This article provides troubleshooting guidance for common Onboarding Wizard configuration, data and completion issues. For guidance on setting up onboarding steps, see: A How-To-Guide to the Onboarding Wizard.
Contents
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Configuration & step setup issues
- Will a learner's questionnaire answers carry over when they move to a new programme?
- When using Aptem Console, I am unable to amend details in a learner's Onboarding Wizard, why is this?
- Will updating the skills scan on the Onboarding Wizard apply to learners already enrolled on the programme?
- I have set the Onboarding Wizard to mandatory, but learners have been able to progress through it without completing all questions.
- How can I set the "Next of Kin" questions to be mandatory?
- Why am I unable to upload and save documents to the documents step of the Onboarding Wizard?
- Why am I getting an error when a learner accesses the CV step when onboarding?
- Can you clone a custom page in the onboarding wizard?
- Is there a way to enter line breaks into the Description of the onboarding wizard field type 'Title & Description'?
- Why am I seeing the error 'Current Configuration has not been applied' when trying to add custom questions to the onboarding token, and why am I unable to create new custom questions?
- Why is Cognassist registration showing blank in the onboarding step?
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Status & completion behaviour
- A learner has completed onboarding, but the Off-the-job Evidence Record did not generate automatically, why is this?
- The onboarding progress for a learner is showing as 100%, however the Onboarding Status is still In Progress. Why is this?
- Why is the National Insurance Number appearing as blank in the Onboarding Wizard for a learner?
- Why is my learner being asked to sign a document when they have completed their onboarding?
- One of our learners accidentally selected the wrong option during onboarding and is unable to change their answer as it appears greyed out. How can we resolve this?
- I'm encountering an "Oops" error at the end of onboarding. Why is this happening?
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Data, ILR & programme behaviour
- Why is the option to sign the declaration not available at the end of a learner's onboarding?
- Information from the "About You" onboarding wizard step is being pulled through from a learner's previous onboarding to their current onboarding. Why is this, and how can they make amendments?
- If a learner's programme is changed during their onboarding, will the onboarding data be brought over to the new programme?
- Where are exemption documents uploaded during the Functional Skills step of the onboarding process stored on the learner's profile in Aptem Console?
- Why do I see the "Learner has not opted to share data" error message when using the "Get PLR" option during onboarding?
- Why does a learner see a "Come back on [date] to get started" message, and does it stop them accessing their onboarding wizard steps?
- Where does the ULN number pull through from for new learners?
- How can you access documents uploaded during onboarding now that the learner is on a delivery programme?
- Can you edit answers to questions from a previous onboarding if those questions are not included in the current programme?
- Can I make individual onboarding fields mandatory?
- What status is applied to the Functional Skills section when a learner uploads a document during onboarding?
- Why can't a learner enter 0 or a decimal value in the "How long have you been at this address?" field?
- The learner is unable to enter their address on the ILR section when onboarding, and the section is greyed out.
- Why are learners unable to edit or complete questions in the Extended ILR step of onboarding?
Configuration & step setup issues
Will a learner's questionnaire answers carry over when they move to a new programme?
Answers from a custom onboarding questionnaire can carry over to a following programme automatically, but only if the new programme's questionnaire steps are configured to match the original exactly.
For answers to transfer, both programmes must have:
- The same step names
- The same question titles (including spelling and formatting)
If these match, the learner's existing answers will pre-populate when they begin onboarding on the new programme.
Note: uploaded files within a custom questionnaire step do not carry over. These must be downloaded from the original programme and re-uploaded on the new programme.
When using Aptem Console, I am unable to amend details in a learner's Onboarding Wizard, why is this?
The ability for an admin/tutor to amend the Onboarding Wizard is currently not available in Aptem Console. This can only be actioned using Aptem Classic.
Will updating the skills scan on the Onboarding Wizard apply to learners already enrolled on the programme?
Yes. Updating a skills scan in the Onboarding Wizard at programme level will update it for all learners currently enrolled on the programme.
