This article will help you add new students to your account, either one-at-a-time, or in bulk via Excel.
You may also be interested in reading the article on editing existing students within your account.
Student information fields
The table below outlines the student information that may be included. Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
| Field | Description | Example | Notes |
| Family name | Student's family name | Nguyen | ACER recommends being consistent in using either official or preferred names for all students to make managing your student list easier. |
| Given name* | Student's first given name | Jane | |
| Middle name | Student's middle name or names | Harris | |
| Username* | Unique name the student will use to log in | nguyenjh | Apostrophes and spaces are not permitted. ACER recommends using a consistent format for all students. The username should preferably be easy to remember and/or something students are already familiar with. |
| Password* | Password the student will use to log in | Testing123 | Passwords must be a minimum of eight characters. Students may share the same password. |
| Date of birth* | Student's date of birth | 05/03/2012 | Must be formatted as dd/mm/yyyy or dd-mm-yyyy |
| Gender* | Student's gender | Female | Male, M, m, Female, F, f, Gender X, X, x |
| Tags | Used to identify groups of students (for example, classes) | 6B 2024, EAL | Tags must already have been created in account. Formatting/spelling must match existing tag exactly. Separate multiple tags with a comma. |
| Unique ID | May be the student's school or system ID number | NGU0004 | ACER recommends including a Unique ID to aid with managing your student list and matching records to other databases of student information. |
| Year level | Student's current year level | Year 6 | Year levels must be entered in the format 5 or year 5. The system will not recognise 05. The first year of formal schooling (Kindergarten, Prep, Pre-primary etc.) must be entered as Foundation, F or f. |
| School year | The current school year | 2024 | For international schools whose school year does not begin in January, the school year will need to be entered as '2023–2024', for example. |
Recommendations
- Before beginning, export your students' details from your school's database. This will allow you to copy and paste information directly into ACER's template file.
- If you intend on using student tags to identify groups or classes within the online assessment and reporting system, ensure that you have created these tags prior to adding your students to the account.
- Note that the bulk import process cannot be used to edit or overwrite the details of existing students within the account. Please refer to the instructions below on how to update student details in bulk.
Adding multiple new students
Follow the steps below to add students to your account in bulk:
- Go to the Students page.
- Select +Add Students on the right of the screen. Select Bulk Import.
- A pop-up box will open. Click on template file in step one to download the template.
- Open the template file and save it to your computer.
- Fill out the template file. Make sure you remove the two samples from the template file (rows 2 and 3). This template must be filled out exactly as it is set out for it to upload without error. To assist you, click on Show Excel help on your Import Students screen and follow the directions carefully.
- Once all your information is entered, save the file and close it.
- Go back to the Import Students pop-up box and click on Select a File. Use the browse option to locate the file where you saved it on your computer then press Import Students.
- If the file has been filled out correctly, you will see it uploading. Then a green bar will appear reporting on how many students have been uploaded. Select Refresh Page, the screen will close and the students will appear in the list on your page.
- If the file has not been filled out correctly, a red bar will appear in the pop-up box reporting there has been an error. It will provide a link to an Excel spreadsheet. Click on Download Excel file and open the file. In column J, the errors will be explained. Save this file and make the required changes. Delete column J and then go back to Step 6.
Adding one new student
Follow the steps below to add an individual student to the account from the Students page:
- Go to the Students page.
- Select +Add Students on the right of the screen. Select New student.
- A pop-up box will open. Fill out the fields as follows and click Create student.
If the details of your new student are similar to an existing student within your account, you will be prompted to check.