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intermediate ⏱️ 12 min read

Attendance Sessions: Create, Record & Verify Presence

Set up class, practical, and exam attendance sessions, choose check-in methods (manual, QR, geo-fence), and let learners and staff check themselves in.

For: Training Providers Learners Employers

Summary

Attendance sessions are how skillSYMS captures verified learner presence for every training event—classes, practicals, workshops, assessments, and exams. This guide shows you how to create sessions, pick a check-in method (manual, QR code, or geo-fence), record attendance, let learners and staff check themselves in, handle exceptions, and review history. Verified attendance feeds directly into EISA eligibility and QCTO audit reporting, so getting it right matters.

Who This Guide Is For

  • Training providers running scheduled classes, practicals, and exams
  • Learners who need to check in to their sessions
  • Employers tracking workplace-based learning attendance

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • At least one programme configured (see Getting Started)
  • Learners enrolled in that programme
  • A device with a camera (for QR check-in) or location services (for geo-fenced check-in)
  • The Attendance module visible in your dashboard sidebar

Step 1: Open the Attendance Engine

Navigate to Attendance → Attendance Engine.

The dashboard gives you a live view of today’s sessions, check-ins, flagged records, and your overall attendance rate. From here you can create sessions, generate QR codes, manage geo-fences, and export audit-ready data.

Tip: The compliance health banner at the top calculates your audit-readiness score. Aim to keep geo-fence coverage and flag rate healthy—both feed your QCTO compliance posture.

Step 2: Create a Session

Click New Session and work through the wizard.

  1. Basics — Enter a session title (e.g. “Module 3 — Workplace Safety”) and pick a session type:
    • Class, Practical, Workshop, Assessment, Exam, Workplace, Online, or Other
  2. Course — Choose the programme and delivery mode (in-person, online, hybrid)
  3. Schedule — Set the date, start time, and end time
  4. Location — Attach a geo-fence (venue) if you want location verification
  5. Review — Confirm the details and create

Tip: Sessions automatically open for check-in near their start time. Learners only see sessions they are eligible to attend.

Step 3: Choose Your Check-In Methods

Each session supports one or more methods. Enable the ones that suit the venue:

  • Manual — Staff mark learners present from the session record
  • QR code — A unique code is generated per session; learners scan it to check in
  • Geo-fence (location) — Learners check in by confirming they are inside the venue boundary

Tip: Combine QR and geo-fence for the strongest verification. The system records a trust score for every check-in based on method and location accuracy.

Step 4: Record Attendance (Staff)

For staff-driven check-in, open the session and mark learners present, or generate the QR code for learners to scan.

To display the QR code:

  1. Navigate to Attendance → Attendance Engine
  2. Find the session and click Show QR (or use Quick actions → QR Code for the active session)
  3. Project or print the code—learners scan it with the learner app

Step 5: Learner & Staff Self Check-In

Learners check themselves in from Attendance → Check-In (learner dashboard).

They can:

  • Scan QR Code — Point the camera at the session QR
  • Location Check-In — Confirm presence inside the venue geo-fence

After a successful check-in, learners see a confirmation and their trust score. A geo result of “inside” verifies on-site presence; “outside” still records attendance but flags it for review.

Tip: Learners should allow camera and location permissions on first use. If location is blocked, the app shows a prompt to re-enable it.

Step 6: Handle Exceptions & Overrides

Not every check-in is clean. Use the Flagged Records panel on the Attendance Engine to review:

  • Check-ins from outside the geo-fence
  • Low trust-score records
  • Records pending review

Open a flagged record to review the detail, then approve or correct it. Staff can also record a manual check-in for a learner whose device failed.

Step 7: Review History & Export

Learners view their own record at Attendance → Check-In → View all (history).

Providers export audit-ready data from Attendance → Attendance Engine → Export:

  1. Choose a date range
  2. Pick a format (CSV, JSON, or PDF)
  3. Click Download

Exports include session metadata, learner attendance, trust scores, geo-fence checks, and the audit trail.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. No geo-fence attached: Location check-in is disabled until a venue geo-fence is set on the session.
  2. Forgetting to open the session: Scheduled sessions must be open (or near their start time) before learners can check in.
  3. Ignoring flagged records: Unreviewed flags lower your compliance score and can affect EISA eligibility.
  4. Single method on a high-stakes exam: Use both QR and geo-fence for assessments and exams.

Verification Checklist

Before proceeding, verify:

  • A test session is created with the correct session type
  • At least one check-in method is enabled
  • A geo-fence is attached if you need location verification
  • A learner can check in via QR or location
  • The check-in appears in the learner’s history and the provider export

Next Steps

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