So, if new questions are added, they'll show for existing learners as not completed, and if questions are removed, they'll be removed for existing learners too.
I have set the Onboarding Wizard to mandatory, but learners have been able to progress through it without completing all questions.
Not all questions in the Onboarding Wizard are mandatory. These include Household situation and some employment questions, so learners can move on to the next section without completing them.
Although configuring the Onboarding Wizard as mandatory prevents learners from accessing their learning plans without completing it first, this configuration doesn't affect non-mandatory questions, only the wizard as a whole.
How can I set the "Next of Kin" questions to be mandatory?
Currently, the "Next of Kin" questions are in the Extended ILR section of the Onboarding Wizard, and questions in this section can't be set to mandatory.
However, you can disable these questions and create a custom questionnaire step instead, adding the questions there and setting them to mandatory.
Before doing this, test that it works as expected using a test programme and a test learner.
Why am I unable to upload and save documents to the documents step of the Onboarding Wizard?
This is due to the custom questionnaire configuration.
If this step is enabled but there aren't any questions configured, you won't be able to upload documents to the Onboarding Wizard. Disable this step, or add custom questions to allow documents to be added to the Onboarding Wizard.
Why am I getting an error when a learner accesses the CV step when onboarding?
This step won't work unless the CV step is enabled on the programme. Edit the programme, go to the onboarding token, and enable the CV step from the Steps list.
Can you clone a custom page in the onboarding wizard?
There's no way to clone a custom page in the onboarding wizard, so this has to be recreated manually.
Is there a way to enter line breaks into the Description of the onboarding wizard field type 'Title & Description'?
Line breaks aren't available in this question type at present.
Why am I seeing the error 'Current Configuration has not been applied' when trying to add custom questions to the onboarding token, and why am I unable to create new custom questions?
This error typically appears when the total number of onboarding custom questions across the tenant has reached the maximum limit of 1024. Once this limit is reached, the system stops any additional custom questions being added and shows this error message.
If you hit this issue, contact Aptem Support. They can help identify and remove unwanted or unused onboarding questions from the tenant, which frees up space for new questions to be added.
Why is Cognassist registration showing blank in the onboarding step?
This is intended system behaviour. The following image shows the default learner view:
When the learner selects the Cognassist registration step in onboarding, they're automatically registered to Cognassist in the background, if their email, birthday and postal code are already entered in the system.
In Programme Builder, under the onboarding token, you can add a meaningful message to show whether registration is complete or incomplete (as shown below). This message then appears for the learner in the onboarding step once the registration process finishes in the background, depending on whether it was successful.
Once registered, the tutor must open the learner's profile (Console or Classic) and select Send Invitation to start the assessment (as shown in the screenshot below). The link for the assessment is sent to the learner's email.
For more information, see the Cognassist Registration during Onboarding section in our Help Centre guide: Integrating with Cognassist.
Status & completion behaviour
A learner has completed onboarding, but the Off-the-job Evidence Record did not generate automatically, why is this?
The Off-the-job Evidence Record document can only be created manually in Aptem Classic, and isn't generated after the Onboarding Wizard is completed. This is because the Off-the-job Evidence Record document belongs to the "Apprenticeship" group of compliance templates, while only the Commitment Statement, Apprenticeship Agreement, Training Plan and Onboarding templates are generated once the Onboarding Wizard is completed.
The onboarding progress for a learner is showing as 100%, however the 'Onboarding Status' is still 'In Progress'. Why is this?
This is because the learner has completed all the steps of their onboarding but hasn't generated and signed the compliance documents afterwards.
To have the learner's onboarding status change to Completed, ask them to select Finish at the end of their Onboarding Wizard steps. This generates the compliance documents for them to sign. Once they sign the documents, the onboarding status changes to Completed.
Why is the National Insurance Number appearing as blank in the Onboarding Wizard for a learner?
Make sure the National Insurance Number is mandatory option has been enabled in the Individual Learner Record step of the onboarding token for the programme the learner has been enrolled onto.
