Withdraw one or more learners from a course, either by selecting them from a list or uploading a CSV file.
✅ Before you start: You need the Admin or Manager role.
ℹ️ Note: If you're a Manager, you can only withdraw learners in the organisation units you manage. Anyone else in your list or CSV file is skipped.
⚠️ Important: Withdrawing a learner also cancels any outstanding session bookings they hold on this course, which frees their places. Attendance results already recorded are kept.
Choose your method:
- Withdraw from a list - select individual learners or use filters.
- Withdraw using a CSV file - bulk upload by email address.
Withdraw learners from a list
- Go to Catalogue → Courses.
- Find the course, click the ⁝ menu, and select Withdraw learners.
- Confirm the course and click Next.
- Select Select from list.
- Tick the checkbox next to each learner you want to withdraw, then click Next. By default, the list shows active learners currently enrolled on the course, including those awaiting approval. To change this, use the search box or the Roles, Organisation unit, Groups, User status and Enrolment status filters.
ℹ️ Note: The list shows each learner's enrolment status for this course and their last completed date. A date from an earlier enrolment is marked (previous record). Learners without a current enrolment, or without an active Learner account, are greyed out.
- Form LMS validates your selection. Review any skipped learners, then click Start withdrawal.
- Confirm the total in the popup and click Start withdraw.
The withdrawal is queued and processed. You'll see a progress screen, followed by a confirmation when complete. Learners receive the withdrawal notification email, if it's switched on for your workspace.
ℹ️ Note: A learner's licence is returned only if they hadn't started the course, or their request was still awaiting approval. Licences used by learners already in progress aren't returned.
💡 Tip: Click View summary to see a breakdown of successful withdrawals, failures, and skipped items. To download the results, click Download results CSV at the top right of the summary screen.
Withdraw learners using a CSV file
- Follow steps 1-3 above, then select Upload CSV.
- Click Download template to get the CSV template.
- Replace the example rows with your learners' email addresses, one per row in the email column. Save the file as CSV UTF-8, up to 5MB and 10,000 email addresses.
- Click the upload area and select your completed file, or drag the file onto it.
- Form shows how many emails are valid and invalid. Click Download validation issues to see any problem rows, then click Next.
- Review the validation results and click Start withdrawal.
The withdrawal process is the same as above. You'll see the progress screen and a confirmation when complete.
Alternative: withdraw from the Users page
You can also start a withdrawal from the Users page. The wizard opens empty, so you choose the course and learners in the usual way.
- Go to People → Users.
- Click the Bulk actions dropdown and select Withdraw from course.
- Select the course you want to withdraw learners from, then click Next.
From here, the process is the same as withdrawing from a list (step 4 onwards).
Something not working?
Can't find the learner? Check that the learner is currently enrolled on the course. Use the filters to search by email address instead of name.
Can't see Withdraw from course on the Users page? If your workspace manages users through the Form User API, the withdraw options are hidden from the Users page. Use Catalogue → Courses instead.
Withdrawal was skipped? Click View summary on the completion screen to see why. Common reasons include learners who have already completed the course or who are not currently enrolled.