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Version 1.2 November 2012
How to join and use the
Learning Records Service
For Awarding Organisations
Follow the steps to register and use the LRS
The purpose of this document is to take you step-by-step through the process of registering
with the Learning Records Service, selecting the business services for your organisation,
while supporting you at each stage as you go live with uploading qualification data.
Navigate this document using the links below in the process diagram or the bookmarks
panel on the left of the page.
Help and support
We recognise that you are a new customer to the service and to ensure you receive the
help and support you need; every time you contact the helpdesk, state that you are a
Developing Customer and give your Organisation Name. The helpdesk will prioritise
your query.
Step 1: Why use the Learning
Records Service (LRS)?
Step 2: Choose business services
Step 3: Sign up for selected
business services
Step 4: Design and plan
Step 5: Build solution
Step 6: Test solution
Step 7: Go live
Step 8: Load data
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Step 1: Why use the Learning Records Service (LRS)?
Return to home
The Learning Records Service (LRS) will provide you with documentation and further
information about the benefits of working with us at this initial engagement stage.
We advise that you read:
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
The Personal Learning Record (PLR) - an overview for Awarding Organisations –
introduces you to the Learning Records Service, provides a high-level overview of the
PLR, walks you through the learner journey and has supporting information.
Case Studies – read how organisations are benefiting from using our services.
Your initial contact will be your Account Manager, or you can phone the LRS Customer
Helpdesk on 0845 602 2589. State you are a Developing Customer and provide your
name, and organisation name. This will ensure your request will aim to address your query
as a priority.
Continue to Step 2: Choose business services from the LRS Service Catalogue
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Step 2: Choose business services
Return to home > Go back to Step 1: Why use the Learning Records Service (LRS)?
At this preparation stage, we guide you through the services on offer and how we can help
to ensure you choose the right ones for your organisation.
A brief description of our services for Awarding Organisations
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
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Verifying Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) – used by Awarding Organisations to
check the information given to them by their centres is correct.
Maintaining achievement data – Awarding Organisations create, update, withdraw
and reinstate Qualification Credit Framework (QCF) and National Qualification
Framework (NQF) award data to the Personal Learning Record.
Credit Transfer Query (CTQ) / Perform a credit check – allows Awarding
Organisations to find out if a learner’s claim to a specified Achievement that has been
awarded by another Awarding Organisation is valid.
Creating and updating ULNs – some Awarding Organisations need to create and
update ULNs for their learners.
Read further information about our services for Awarding Organisations in Appendix A.
Please note: we are encouraging all organisations to start using the Date of Birth and Gender fields
for verifying ULNs where this is possible. This will help improve the accuracy of the verification
process.
What you need to do next
Action
From the Awarding Organisation: Implementation Planning page, you will find these
documents to:
 Download and complete the AO Implementation Plan Questionnaire – this will help
you choose the services you require. Return the completed questionnaire to your
Account Manager. It will help us estimate the support you may need.
 Download the AO Implementation Plan Template – this is a checklist that will help
you plan key milestones and you will confirm these with your Account Manager
before starting work.
 Plan on how you will use the Event Data Challenge service. You need to complete
Section 4 of the Organisation Registration Form with your details of your nominated
contact that will be responsible for dealing with Data Challenges referred to you by
the LRS. It may be that there is no individual but a team dealing with them.
Your initial contact will be your Account Manager, or you can phone the LRS Customer
Helpdesk on 0845 602 2589. State that you are a Developing Customer and be ready to
give your name and organisation name. Continue to Step 3: Sign up for selected business services
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Step 3: Sign up for selected business services
Return to home > Go back to Step 2: Choose business service from the LRS Service Catalogue
Now that you’ve decided on the service(s) you wish to register for, you will need to complete
and return the following two forms to the LRS Customer Helpdesk.
1. Verifying Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) and Maintaining
achievement data including Credit Transfer Query (CTQ)
Action
The forms are available from the Awarding Organisations registration documents page:
1. Awarding Organisation Agreement – before you sign you must read the supporting
documents:
i.
Service Charter – sets out the levels of service in support of Awarding
Organisations, Learners, Providers and Careers Information and Advice
practitioners in their use of the Personal Learning Record (PLR).
ii.
Data Management Policy – sets out how learner achievement data supplied by
Awarding Organisations will be acquired, stored, maintained and shared.
iii.
Security Policy – security of the information stored and processed by the LRS
System and the associated services which are developed and managed.
iv.