When completing this step, if a learner doesn't have a National Insurance Number, they're given a phone number to call and apply for one. A tick box lets them confirm they've applied for a number, which allows them to bypass filling in this field:
If this has been selected, this field will appear blank in the ILR onboarding step.
Why is my learner being asked to sign a document when they have completed their onboarding?
This is usually caused by a late change or addition to the onboarding configuration.
If the change was made after this learner started the onboarding process, the learner has to go back to the onboarding phase and complete all the changed steps.
One of our learners accidentally selected the wrong option during onboarding and is unable to change their answer as it appears greyed out. How can we resolve this?
Once the learner signs the ILR declaration, the information becomes locked and can't be modified by the learner. However, admins can make changes by accessing the user tab of the ILR in Aptem Classic, and selecting (and correcting) the option that needs changing.
I'm encountering an "Oops" error at the end of onboarding. Why is this happening?
Users may encounter an "Oops" error (as shown in the screenshot below) at the end of their onboarding.
If the ILR token for the current programme is turned off, but the ILR compliance document is enabled for the programme, this problem arises because learners haven't completed ILR/Extended ILR during onboarding. As a result, no information is populated in these sections when the ILR document is generated at the end of onboarding, leading to the issue.
To fix the issue, change the compliance document template from ILR Onboarding to None and None, as shown below:
Alternatively, you can choose not to generate a compliance document at the end of onboarding by selecting the following checkbox:
Data, ILR & programme behaviour
Why is the option to sign the declaration not available at the end of a learner's onboarding?
Make sure the Allow to sign without verification option has been selected in the ILR token of the onboarding Programme Builder.
If this option hasn't been selected, learners will be able to bypass the declaration without signing it.
Information from the "About You" onboarding wizard step is being pulled through from a learner's previous onboarding to their current onboarding. Why is this, and how can they make amendments?
Information from this step pulls through to the current one if the Onboarding Wizard is identical on both programmes. The learner will no longer be able to make changes to this ILR step of onboarding, so if any changes are needed, an admin will need to make them for the learner.
If the ILR hasn't been created, you'll first need to create the ILR for the learner using the edit ILR link in Aptem Classic.
You can then make the changes in the User tab.
If a learner's programme is changed during their onboarding, will the onboarding data be brought over to the new programme?
The details the learner has entered and the files uploaded during their onboarding will pull through to the new programme only if the Onboarding Wizard steps and questions are exactly the same in both programmes.
Where are exemption documents uploaded during the Functional Skills step of the onboarding process stored on the learner's profile in Aptem Console?
These are currently only visible in Aptem Classic, as the Functional Skills section where exemption documents are kept hasn't yet been migrated to Aptem Console.
Why do I see the "Learner has not opted to share data" error message when using the "Get PLR" option during onboarding?
The option to opt out of sharing data is available when the learner is registered on the LRS website. You'll need to visit the website, search for the learner's name using their ULN, and amend this option to resolve the issue.
Make sure the learner knows this change is being made, and that they agree to their data being shared. Once this option has been cleared, Aptem will be able to pull through the relevant PLR data as normal.
Why does a learner see a "Come back on [date] to get started" message, and does it stop them accessing their onboarding wizard steps?
This message is a holding banner on the learning plan and dashboard pages of a delivery programme, shown when a learner is enrolled with a start date in the future. It appears once the learner's onboarding wizard is complete and any compliance documents generated for signing have been signed. If those documents haven't yet been generated or signed, a prompt to sign them appears first, before the banner.
The banner doesn't affect access to the onboarding wizard. The onboarding wizard is a separate item in the left-hand menu, and learners can continue completing steps there, for example bksb assessments or the skills radar, provided the wizard is enabled and set to Available for user on the programme.
If a learner genuinely can't find or access their onboarding wizard steps, check that the wizard is enabled and Available for user is selected in the programme build, rather than bringing the start date forward. Moving the start date only affects when the banner clears from the learning plan and dashboard; it has no effect on onboarding wizard access.
