Version Details
| Version: | 6.0 |
|---|---|
| First Year: | 2015 |
| Last Year: |
About
The Offer Details (OD) file comprises data records for all offers and responses to offers for admission to a higher education undergraduate award course made through a tertiary admission centre (TAC) or directly to a Table A or B higher education provider (provider).
The data reported in this file provides information on the offers made in response to an applicant’s preferences (e.g. field of education, preference order) as at the reference date.
Data records are included for offers to all current preferences. The preference ordinal position of the offer record is that in the current set of preferences as at the reference date.
Each unique value for Application identification code (element 700) may have zero, one or multiple records in the OD file, as each offer is reported as a separate data record.
The number of records linked to each unique value for Application identification code (element 700) will depend on:
- if an offer is made to an applicant
- the number of offers made to an applicant
- the administrative practices for recording offers.
Who is required to report it?
All Table A or B providers who receive direct applications and all TACs.
Timing
The reference and submission dates are advised by the Australasian Conference of Tertiary Admission Centres (ACTAC). The due dates for these submissions are usually released by ACTAC in the September prior to the reporting year and will be detailed in the reporting schedule when they become available.
Submission method
Providers submit applications and offers data using the Higher Education Provider Client Assistance Tool (HEPCAT). More information about this process is in the HEPCAT User Guide Part 2.
The OD file is one of three files included in the Application Details submission. The other files are Application Details (AD) and Preference Details (PD).
TACs submit applications and offers data using HEIMS Web Services. For more information refer to the Data requirements - Tertiary Admissions Centres.
Structure
Information about the structure and elements in the OD file is in the structure guidelines for the relevant reporting year.
Some data elements are discretionary. Discretionary elements should be reported unless the provider does not collect data on them.
Providers must submit data for mandatory elements - generic or ‘no information’ values should be submitted in exceptional cases only.
For providers, coding notes included on data element guidelines clarify if an element is mandatory or discretionary. For TACs this information is included in Appendix C of the Web Service Interface Technical Specifications.
Matching records
Each record in the OD file must have a matching record in the AD file and at least one record in the PD file, identified by matched values for:
- Application identification code (element 700) and
- your submitter or higher education provider code (element 306).
Records to be included
One data record needs to be included in the Offer details file for each offer made against a preference in a valid application.
Valid applications are applications from domestic applicants (element 358 - Citizen/resident indicator) with at least one current preference for a Commonwealth supported place in a higher education undergraduate award course (element 724 - Sector code and element 310 - Course of study type code).
Special cases
Offers for the following may also be reported for:
- bridging, enabling or non‑award courses on the Course of study type code (element 310)
- postgraduate courses on the Course of study type code (element 310)
- domestic fee‑paying undergraduate courses on the Sector code (element 724)
- vocational education and training courses on the Sector code (element 724
- intakes after the intake for the commencing period nearest to the reference date on the Intake date (element 709)
- preferences no longer listed on an application on Preference ordinal position (element 713)
- supplementary offers to applicants on Preference ordinal position (element 713).
Exclusions
Do not include data in the OD file for applicants who have no matching AD record.
Also exclude:
- Simulated, trial or dummy offers
- Notices of intention to offer subject to satisfaction of entry requirements as pre‑conditions to enrolment
- Duplicate offers reproduced for operational reasons (e.g. to replace lost or misdirected offer letters).
More information
For more information about terms used in these guidelines see the glossary.