Privacy Notice – All learners must understand how their qualification data is
used, and choose to allow others to view their Personal Learning Record. If
you do not have a direct relationship with learners, you must instruct your
centres to provide a copy of the Privacy Notice to their learners so that they
understand how their data is used.
2. Organisation Registration Form – complete all sections, including section 4 with
details of the person in your organisation responsible for dealing with Event Data
Challenges.
2. Creating and Updating Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs)
Are you an Awarding Organisation who is also responsible for registering learners?
Action
If you are, you will need to follow the instructions for New registrations to sign up and
use the LRS Organisation Portal.
Your initial contact will be your Account Manager, or you can phone the LRS Customer
Helpdesk on 0845 602 2589. State that you are a Developing Customer and be ready to
give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 4: Design and plan
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Step 4: Design and plan
Return to home > Go back to Step 3: Sign up for selected business services
You can use one of the following three methods to access and use services:
1. Portal – Single transaction: you will be using the LRS Organisation Portal to submit or
edit one record at a time via our secure Portal. There is no further work for you to do
because this is an off-the-shelf solution and you can begin right away. Continue to Step 4:
Portal – Single transaction
2. Portal – Batch load transaction: enables you to submit xml or csv batch files of
multiple records via our secure Portal. Continue to Step 4: Portal – Batch load transaction
3. Web Services: develop your own automatic system for the transferral of data in single
or batch file transactions - verifying ULNs, maintaining achievements and
creating/updating ULNs. The LRS will provide a check against your operating model
and services selection to help ensure you are using those services that make best fit
with your business needs. Continue to Step 4: Web Services
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Step 4: Design and plan continued
Return to home > Go back to Step 4: Design and plan
1. Portal – Single transaction | 2. Portal – Batch load transaction | 3. Web Services
1. Portal – Single transaction
You can now begin reading the guidance for how to use the LRS Organisation Portal –
single transaction.
Verifying Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) and Maintaining achievements
(including Perform a credit check)
 Awarding Organisation User Guide (explains how to manage your users, verify
ULNs and maintain achievement data via single and batch transaction)
Access the online tutorials for Awarding Organisations:
 Managing achievements
 Learner verification
Please note: we are encouraging all organisations to start using the Date of Birth and
Gender fields for verifying ULNs where this is possible. This will help improve the
accuracy of the verification process.
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you are
a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 7: Go live
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Step 4: Design and plan continued
Return to home > Go back to Step 4: Design and plan
2. Portal – Batch load transaction
Using the Portal – Batch load transaction facility, enables you submit xml or csv batch
files of multiple records via our secure Portal. You can download an output file for Verify
batch files and an error file for Achievement batch files.
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Verifying ULNs
Maintaining achievements (including Perform a credit check)
Creating/updating ULNs via a batch file (up to 200 ULNs can be verified and 200
achievements loaded at a time)
Verifying Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) and Maintaining achievements
(including Perform a credit check)
 Awarding Organisation User Guide (explains how to manage your users, verify
ULNs via single and batch transaction and maintain achievement data via single
and batch transaction)
Access the online tutorials for Awarding Organisations:
 Managing achievements
 Learner verification
Please note: we are encouraging all organisations to start using the Date of Birth and
Gender fields for verifying ULNs where this is possible. This will help improve the
accuracy of the verification process.
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you are
a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 5: Build solution – Portal - Batch load transaction
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Step 4: Design and plan continued
Return to home > Go back to Step 4: Design and plan previous page
3. Web Services
Web Services is a system-to-system solution for your organisation to connect with the
LRS Organisation Portal. You will need a Developer (an expert in Web services
development) to create your solution. We will provide support on issues specific to the
LRS platform. However, we cannot help with issues specific to your platform, for which
we would expect your own IT staff to be expert.
Once you’ve completed the Developer Registration Form to develop your own Web
Service for uploading qualification data, you will be able to access the Developers’
Team Site. Once you have received the login details for the Developers’ Team Site, you
will be able to access the technical documents:
Verifying Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) and Maintaining achievements
(including Credit Transfer Query (CTQ))
 Getting Started Guide for Developers
 Developing an LRS Interface Guide
Please note: we are encouraging all organisations to start using the Date of Birth and
Gender fields for verifying ULNs where this is possible. This will help improve the
accuracy of the verification process.
