Accessing your personal learning record
Information for learners and parents about their personal learning record and unique learner number
Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales
About your personal learning record
Your personal learning record (PLR) is a permanent online record of your qualifications and achievements. It’s held by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), which is an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE).
Your PLR records general and vocational qualifications such as QCF, A levels, GCSEs, BTEC, Diplomas and Functional Skills.
Requesting a copy of your PLR
If you want to view a copy of your PLR, it is best to approach your learning provider as it can take up to 1 month for us to provide you with a copy by email.
If your learning provider cannot help you, you can download a request form and return it to us by email with proof of your identity.
Before you request a copy of your PLR by email or through your learning provider, keep in mind that:
- it only records qualifications gained in England from 2012 onwards (2014 for Wales and 2015 for Northern Ireland)
- it only shows qualifications that are regulated by Ofqual
- qualifications that are not funded by the ESFA may not appear
Previously, you were able to access your personal learning record from the National Careers Service website, however, this service was closed in October 2016.
Reporting a problem with your PLR
You can report a problem if your PLR contains incorrect information about your qualifications. However, ESFA is not responsible for investigating missing qualifications from the PLR.
If you’re enrolled/associated with a training provider, school or college ask them to raise a data challenge on your behalf through the LRS organisational portal.
If you are not enrolled or associated with a training provider, school or college, contact the LRS service desk on 0345 602 2589.
About your unique learner number
Your unique learner number (ULN) is a unique 10-digit number. Most learners aged 14+ have one and it’s designed to work with your PLR as proof of your learning and achievements.
The ESFA uses ULNs to help with effective management of information within the DfE. To understand how your data is used, read the privacy notices.
Where to find your ULN
If you’re aged 14 to 19 your school, college or learning provider can give you your ULN reference. Since March 2013, awarding organisations have started to print ULN references on certificates.
Updates to this page
Published 17 May 2018Last updated 12 August 2024 + show all updates
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Added 'Form: Request a copy of your personal learning record (PLR) by email'.
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We have published a new version of the PLR request form.
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We have updated the PLR request form.
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We have updated our guidance on how to access your personal learning record, and added a request form.
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We have updated the information under the heading "What’s my unique learner number (ULN)?".
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We have updated our contact information.
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First published.