Sagarika Driving School
Management System

Complete User Manual & Operations Guide

Version 1.0 June 2026 For Staff & Administrators

Table of Contents

  1. 01Getting Started — Login & Dashboard
  2. 02Registering a New Applicant
  3. 03Applicant Hub — Overview & Actions
  4. 04Documents Management
  5. 05Written Exam Management
  6. 06Theory Classes & Mock Exams
  7. 07Training Schedule Management
  8. 08Trial Schedule & Results
  9. 09Payments & Financial Management
  10. 10Expense Management
  11. 11Master Files (Vehicle Classes, Packages, Trainers)
  12. 12Reports
  13. 13User Management & Settings
  14. 14Keyboard Shortcuts & Tips
  15. 15Troubleshooting & FAQ
Getting Started

1. Getting Started — Login & Dashboard

Logging In

1
Open the system URL
Navigate to your school's URL in any modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge recommended).
2
Enter credentials
Type your username and password on the login screen.
3
Click "Sign In"
You will be redirected to the main dashboard.

Dashboard Overview

The dashboard is your home screen. It provides:

The system auto-creates all database tables on first use. No manual database setup is needed.
Registration

2. Registering a New Applicant

Step-by-Step Registration

1
Click "New Registration"
From the dashboard or navigation menu.
2
Fill Personal Details
Full name (as per NIC), NIC number, date of birth, gender, address, district, police division, AG division, occupation, mobile number.
3
Select Vehicle Class & Package
Choose the vehicle class (e.g., Light Vehicle B1) and the course package. The fee auto-fills from the master data.
4
Enter Fee Details
Total amount (auto-filled), any discount, and initial payment amount.
5
Submit Registration
A unique registration number (e.g., 00042) is auto-assigned. The applicant appears in the dashboard immediately.
Tip: Registration numbers are auto-generated and zero-padded to 5 digits. You cannot change them after creation.

Registration Fields Reference

FieldRequiredDescription
Full NameYesAs it appears on the NIC
NICYesOld (9 digits + V/X) or new (12 digits) format
Date of BirthNoUsed to calculate age
GenderNoMale / Female
MobileNoContact number — used in search
Vehicle ClassYesLinks to Vehicle Class master file
PackageYesCourse package — fee auto-fills
Total AmountYesAuto-filled from package, editable
Initial PaymentNoFirst payment recorded at registration
Applicant Hub

3. Applicant Hub — Overview & Actions

The Applicant Hub is the central command centre for each applicant. Access it by clicking any applicant row in the dashboard.

Hub Sections

Profile Header
Name, reg number, NIC, class, and package at a glance.
Action Buttons
Quick access to Exams, Classes, Training, Trial, Payments, Documents, and Edit.
Progress Stepper
Visual pipeline: Registered → Documents → Exam → Training → Trial → Complete.
Document Checklist
7 documents tracked — green check or red cross for each.
Financial Strip
Total fee, paid, discount, and balance in one view.
Detail Grid
Registration date, DOB, gender, district, occupation, medical report, and more.

Using the Modal System

Each action button opens in a modal window (overlay popup). The modal:

Progress Stepper States

StateVisualMeaning
DoneGreen checkmarkStep completed successfully
ActiveAmber dotIn progress — scheduled or pending result
FailRed XStep failed — may need retry
PendingGrey numberNot yet started
Documents

4. Documents Management

Tracked Documents

#DocumentNotes
1Birth Certificate (Original)
2Birth Certificate (Copy)
3NIC (Original)
4NIC Copy (A4)
5Medical Report
6Photographs
7Old Licence CopyIf applicable

How to Update

1
Open Documents
Click "Documents" button in the Applicant Hub or the "Update" link in the document checklist.
2
Check/uncheck documents
Toggle each document as received (check) or pending (uncheck).
3
Save
Click save. The hub's document checklist and stepper update automatically.
Exams

5. Written Exam Management

The exam system supports multiple exam records per applicant. Failed applicants can be re-scheduled for new attempts.

Setting an Exam

1
Open Exam modal
Click "Exams" in the Applicant Hub.
2
Set Exam Details
Enter exam date, seat number, exam type, DMT number, and trial date.
3
Save
The exam appears in the history table above.

Recording Results

In the exam history table, each row has quick result buttons:

Re-exam: To schedule a retake, simply add a new exam record. The old failed attempt stays in history.
Classes

6. Theory Classes & Mock Exams

Track theory class attendance and mock exam scheduling for each applicant.