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you
are a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 5: Build solution – Web Services
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Step 5: Build solution
Return to home > Go back to Step 4: Design and plan
1. Portal – Single transaction | 2. Portal – Batch load transaction | 3. Web Services
Now that you have decided to use Portal – Batch load transaction or Web Services, you will
need to read the documentation:
1. Portal – Single transaction
You do not have to build a solution for Portal – Single transaction. Go back to the guidance
for Portal – Single transaction
2. Portal – Batch load transaction
Verifying ULNs
 Awarding Organisation User Guide (explains how to manage your users, verify
ULNs and maintain achievement data via batch load transaction)
 Batch toolkit for Awarding Organisations:
o Prepare a Verify Batch (Awarding Organisations)
o Schemas (if using XML)
Maintaining achievement data (including Perform a credit check)
 Awarding Organisation User Guide (explains how to manage your users, verify
ULNs and maintain achievement data via batch load transaction)
 Batch toolkit for Awarding Organisations:
o Preparing an Achievement Batch (Awarding Organisations)
o Schemas (if using XML)
o Quick reference guide - Prepare an Achievement Batch
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you are
a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 6: Test solution – Portal - Batch load transaction
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Step 5: Build solution continued
Return to home > Go back to Step 5: Build solution
3. Web Services
The following documents are available for all services, including: Submit achievement
batch, View achievement batch and Credit Transfer Query (CTQ), ULN web services;
Find by Demo, Find by ULN, Register single learner, Update learner, Submit LRB batch
and Get LRB batch output (please refer to ULN web services for more information).
The documents listed below can be accessed from the Developers’ Team Site and you
will need your login details. You will have received the login details after registering with
us as a Developer. If you have any queries about this, contact the LRS Customer
Helpdesk on 0845 602 2589.
Action
 Complete and return the Awarding Organisation Business Model Questionnaire to
Lrsbusinesssupport@llearningrecordsservice.org.uk or fax to 02476 825681 – this
completed questionnaire enables us to provide you with feedback, for example,
should any part of your solution not comply with our expected business model.
 If you are developing any of the ULN web services, you will also need to complete
and return the LRB Business Model Questionnaire and the LRS will provide
feedback on your solution.
Reference material
 Web Services Quick Reference Guide for Awarding Organisations
 Web Services Interface Specification
 Developing an LRS Interface Guide
 Testing Guide
 Test Scripts
 Software Development Kit and Guide (for Maintaining achievements only)
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you are
a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 6: Test solution
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Step 6: Test solution
Return to home > Go back to Step 5: Build solution
1. Portal – Single transaction | 2. Portal – Batch load transaction | 3. Web Services
A test environment is available should you wish to use it – information is listed below. If you
are developing a Web Service, you must undertake testing.
If you are testing Portal - Batch load transaction or a Web Services solution, you will need to
refer to your completed Awarding Organisation Business Model Questionnaire.
1. Portal – Single transaction
Testing is not required for Portal – Single transaction. You can read the guidance and
begin using the LRS Organisation Portal right away. Go back to the guidance for Portal –
Single transaction
2. Portal – Batch load transaction
You have an option to test batch loading data – this is not a requirement. However, we
expect at a minimum, that you have used the Validation tool.
Verifying Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) and Maintaining achievements
(including Perform a credit check)
 Complete the Testing Application Form to gain access to the Sandpit environment,
if required.
 We recommend you use the Validation tool to check your achievement batch file.
 Read the Testing Instructions and use the Sandpit Test Data file which contains
ULN details for your use.
 Use the Sandpit environment to test the batch files you have prepared.
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you are
a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 7: Go live
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Step 6: Test solution continued
Return to home > Go back to the previous page
3. Web Services
Verifying Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) and Maintaining achievements
(including Credit Transfer Query (CTQ))
There are two environments available for testing and you will need to complete the
Testing Application Form to gain access to either or both:


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
Sandpit environment – this is for adhoc testing to ensure your solution works.
Compatibility environment – our check that your solution meets our requirements
(Compatibility check).
Read the Testing Instructions and use either the Sandpit or Compatibility Test file,
which contains ULN details for your use.
The services that require a Compatibility check are:
o Maintaining achievements
o Credit Transfer Query (CTQ)
There are Compatibility test scripts available for Verify testing, should you wish to
use these but it is not mandatory.
Refer to the Awarding Organisation Web Services Known Defects document.
