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X12 transaction guide · Education

EDI 138 Educational Testing and Prospect Request and Report

The X12 document institutions and employers use to request and receive testing program results and prospective student information.

Sent by
Testing service, prospect service, institution or employer
Received by
Institution, employer or testing service
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 138?

The EDI 138 Educational Testing and Prospect Request and Report is the ANSI X12 transaction set educational institutions and employers can use to request and receive results of testing programs from testing services, and prospective student information from prospect services.

Admissions offices receive test scores for applicants, and recruitment offices receive lists of prospective students who match their criteria. Loading these directly into admissions systems avoids manual entry and speeds up decisions. Requests can specify the tests and score types needed, and reports can include several students at once.

How the EDI 138 worksDiagram of the EDI 138 Educational Testing and Prospect Request and Report. Testing service, prospect service, institution or employer sends it to institution, employer or testing service. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment), ERP (Educational Record Purpose), REF (Reference Information) and the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and detail: the required IN1 loop with IN1 (Individual Identification) and IN2 (Individual Name Structure Components). 6 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 138 worksEducational Testing and Prospect Request and Report: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marksrequired1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 138SENDERTesting service,prospect service,institution or employerRECEIVERInstitution, employeror testing service997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code TTGS … GETransaction set 138ST … SEHEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentERPEducational Record PurposeREFReference InformationRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 2N1Party IdentificationDETAILRequired loop IN1 · repeats up to 10IN1Individual IdentificationIN2Individual Name Structure Components+ 6 optional loops, starting with:EMSTSTDEGSSTPCLATVBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them; when a loop is used, that first segment is required. Optional segmentsoutside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12 008010 listing for the 138. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 138 worksDiagram of the EDI 138 Educational Testing and Prospect Request and Report. Testing service, prospect service, institution or employer sends it to institution, employer or testing service. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment), ERP (Educational Record Purpose), REF (Reference Information) and the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and detail: the required IN1 loop with IN1 (Individual Identification) and IN2 (Individual Name Structure Components). 6 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 138 worksEducational Testing and Prospect Request andReport: who sends it, where it fits and what thestandard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 138SENDERTesting service,prospectservice,institution oremployerRECEIVERInstitution,employer ortesting service997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code TT (GS … GE)Transaction set 138 (ST … SE)HEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentERPEducational Record PurposeREFReference InformationRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 2N1Party IdentificationDETAILRequired loop IN1 · repeats up to10IN1Individual IdentificationIN2Individual Name StructureComponents+ 6 optional loops, starting with:EMSTSTDEGSSTPCLATVBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listedby the segment that starts them; when a loop isused, that first segment is required. Optionalsegments outside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12008010 listing for the 138. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 138, to whom, and which documents usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what X12 release 008010 itself requires: the envelopes around the 138 and the segments and loops the standard marks as required, area by area. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them rather than drawn in full. This is the standard's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: each partner's implementation guide usually makes some optional loops mandatory, restricts the codes and may use a different release.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Receiving admissions test scores
  • Requesting prospective student lists
  • Receiving results of placement or certification tests

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 138 Educational Testing and Prospect Request and Report
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 138 (X12 release 008010)

The segments X12 release 008010 marks as mandatory at their level, in order. Segments inside optional loops are needed only when the loop is used. This is the standard's requirement, not your trading partner's: each partner's implementation guide names the release it uses, adds the optional segments it requires and restricts the values. The requirement status comes from one published X12 reference listing and has not been checked against a second source.

  • ST
  • BGN
  • ERP
  • REF
  • N1
  • IN1
  • IN2
  • EMS
  • TST
  • SBT
  • RAP
  • SCA
  • DEG
  • SST
  • PCL
  • ATV
  • SE

Practical example

The 138 in practice

A college receives test scores for students who chose to send them. The testing service sends a 138 with each student's identification, test date and scores. The college's admissions system matches the scores to applications and updates each applicant's file.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 138

  • Protect students' personal data and consent choices.
  • Match test records to applicants reliably.
  • Load prospect data only for permitted uses.
  • Check which formats testing services currently offer.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 138 with ECOM

Solution

Enterprise Integration

Any-to-any integration across partners, systems, protocols, security requirements, formats and ERPs, in batch or real time.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

Solution

B2B Integration

Connect every customer, supplier, carrier and bank across EDI, API, file and portal channels.

More general questions about EDI are answered in the EDI FAQ.

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