The banner exists to stop learners starting their learning before their official start date, which would otherwise need to be treated as recognition of prior learning (RPL). Anything they need to complete before their start date should be built into the onboarding wizard, though customers should avoid including KSB-related content there, to avoid RPL implications.
Where does the ULN number pull through from for new learners?
For new learners, the ULN is created in the PLR step of their Onboarding Wizard. This can also be applied via a review, after learners have completed their onboarding.
How can you access documents uploaded during onboarding now that the learner is on a delivery programme?
To access documents uploaded during a separate onboarding programme, you need to swap the learner back to the onboarding programme, download the documents, then re-assign them back to their delivery programme.
This needs to be done in Aptem Classic.
The Stop Programme function in Aptem Console isn't currently suitable if you intend to re-apply a learner to the same programme.
The new stop programme function in Aptem Console forces a withdrawal from the delivery programme, and this causes an ILR issue since it won't be reversed when the programme is re-applied.
Can you edit answers to questions from a previous onboarding if those questions are not included in the current programme?
No, you can't amend answers to questions from a previous onboarding unless the learner is re-enrolled onto that specific previous programme. Only then can the original responses be updated.
Can I make individual onboarding fields mandatory?
Individual default onboarding fields can't be made mandatory separately. The only option is to toggle the entire Onboarding Wizard as mandatory or optional as a whole.
While some fields will stop a learner progressing if left blank, the following fields can currently be skipped:
Learner Details section
- How long have you been at this address (years)?
Employment Status section
- Job title
- Are you self-employed?
- Are you currently in full-time education or training?
If you need to capture specific data for compliance purposes, consider using a custom questionnaire step in the Onboarding Wizard, where individual questions can be set to mandatory. See: A How-To-Guide to the Onboarding Wizard.
What status is applied to the Functional Skills section when a learner uploads a document during onboarding?
In Aptem Classic, when a learner uploads a document to the Functional Skills step during onboarding, the status of the Functional Skills section on their learner profile updates to "Evidence Provided - Compliance to Check".
This status means the learner has submitted evidence and it's awaiting review by an admin or compliance team.
Note: this behaviour applies to Aptem Classic. Behaviour in Aptem Console may differ depending on your Functional Skills integration configuration.
Why can't a learner enter 0 or a decimal value in the "How long have you been at this address?" field?
The "How long have you been at this address (years)?" field only accepts whole numbers greater than zero. Entering 0, a decimal, or any non-numeric value produces a validation error.
If a learner has lived at their current address for less than a year, they should leave this field blank. The field isn't mandatory and can be skipped without affecting the rest of the onboarding wizard.
The learner is unable to enter their address on the ILR section when onboarding, and the section is greyed out.
The data for this section is taken from the learner's profile. This is to make sure only one address is used for the learner for compliance purposes.
Why are learners unable to edit or complete questions in the Extended ILR step of onboarding?
This typically happens when the learner's ILR status is QA Verified or Completed. The Extended ILR step is locked for editing when the ILR is in either of these states.
If the ILR status is anything other than QA Verified or Completed, the learner should be able to complete the Extended ILR step without any action required.
To unlock the Extended ILR:
Option 1 – Use QA Reject on the ILR
- Go to the learner's ILR in Aptem Classic.
- Select QA Reject. This triggers a tracker to be created.
- In the tracker form, set the status to Excluded and keep the tracker status as New.
- This reverts the ILR to Pending, allowing the learner to edit the Extended ILR.
- Once the learner has made the necessary updates, close the tracker.
- Proceed to QA Verify the ILR.
[screenshot: ILR QA Reject option in Aptem Classic]
Option 2 – Exclude from batch
A tutor can select Exclude from batch on the ILR page. This changes the ILR status to Excluded, which unlocks the Extended ILR step for the learner to edit.
[screenshot: Exclude from batch option on the ILR page]
Alternatively, a tutor with the ILR QA role can enter the information on behalf of the learner using Aptem Classic.