digit value using zeros to 'pad out' single digit day and month values. Year value must be four digits:

• DDMMYYYY – ie, day/month/year
• 16122001 = 16 December 2001

105

Ethnicity is not in the classification list or is blank

Ensure the ethnicity code in the student file is an approved code and noted in the correct record position. 

• Refer to the Ethnicity tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.
• These are also listed in the Ethnicity New Zealand Standard Classification 2005V2.1.0. | Statistics NZ.

112

Last Secondary School Attended is not a valid classification code

Select a value from the Secondary School Codes classification

• Refer to the Secondary Schools Codes tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.
• These are also listed in the School name and number codes | Education Counts website.

114
 

NameID code is blank

Characters must be capitalised. 

Ensure the NameID code consists of the first four characters of a student’s surname plus the first initial of forename 1. For example:

SMITJ for John Smith
BROWB for Bernard Brown

If the surname is less than four characters, then blanks must be inserted before the forename initial. This initial must be located in the fifth position. For example:

LEE A      for Andrew Lee
VAN M   for Michael van der Hum
DE WP    for Peter de Wittering

If the surname contains punctuation, please include this. For example:

O'COB   for Brian O’Connor

121

Country of Citizenship is blank

Ensure there is a valid citizenship code for the learner in the student file.

• Refer to the Country + Citizenship tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

Note: NZL indicates New Zealand citizen (include Niuean, Cook Island, and Tokelauan students) and AUS indicates Australian citizen.

133

Highest Secondary School Qualification code is not in the classification list

Enter a valid code for highest secondary school qualification in the Learner file. 

Select a value from the list below:

136

First Year of Tertiary Education is current year

and 

Main Activity at 1 October in Year Prior to Formal Enrolment is 01 (secondary school student) 

and 

Highest Secondary School Qualification is 99 (not known)

Ensure this two-digit numeric code shows the highest secondary school qualification attained by the learner. 

Select a value from the list below:

138
 

Course end date is before the course start date

Ensure the end date of the learner's course is correct.

143

Iwi Affiliation is not valid

Ensure the correct code/s are entered that indicate the iwi affiliation of the learner. Separate each iwi reported with a semicolon (;).

If a student has more than one affiliation, then up to six iwi can be recorded.

• Refer to the Iwi Affiliation tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.
• These are also listed in Iwi and iwi-related groups statistical classification | Statistics NZ website.

150

Main Activity at 1 October in Year Prior to Formal Enrolment is not valid

Select a value from the list below:

Note: The classification of '99 – other' has been removed and may only be used historically.

If the learner enrolled for the first time between 1 October and 31 December of the current year, then report the main activity on 1 October of the current year.

151

NSN reported is invalid or does not exist in NSI

The NSN may have been entered incorrectly - check that the correct NSN has been entered. This number must be the value generated by the National Student Index (NSI) for the learner.

If the correct NSN is unknown, contact the NSI team and ask for the correct NSN nsi.unit@education.govt.nz.

• In the email, include the information you have for the learner (NSN, name, DoB).

152

NSN reported is not unique in Learner Data Submission and is assigned to another learner

The NSN is assigned to another learner in the Learner file - check that the correct NSN has been entered. 

If the correct NSN is unknown, the TEO should contact the NSI team for assistance nsi.unit@education.govt.nz.

• In the email, include the information you have for the learner (NSN, name, DoB).

153

NSN is invalid for reporting, is not a master NSN

The NSN is a slave NSN instead of the learner's master NSN.

The TEO should contact the NSI team for assistance nsi.unit@education.govt.nz.

• In the email, include the information you have for the learner (NSN, name, DoB).

154

Date of Birth reported does not match Date of Birth in the NSI

Check that the correct DoB has been entered. It must be the same as the DoB in the National Student Index (NSI) for the learner.

The TEO should contact the NSI team for assistance nsi.unit@education.govt.nz.

• In the email, include the information you have for the learner (NSN, name, DoB).

156

Learner’s name & date of birth

and

Residential status must be verified for a Type D student

The learner has not been verified by MOE on the National Student Index (NSI).

The TEO should contact the NSI team for assistance nsi.unit@education.govt.nz.

• In the email, include the information you have for the learner (NSN, name, DoB).

254

Gender reported does not match Gender on NSI

Check that the correct gender has been entered. It should be the same as the gender in the National Student Index (NSI) for the learner.

The TEO should contact the NSI team for assistance nsi.unit@education.govt.nz.

• In the email, include the information you have for the learner (NSN, name, DoB, gender).

256

NAMEID code reported does not match NAMEID code from NSI

The name in the SMS may be incorrect, or the name on the National Student Index (NSI) may be incorrect

The TEO should contact the NSI team via email nsi.unit@education.govt.nz for assistance. 

• In the email, include the information you have for the learner (NSN, name, DoB, gender).

305

Open course change requests for this course code already exist

Any pending course changes that have not been processed need to be actioned by TEC before reporting against them.

Please contact us to let us know that you have submitted a change request. Email customerservice@tec.govt.nz or call 0800 601 301.

