This article provides advice on best practice when using the student import assistant.
To access the student import assistant, click +Add students on the Students page of your account.
This feature may not be available for all schools. You must be an account administrator to use this feature.
The following topics are covered here:
- Risks
- Make a plan
- Assign all students a Unique ID
- Update your entire student list at once
- Check your student data
- Changing key fields
Previous article in this series: Getting started
Next article in this series: Preparing and uploading your file
Risks
The student import assistant uses a set of detailed data-matching rules to help suggest possible matches between your existing students and your imported file. ACER cannot guarantee the accuracy of these suggested matches. It is your responsibility to review and confirm these suggested matches.
There is a risk that if you accept an incorrect match and an existing student record's details are overwritten with the details of another student, it may be impossible to (a) identify that a mistake has been made or (b) rectify the mistake. In effect, the student's test history may be lost.
To mitigate risk, it is important that you follow good data management practices within your school's own database and within your ACER online assessment account, including:
- consistency in spelling and formatting of key information
- use of a Unique ID that is unique both amongst students currently at your school and also across time (i.e. the ID is not re-used)
- careful attention and consideration when reviewing matches suggested by the student import assistant.
Make a plan
Set aside some time to complete the process. Reviewing the suggested matches may take some time, especially if the existing student list in your account contains errors, inconsistencies or duplicated student records.
Remember, the cleaner your data, the easier the process will be!
Assign all students a Unique ID
This will vastly improve the ability of the system to identify matches and to reduce the time required to update your list. A unique ID should be a unique student code or number already assigned to the student in your school's database. This ID should be unique amongst students currently at your school and also across time (i.e. the ID is not re-used).
Update your entire student list at once
By importing all students, rather than group-by-group or year level-by-year level, you can confidently allow the system to unenrol past students in addition to adding and updating current students.
Check your student data
Check that you have all of the necessary student information in your file by checking the required fields and referring to the Excel template file available on the first page of the feature.
Changing key fields
There may be times when you intend to use the student import assistant to make account-wide changes to key student information, for example:
- Changing all students' Username or Unique ID values to reflect a policy or system change at your school, such as a move to a new student management platform that results in new student ID numbers
- Implementing a change in format for a key field, for example, opting to use students' preferred names instead of official names.
The student import assistant will identify these differences between the information currently in your account and the new information in your file, but it will not be able to tell if the potential changes are intentional or due to an error. In cases where a high number of differences in key fields between matched students is identified, you will see a warning to proceed with caution. If you are uncertain, contact the School Support team for assistance.