Data checking tools are secure online tools to help higher education providers return accurate data.
Providers upload their data to the tool, which produces outputs that allow them to identify potential errors in their data that is used by the Office for Students or Research England. These errors can then be corrected before the data is formally submitted to either the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) or the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
The data checking tools are made available annually and providers may use them throughout the year, though they are primarily used between August and October each year.
This guide gives information about using data checking tools for:
