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CALPADS error brief · FRMT

FRMT0009

Invalid column count for file type
Severity Fatal
Error type Input Validation
Record type FRMT

Official CALPADS rule

What CALPADS is rejecting

Format for invalid column (fields) count based on file type

Focus fields

Fields validated

All SCTE fields

Recommended correction path

Suggested resolution

CALPADS SCTE correction guide · Fatal input validation

FRMT0009: Invalid column count for file type

CALPADS cannot parse the SCTE file because the submitted row structure does not contain the exact number of columns required by the current file specification.

Official CALPADS rule

Fields validated: All SCTE fields: 11.01 Record Type Code; 11.02 Transaction Type Code; 11.03 Local Record ID; 11.04 Reporting LEA; 11.05 School of Attendance; 11.06 Academic Year ID; 11.07 SSID; 11.08 Local Student ID; 11.09 Student Legal First Name; 11.10 Student Legal Last Name; 11.11 Student Birth Date; 11.12 Student Gender Code; 11.13 CTE Pathway Code; 11.14 CTE Pathway Completion Academic Year ID

The current SCTE layout requires one value position for every defined field, including positions that are conditionally blank. The uploaded record has too many or too few columns.

Recommended correction path

  1. 1

    Quarantine the rejected file

    Retain the original file, submission ID, creation time, error row, delimiter type, and export settings. Work from a copy so the diagnostic evidence remains intact.

  2. 2

    Count fields against the current CFS

    Compare the header or first rejected row with the current SCTE File Specifications. Confirm every expected field position from Record Type Code through CTE Pathway Completion Academic Year ID.

  3. 3

    Find the structural break

    Inspect the rejected row and adjacent rows for extra commas or tabs, missing delimiters, quotation marks, embedded returns, formulas, or a spreadsheet export that removed trailing blank fields.

  4. 4

    Repair the generator, not just the file

    Correct the SIS extract, report definition, or transformation rule that created the wrong column count. A hand-edited upload may post once while the next scheduled export recreates the defect.

  5. 5

    Regenerate and regression-check

    Produce a new plain-text SCTE file, verify several rows including blank optional fields, upload the scoped file, and confirm no values shifted into neighboring fields.

Where this correction sits in the 2026–27 calendar

Prepare and reconcileValidate completer, pathway, enrollment, course-completion, and SIS extract data before the submission opens.
EOY 2 submission window opens.
CDE’s recommended date for reaching zero EOY 2 errors.
EOY 2 certification deadline and cohort data-pull date; there is no amendment window.

Dates are from the current CDE CALPADS 2026–27 calendar. Verify the official calendar before acting because dates can change.

Before closing the ticket

  • Verify the accepted row in CALPADS, not only in a text editor.
  • Check whether the same export logic affects other CALPADS file types.
  • Document the corrected report version or vendor case for the next reporting cycle.

Official references and practical support

SIS and extract support

Start with your vendor’s current California/CALPADS documentation. Paths and field mappings vary by product and district configuration. Inclusion is not an endorsement; access may require a customer account. Links verified August 14, 2026.