What is basedata?
Basedata is a file provided by awarding bodies (e.g. Pearson) that contains key information such as:
- Qualification structures
- Unit and award details
- Exam components and codes
- Centre-specific information (for BTECs or Cambridge International qualifications)
Arbor cannot automatically retrieve certain BTEC or centre-specific Cambridge International basedata, so this must be uploaded manually.
When do you need to do this?
This must be completed as soon as your dummy Arbor site is released to ensure the data is included in your migration.
You must complete this step if:
- Your school offers Pearson BTEC or Cambridge International qualifications
- You want BTEC or Cambridge International entries and results to appear in Arbor after migration
If you have already completed your live migration and still need to carry out this process, complete the steps below to import your Pearson BTEC basedata and then contact Arbor Customer Support, where we will be able to arrange a resync of your exams data.
How does this process work?
Immediately after your initial (dummy) migration, you will be able to upload your BTEC basedata into Arbor. When your live (final) migration takes place, this basedata will be used as a reference to migrate the associated BTEC exam entries and results.
During the live migration, Arbor performs a “top-up” of missing data rather than wiping your site and starting again, meaning any basedata you have uploaded will be retained and used in the process.
Importing basedata
Step 1 - Obtain the basedata from Pearson
When requesting basedata from Pearson, please ensure the correct year's basedata is provided - this will be indicated by the filename you receive (e.g. a 7B22 basedata provides the July 2022 series, 9B21 provides the September 2021 series).
Step 2 - Check the basedata you have received
Before importing your basedata, make sure that:
- You have added your school's centre number: Set up your centre
- The basedata file is in a zip folder
- The basedata is your centre-specific Pearson - uploading other basedata will not work
- You have requested and received all of the base data for the correct exam series and academic years
Step 3 - Import your basedata
For Pearson Qualifications
Go to Students > Examinations > Administration > Pearson Basedata Upload.
Click +Add and select the file, then click Upload.
Step 4 - Check your imported basedata and set up your Qualification Offering
After importing your basedata, please ensure that:
- All required basedata has been imported for the correct exam series and academic years. Any missing basedata will prevent the corresponding entries and results from migrating.
- Once the basedata has been uploaded, allow up to 24 hours for the data to refresh and then follow from Step 2 of this guide. It is important that this step is completed for current academic year entries, particularly when migrating during an exam season as you'll need to be able to make amendments to existing entries and import results files. Entries for previous years can also be set up if you choose to, however this is not essential for the results to migrate.
Once you have completed these steps, wait for your live migration to take place. During this process, Arbor will use the basedata you have uploaded to correctly match and migrate your school’s exam entries and results.
After your live migration
Once your live migration is complete and your Arbor site has been released to you, it is important to carry out checks to ensure that all entries and results have been correctly migrated against the uploaded basedata.
We recommend reviewing entries and results for a selection of students across multiple qualifications and exam series, covering each academic year for which basedata was uploaded.
If you notice any discrepancies, please contact Arbor Customer Support as soon as possible. When raising your query, include clear examples and specify the relevant basedata, entries, results, qualifications, and students affected.
Comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.