Scheduling Classes

1
Open Classes modal
Click "Classes" in the Applicant Hub.
2
Set class date and mock exam date
Enter theory class schedule and mock exam date.
3
Save
Status updates in the hub button badge.
Training

7. Training Schedule Management

The training system supports unlimited training sessions per applicant with per-session attendance, marks, and vehicle tracking.

Session Types Available

TypeColorDescription
Practical DrivingTealStandard practical sessions
Road TrainingBlueOn-road driving practice
Highway / ExpresswayPurpleHighway driving
Parking PracticeOrangeParking manoeuvres
Night DrivingRedEvening/night sessions
Hill Start / SlopesAmberHill start technique
Reversing / ManeuversGreenReverse and three-point turns

Adding a Training Session

1
Open Training modal
Click "Training" in the Applicant Hub.
2
Go to "Schedule New" tab
Three tabs: Sessions & Attendance, Schedule New, Bulk Add.
3
Fill session details
Date, time, type, vehicle (auto-fills trainer), duration, notes.
4
Click "Add Session"
The session appears in the Sessions tab.

Bulk Add

For scheduling multiple sessions at once (e.g., daily sessions for a week):

  1. Go to Bulk Add tab
  2. Select session type, vehicle, and duration
  3. Enter dates — one per line or comma-separated
  4. Supported formats: YYYY-MM-DD, DD/MM/YYYY
  5. Click "Add All Sessions"

Recording Attendance

  1. Go to Sessions & Attendance tab
  2. Check the Present checkbox for each attended session
  3. Enter marks in the marks column
  4. Click "Save Attendance & Marks"

Setting a Trial Date

In the training modal, a Trial Date banner at the top lets you set the trial date directly. This also syncs to the legacy app_training table for backward compatibility.

Trials

8. Trial Schedule & Results

Manage driving trial appointments with support for multiple trials per applicant (retries after failure).

Scheduling a Trial

1
Click "Trial" in the Applicant Hub
Opens the trial management modal.
2
Scroll to "Schedule New Trial"
Form at the bottom of the modal.
3
Fill in details
Date (required), time, trial type, vehicle, examiner (auto-fills), location, notes.
4
Click "Schedule Trial"
Trial appears in the history table with status tags (Today, 3d left, overdue).

Recording Results

In the trial table:

Date Tags

TagMeaning
TODAY (pulsing)Trial is scheduled for today
3d leftTrial is within 3 days
overdueTrial date has passed without a result
Payments

9. Payments & Financial Management

Recording a Payment

1
Click "Payment" in the Applicant Hub
Opens the payments modal showing all payment history.
2
Enter payment details
Date, amount paid, discount (if any), and notes.
3
Click "Record Payment"
The balance updates automatically in the hub.

Financial Display in Hub

ColumnDescription
Total FeeAmount set during registration (editable)
PaidSum of all payments recorded
DiscountDiscount given (set in registration or payments)
BalanceTotal - Paid - Discount. Shows "PAID" when zero
Caution: Deleting a payment will increase the applicant's outstanding balance. Only delete if recorded in error.
Expenses

10. Expense Management

Adding an Expense

1
Navigate to Expenses
From the main menu, go to Accounts → Expenses.
2
Select Category
Choose from pre-defined categories (Fuel, Salary, Rent, etc.) or create new ones.
3
Enter details
Date, category, amount, payment method (Cash/Bank/Cheque/Card/Online), and description.
4
Click "Add Expense"
Expense appears in the table with month/category filtering.

Managing Categories

Navigate to Accounts → Expense Categories to:

Default Categories (auto-seeded)

Fuel / Petrol
Vehicle fuel costs
Vehicle Maintenance
Repairs, tyres, servicing
Staff Salary
Wages and salaries
Office Rent
Building rent
Electricity & Water
Utility bills
DMT Fees
Department of Motor Traffic
Advertising
Marketing and promotions
Miscellaneous
Other unclassified
Master Files

11. Master Files

Master files define the base data used throughout the system. Set these up before registering applicants.

Vehicle Classes

Defines the types of vehicles (e.g., Light Vehicle B1, Heavy Vehicle). Each class has a name and a default fee.

  • Add: Enter class name and price
  • Edit: Click Edit to modify name or price
  • Delete: Blocked if packages or applicants reference it

Path: Menu → Vehicle Classes

Course Packages

Course packages define specific training programs within each vehicle class. Each package has a name, linked vehicle class, price, and number of days.

