How verification works
Admission information is spread over many sites and changes over time. Pathly stores every requirement with its source, a status and a date, and it never hides that status.
Five data statuses
The status describes the record, not you. It decides how far the record can be trusted.
| Status | Meaning | In eligibility matching | In the AI advisor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verified | Official source, reviewed by an administrator, inside its validity window. | Used as a fact: Met or Not met. | May be cited as a fact with its date. |
| Unverified | Entered but not reviewed, or supported only by a secondary or third-party source. | Unknown. | Not used as a fact. |
| Stale | The validity date has passed or the source changed, so we cannot rely on it. | Unknown, listed as a gap. | The advisor says the data is outdated. |
| Missing | The programme expects this item but no value is stored yet. | Unknown, listed as a gap. | The advisor says no information is available. |
| Conflict | Two sources disagree. It stays unknown until an administrator resolves it. | Unknown until resolved. | The advisor reports the disagreement. |
Three source tiers
- Tier 1: an official page or document of a university, a government body or a testing organisation. Only Tier 1 can make a record Verified.
- Tier 2: official secondary material, for example a partner agency.
- Tier 3: a third-party aggregator or a forum. Useful as a hint, never as a fact.
Why a Verified record can become Stale
Deadlines are valid until the end of their admission cycle. Other requirements are valid for 180 days after verification. When the date passes, or the source changes, the record becomes Stale, your result for it turns into Unknown and the roadmap adds a task to verify it.
Try it: sign in, open Settings, move "Today in the demo" to a later date and open a programme. Records whose validity ended switch from Verified to Stale.
Four results for you
The result describes you against one requirement. It is separate from the data status.
- MetThe requirement is Verified and your profile satisfies it.
- Not metThe requirement is Verified and your profile does not satisfy it yet.
- PendingA step you planned (for example an exam) has not produced a result yet.
- UnknownWe cannot decide: the record is not Verified, or your profile has no value. This is a gap, not a failure.
Pathly never shows a single "you are eligible" verdict while any requirement is Unknown.