Compatibility checking
Required for Maintaining achievements including Credit Transfer Query (CTQ)
 Refer to Testing Instructions
 Complete the Compatibility Check Request Form
 Run the Compatibility Verify, Achievement batch and Credit Transfer Query (CTQ)
Test Script
 Send both of the above together with evidence to the LRS Business Team who will
check the test results and notify of any issues or provide sign off that the check has
passed
A compatibility check is not required for verifying ULNs.
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you are
a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 7: Go live
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Step 7: Go live
Return to home > Go back to Step 6: Test solution
1. Portal – Single transaction
Access was granted as part of sign up to using the Production environment, you can
begin verifying Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs), maintaining achievement data
including Perform a credit check, if you have the appropriate access.
2. Portal – Batch load transaction
Check that you have completed the following before going live:
 Have you completed testing which must have included using the Validation tool?
o If yes, you will already have access to the LRS Organisation Portal and can
begin verifying ULNs and maintaining achievement data including Perform a
credit check, if required.
o If not, ensure you have used the Validation tool and completed testing.
3. Web Services
Maintaining achievements including Credit Transfer Query (CTQ)
Check that you have completed the following before going live:
 Have you completed testing your solution, if verifying ULNs?
 Have you passed your Compatibility check, if maintaining achievement data?
o If yes, complete and return the Live Web Service Connection Form to the LRS
Customer Helpdesk, who will then process your request and provide you with
a digital certificate. If you are a Management Information (MI) Supplier, you
will need to ensure your customer understands how to complete the Live Web
Service Connection Form and what to do with the digital certificate.
o It not, ensure you have completed the above steps so you can use your new
Web Service.
o Don’t forget to update your WSDL with the production version.
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you are
a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
Continue to Step 8: Load data
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Step 8: Load data
Return to home > Go back to Step 7: Go live
Begin using the LRS Organisation Portal.
As a reminder, you can review the data you’ve submitted by using the following reporting
functions on the LRS Organisation Portal:


View submitted achievements
Report for Awarding Organisation uploaded achievements
Contact the LRS Customer Helpdesk with any queries on 0845 602 2589. State that you are
a Developing Customer and be ready to give your name and organisation name.
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Appendix A – List of services for Awarding Organisations
Business service
Unique Learner Number (ULN)
Portal – Single transaction
Web Services
Portal – Batch load transaction
Personal Learning Record (PLR)
Learner Achievement Upload
Learner Data Achievements
Service description
Service hours
Verify ULNs using one of the three services available.
24 x 7 Upload learner achievement data using Portal – Single transaction, Portal – Batch load
transaction or Web Services.
Create, update, withdraw and reinstate learner achievement data.
Verify a credit claimed by a learner for a specific QCF unit awarded by another Awarding
Organisation is valid. The check is carried out by an authorised user via the LRS Portal –
Single load transaction or Web Services.
Developer Service
Development Support for Portal –
Advice and guidance to help organisations develop an interface.
Batch load transaction and Web
Access to Developers’ Team Site.
Services
Compatibility testing and
Access to Compatibility environment.
verification for Web Services
Review and certify Web Services to connect to Production environment.
Sandpit Services for the LRS
Access to the LRS application Sandpit environment for practice, testing and training.
Application
Reporting
Management Information (MI)
reporting
Pre-defined report available.
service
Validation tool
Batch validation tool
Validates learner achievement batch files and is available from the LRS website.
UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP)
Provision of the UKRLP
The UKRLP is a web Portal that shares key information about learning providers, including
their UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN). It is used to search for learning providers’
details.
LRS Customer Helpdesk
First and second line service desk A single point of contact for customers and users of the LRS’ business services, available by
support.
phone and e-mail:
LRS Customer Helpdesk: 0845 602 2589 / LRSsupport@learningrecordsservice.org.uk
UKRLP Helpdesk:
0845 202 1600 / helpdesk@ukrlp.co.uk
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LRSBS0080
LRSBS0081
LRSBS0082
LRSBS0032
24 x 7
Credit Check Query
Reference
number
LRSBS0140
LRSBS0240
LRSBS0180 08.00-18.00
(10 x 5)
Monday-Friday
LRSBS0181 LRSBS0190 24 x 7
LRSBS0071
24 x 7
LRSBS0250
09.00-17.30
(8.5 x 5)
Monday-Friday
LRSBS0090
08.00-20.00
(12 x 6)
Monday-Saturday
LRSBS0071
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