  • Add: Select vehicle class, enter package name, price, and days
  • Edit: Modify all fields
  • Delete: Blocked if applicants use it

Path: Menu → Packages

Training Vehicles

Register all vehicles used for training with vehicle number and assigned trainer. These appear in training and trial dropdowns.

Path: Menu → Training Vehicles

Trainers

Manage trainer profiles. Trainers are linked to vehicles and auto-fill when a vehicle is selected during training or trial scheduling.

Path: Menu → Trainers

Expense Categories

Manage expense category types used in the accounts system. 12 defaults are auto-created on first use.

Path: Menu → Expense Categories

Reports

12. Reports

All reports support print (via browser print button), column sorting (click headers), and instant search (type in the filter box).

ReportFileFilter Modes
Registration Reg_report/index.php By Date range · By Reg No · By Name · By NIC
Written Test Written_test_report/index.php By Exam Date · By Reg Number · Passed · Failed
Training Training_report/index.php By Date · By Vehicle · By Type · By Applicant · Attendance · All
Trial Trial_report/index.php By Date · By NIC · By Name · By Mobile · All Trials
Income Account_report/income.php By Year · By Month · Monthly breakdown · Fine income
Expenses Account_report/expenses.php By Year · By Month · By Category · Category bar chart
Profit & Loss Account_report/profit.php By Year · Visual comparison bars · Margin %

Common Report Features

Settings

13. User Management & Settings

Changing Password

  1. Go to Settings from the navigation menu
  2. Enter your current password
  3. Enter and confirm your new password
  4. Click Update Password

Adding Users (Admin Only)

  1. Go to Settings → Users
  2. Click Add User
  3. Enter username, password, and role (Admin/Staff)
  4. Click Create User

Roles

RoleAccess Level
AdminFull access — registration, all modules, reports, settings, user management
StaffRegistration, applicant management, reports — no settings or user management
Tips

14. Keyboard Shortcuts & Tips

Keyboard Shortcuts

KeyAction
EscClose any open modal
TabMove between form fields
EnterSubmit the current form

Workflow Tips

Quick Applicant Search
The dashboard search supports name, NIC, reg number, and mobile. Type any part to find.
Status Badges
Every action button shows a live status badge — no need to open the modal to check status.
Vehicle Auto-Fill
Selecting a vehicle in training or trial forms auto-fills the trainer/examiner name.
Bulk Training Add
Paste multiple dates to schedule a full week of training in seconds.
QR Code
Each applicant hub shows a QR code with their reg number — useful for scanning.
Print Any Report
Every report page has a Print button that produces a clean, professional output.
Help

15. Troubleshooting & FAQ

A blank page or error after clicking a button

Try these steps:

  1. Refresh the page (F5 or Ctrl+R)
  2. Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete)
  3. Check if your session expired — log out and log back in
  4. Contact your system administrator if the error persists
Cannot delete a vehicle class or package

Deletion is blocked when other records reference the item. For example:

  • A vehicle class cannot be deleted if packages or applicants use it
  • A package cannot be deleted if applicants are registered under it
  • An expense category cannot be deleted if expenses are recorded under it

You must first reassign or delete the dependent records.

Modal not loading or showing a blank frame

This usually means the PHP file has an error. Check:

  1. Ensure config.php is present in the parent directory
  2. Check that all required PHP files exist (e.g., trial.php, training.php)
  3. Verify database connection settings in config.php
  4. Check server error logs for PHP errors
Training sessions not appearing in the report

Ensure sessions are saved using the "Save Attendance & Marks" button in the training modal. Sessions are stored in the app_training_sessions table. If the table is empty, check that training.php is properly creating records.

Trial date not showing in the hub stepper

The stepper reads from the app_trials table (not the legacy app_training.trial_date). Ensure you schedule trials using the Trial modal (click the Trial button in the hub), not through the old training page field.

How do I backup the system?

Back up two things:

  1. Database: Export using phpMyAdmin or mysqldump
  2. Files: Download all PHP files from the server

Recommended: Schedule daily automated database backups via cPanel or cron job.

Can multiple users access the system simultaneously?

Yes. The system supports concurrent access. Each user should have their own login credentials. Changes made by one user are immediately visible to others after page refresh.

What browsers are supported?

The system works on all modern browsers:

  • Google Chrome (recommended)
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Apple Safari

Internet Explorer is not supported.

Sagarika Driving School Management System

User Manual v1.0 — June 2026

For technical support, contact your system administrator.