# Taking the student register

> Academium SMS Help › Attendance
> For: School Owner, School Admin, Teacher
> Web page: https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-taking-the-student-register
> Last updated: 2026-10-06

Take your class register each school day from **Attendance → Student**.

## Taking the register

1. Choose the **class**, **section** and **date**. The date picker marks the days already taken.
2. Every student starts as **Present**, but counts as *unmarked* until you change something or confirm.
3. Mark each student:
   - **P**: Present
   - **A**: Absent
   - **L**: Late
   - **HD**: Half day (only if your school records half days)
4. To mark everyone the same way, use the option to set **everyone at once**, then change the exceptions.
5. Add a **remark** for a student if needed, such as "sick bay".
6. Save. The button shows how many students are still unmarked, for example **Save (3 unmarked)**.

The button changes colour to tell you where you are: amber while students are unmarked, blue when the register is ready to save, and green (**Update attendance**) once it has been saved before.

## Changing a saved register

A register that has been saved opens **locked**, with the message *"Attendance for this day has already been saved. Choose Edit to change it."* Choose **Edit**, make your changes, and save again.

## How attendance is counted

- **Late** and **half day** both count as attended.
- On report cards, attendance shows as days present out of days the school was open, as a percentage.

## Days you cannot take a register

Academium will not let you choose:

- a date in the **future**;
- a **weekend** (your school's weekends are set in [School settings](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-school-settings.md), so Saturday schools are supported);
- a **holiday** on the school calendar, including public holidays, which are added automatically;
- a date **outside the current term**.

## Reminders

From **11am** on a school day, **Catch Up** tells administrators and teachers which classes have **no register today**, and how many have been marked so far. The dashboard's attendance panel shows any class whose register has been missed several days in a row, with its class teacher.

## Common issues

**I cannot pick today's date.** Today may be set as a weekend or a holiday, or be outside the term's dates. Check the term dates in [Sessions and terms](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-sessions-and-terms.md) and the [school calendar](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-holidays-and-events.md).

**I cannot take attendance for more classes.** In free mode, attendance can be taken for up to five classes per session.

**Half day is not offered.** Your school's attendance setting does not include half days.

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