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I am unable to merge subjects in the Edit Subjects tool
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Security Update – PHP Vulnerability

We are aware of the recent critical PHP security vulnerabilities highlighted by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on 21st October 2026.

We would like to reassure customers that our main platforms, 4Matrix Cloud and 4Matrix Fusion, do not use PHP and are therefore not directly affected by these vulnerabilities.

PHP is used within some of our supporting systems, including our customer support ticketing and billing systems. Our desktop application also communicates with our sales system for licence verification. These systems do not store customers' payment details or sensitive information as part of the licence verification process.

We have been in contact with our hosting provider, Krystal, who has confirmed that the necessary security fixes have been applied to address the reported vulnerabilities.

No action is required from our customers in relation to this advisory.

We take the security of our systems and customer information seriously and will continue to monitor security developments and work with our hosting provider to maintain appropriate protections.

I am unable to merge subjects in the Edit Subjects tool

Sometimes, duplicate subjects can appear in your database which then show in tools such as Series Comparison, meaning that you are unable to compare grades because, for example, you might have a set of grades under Maths and a second set under Mathematics. In order to resolve this, you will need to merge the subjects together into one record.

NOTE: It is not possible to merge subjects across key stages, for example, you cannot merge an AS level at KS4 with the same AS level at KS5. Nor is it possible to merge the 'KS3' Subjects with the GCSE grade subjects of KS4. 

The merge function is carried out in the Admin > Edit Subjects tool.

The first thing to check is that the subjects that you're trying to merge are using the same QAN. If they are using the same QAN then the duplicate subject will appear in the 'Similar Subject' box in the bottom right corner.

You can do this by selecting each subject in turn from the list of the left and checking the QAN field in the panel that opens in the centre of the screen. If they are not the using the same QAN, adjust the incorrect version (or both if neither are mapped to the correct qualification) by using the Change Mapped Qualification button in the top right of the central panel. 

Be careful about changing the QAN for vocational qualifications as each QAN may have different inclusions status each year.  If in doubt please raise a ticket at 4Matrix Support.

If the subjects are using the same QAN but you are still unable to merge them, you might need a 4Matrix Support Agent to assist you.

It is likely that the subjects have different 'key stage' flags behind the scenes; KS3 if it has been used to import GCSE grades for Y7-9 and KS4 for Y10 and Y11. We will need to run some code on your database to change the key stage flag and this will then allow you to merge the subjects. 

 

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Article Details

Article ID:
71
Category:
4Matrix Desktop: Admin Tools
Date added:
07/12/2016 11:02:23
Views:
981
Rating (Votes):
(13)

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