310

Error code no longer applicable in DXP Ngā Kete

337

Course code is not on the Course Register (relates to Course Register file)

This usually happens when the course included in Course Completion (COURCOMP) file: 

a. is not in the Course Register because it is a new course is waiting for approval, or
b. is not in the Course Register because it is a course the provider has previously closed by mistake, or 
c. is in the Course Register but the course dates in COURCOMP are outside the course dates in the Course Register.

Contact customerservice@tec.govt.nz or 0800 601 301 for assistance.

358

Disability Services Accessed Indicator field is not 1 or 2

Ensure the correct value is entered to indicate whether a learner has accessed disability services.

1 = Disability services accessed

2 = Disability services not accessed

383

Student Course Completion indicator is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 8

and

Course End date is 2004 or greater

and 

No corresponding enrolment is found

Ensure that the Course Enrolment file, the Course Completion file, and the Course Start and End dates match.

388

Student Course Completion indicator is 1 

and 

Course end date has passed

391
 

Student Course Completion indicator is 0 for more than three consecutive SDR periods

The error occurs when the Student Course Completion indicator is '0' (ie, still to complete course – valid extension) is reported to the same learner, on the same course, three consecutive SDRs in a row (this can be over multiple years).

Error 391 can result from a number of issues being present.

The most common is:

a. An enrolment is missing completely from the COMP file.

Solution: The provider can add the enrolment and outcomes to the bottom of the COMP file.

Less common are:

b. Student has a start date and end date in the Course Enrolment file, but no Student Course Completion indicator has been reported after 11 months.   

Solution: Report Completion indicator 2 (pass) or Completion indicator 3 (fail) in current SDR. Update in SMS and re-extract files.

c. Message in the 391 error will say one of the Student Course Completion indicators was missing in the last SDR rounds.  

Solution: Identify the learner in the last SDR round and report Completion indicator 2 (pass) or Completion indicator 3 (fail) in current SDR. Update in SMS and re-extract files. 

d. Completion indicator 0 ('Still to complete course – valid extension or grade not yet available) is reported for the same learner, on the same course, three consecutive SDRs in a row (this can be over multiple calendar years). 

Solution: For SDR purposes, extensions cannot exceed 11 months. Report Completion indicator 2 (pass) or Completion indicator 3 (fail) in current SDR. Update in SMS and re-extract files. 
 

Note: If a 'fail' (Completion indicator 3) has been reported, the learner can be re-enrolled in the course with a new start date.

Warning Code 392

Student Course Completion indicator was reported as 0, 1, 5, 6 or 7 in previous completion return and cannot be found

This means the learner's details have shown to be registered to this course in a previous SDR but have not been included in this SDR.

As this is a Warning code (not an Error code) it does not need to be fixed for the current SDR round.

403
 

Ethnicity contains duplicate values

Ensure that each ethnicity code of the student is entered only once.

Up to six ethnicity codes can be entered. Separate each ethnicity reported with a semicolon (;).

• Refer to the Ethnicity tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.
• These are also listed in Ethnicity New Zealand Standard Classification | Statistics NZ website.

408

Date of Birth: Age is less than 5 or greater than 100

Ensure the correct format for date of birth is entered.

The format must be an eight-digit value using zeros to stuff single digit day and month values.

Year value must be four digits: 

• DDMMYYYY = day/month/year
• 15062001 = 15 June 2001

545

Country of Citizenship code is not valid for reporting year

The Learner file has expired Country of Citizenship code/s.

Update the code and resubmit.

• Refer to the Country of Citizenship tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

546

Highest Secondary School Qualification is not valid for return year

Ensure the code shows the highest secondary school qualification attained by the student. 

Select a value from the list below:

547

Ethnicity is not valid for the return year

Ensure that the ethnicity of the student is correct. 

Up to six ethnic codes can be entered in this field. Separate each ethnicity reported with a semicolon (;).

• Refer to the Ethnicity tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.
• These are also listed in Ethnicity New Zealand Standard Classification | Statistics NZ website.

558

Permanent Post Code is not a valid post code

Ensure this Post Code field is correct.

• Refer to the PostCodes tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.
• These are also listed at Address and Postcode Finder | NZ Post website.

Note: You can also enter one of the following values, if applicable.

563

Residential Status is other than Y or N

Ensure there is a one-character code in this field - either Y or N.

577

Removed: Student ID is in student file but missing in course enrolment file and qualification completion file

588

Iwi Affiliation is blank where ethnic group is identified as '211' and first year is current year

At least one Iwi Affiliation should be reported where ethnic group is identified as '211' (Māori) and first year is current year.

If a learner has more than one affiliation, then up to six Iwi can be recorded. Separate each iwi reported with a semicolon (;).

• Refer to the Iwi Affiliation tab in the DXP Data Classifications Appendices (xlsx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.
• They are also listed in Iwi and iwi-related groups statistical classification | Statistics NZ website.

597

Country of Citizenship code cannot be '999' ("Not stated") for Type D learner

Type D learners cannot have the '999' code.

Code '999' is valid for Type B and C learners only.

603

Category of Fees Assessment for International Students for each enrolment is 08

and 

Source of Funding is not 01, 12, 23, 25, 26, 30, 32, 35, 36 or 37

Note that the '08' code is for Diplomatic staff or family, or persons associated with the Antarctic programme.

Ensure the correct code/s are entered.

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '603' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

604

Category of Fees Assessment for International Students is 13 

and

Source of Funding is not 01, 22, 25, 26, 30, 32, or 37

Note that the '13' code is for Refugee or protected person, yet to be granted a resident visa; the immediate family, also without a resident visa, of a person with refugee or protected person status; and those who have made a claim to be recognised as a refugee or protected person.

Ensure the correct code/s are entered.

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '604' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

629

If Source of Funding is 22, student must have not reached their 20th birthday (if course start <= 2022) or 25th birthday (if course start >= 2023) at the time of the earliest course start date of the qualification being funded by Youth Guarantee

Ensure the correct code/s are entered.

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '629' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

633

Australian Residential Status is other than Y or N

Ensure this field contains one character code in this field - either Y or N to identify if the student has Australian permanent resident status for each enrolment.

Y identifies an Australian Permanent Resident.
N identifies not an Australian Permanent Resident.

645

Removed: MANAAPPR is Y and FUNDING is not 01, 02, 03, or 37

Under the Unified Funding System, Managed Apprenticeships are to be reported through Training Management Systems and SoF37 will no longer used for this purpose.

660

Residential Status or Australian Residential Status is Y

or

Country of Citizenship is NZL or AUS

and

Category of Fees Assessment for International Students for each enrolment is 00 or 13

and

Intramural or Extramural Attendance is 4 

and

Source of Funding is 01 or 30

and

Qual Level is less than 7
 

Ensure you are aware of the following codes and check if you have used them correctly:

Category of Fees Assessment for International Students for each enrolment:

• 00 = Domestic Student

• 13 = Refugee or protected person

Intramural or Extramural Attendance:

• 4 = Intramural and residing overseas

For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '660' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

Warning Code 686

Student Course Withdrawal Date is within 1st month or 10% of course length

and

Source of Funding is 01, 22, 26, 28, 29, 30 or 37

and

Year is greater than or equal to 2022

Ensure that you are aware that if the student withdraws within the first month or 10% of course length, they are not 'confirmed student enrolments' and so should not be reported via the SDR. 

As this is a Warning code (not an Error code) it does not need to be fixed for the current SDR round.

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '686' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

690

Source of Funding is 37

and

course start date is less than 01/01/23

Check the Source of Funding code and the course start date. If the year of course start date is prior to 2023 then the Source of Funding code cannot be '37'.

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '690' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

691

Source of Funding is 37

and

Qual level is not 3-7

Ensure that you use SoF 37 for DQ3-7 Non-degree Delivery at Levels 3-7 on the NZQCF and all Industry Training Fund

Ensure that you use SoF 01 for DQ7-10 Delivery at Levels 7 (degree) and above 

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '691' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

694

Source of Funding is 01

and

course start date is greater than or equal to 01/01/23 

but 

Qual Level and/or QAC code are not valid for 01

Check if each of the codes is correct.

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '694' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

695
 

Source of Funding is 37

and

course start date is greater than or equal to 01/01/23

but

Qual Level and/or QAC code are not valid for 37

Check if each of the codes is correct.

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '695' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

696

Source of Funding is 01

and

Course is cross year (start year < 2023 and end year >= 2023)

but 

Qual Level not valid for QAC code

Check if Source of Funding '01' is correct and check if the enrolment is cross year; then check the QAC code (Qualification Award Category) associated with the Qual level.

• If Qual level between 3 and 5 then QAC code can be in 60
• If Qual level >= 3 then QAC code can be one of 01, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 25, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 46, 50, 55, 90, 96, 97, 99

Note: TEC will manually move the 2023 delivery out of SoF 01 and into SoF 37 (this avoids the need for TEOs to un-enrol from the SoF 01 course and re-enrol to submit the 2023 portion of the course under SoF 37).

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '696' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

Contact customerservice@tec.govt.nz or 0800 601 301 for further assistance.

697

Source of Funding is 01, Qual Level must NOT be 1 or 2

Check if each of the codes is correct. Qual levels 1 and 2 are not valid for Source of Funding '01'.

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '697' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

698

Source of Funding is 01 or 37

and

Course Start Year is greater than or equal to 2023

but 

Qual Level is null

Check the Qual level for the Qualification has an actual value (rather than left blank).

• For more information, search for (Ctrl+F) '698' in the Data Specifications for SDR (docx) available in Single Data Return (SDR) | TEC website.

716

Return Year is => 2026

and

Sector Value is invalid

A valid ITE sector value is required if the qualification NZSCED is an ITE qualification and the return year is 2026 or later.

Select a value from:

1 - Early Childhood

2 - Primary

3 - Secondary

719

Date of Birth format is invalid

Ensure the correct format for date of birth is entered.

The format must be an eight-digit value using zeros to stuff single digit day and month values.

Year value must be four digits: 

• DDMMYYYY = day/month/year
• 15062001 = 15 June 2001

787

Actual Course Fee is blank

Ensure that a dollar value (with two decimal places) is entered.

Where no fee is charged, enter '0.00'.