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Common Errors

Students may experience errors when completing registration that prevent the student from adding a specific course or section of a course.

In the registration menu, an error message appears in the upper right hand corner of the registration screen. The error message will include the course name and CRN with the specific error message.

Students may receive more than one error message at a time.

Review the table below to learn more about each type of error, what it means, and how it can be resolved.

Errors are listed in alphabetical order by message.

Error Message and Explanation

Action to Correct Error
Administrative Staff are reviewing your registration records at this time. Please try again later: You may have more than one active registration session open in another website tab or window. The registration system only allows one active registration session at a time. Close out of any additional registration windows.
Closed Section: The course has reached the enrollment limit. Select another course or a different section of the same course.
Closed Section (for an independent study, field study, or undergraduate research): Students are required to obtain approval for this type of course and cannot add themselves. Speak with your Advisor about your plans for experiential learning and to fill out a request form.
CRN: XXXXXX does not exist: The CRN entered is not recognized Check the CRN you entered is correct.
CRN: XXXXXX is not valid for the term: The CRN entered is designated for a different term Be sure to use CRNs for the appropriate term. Note: Fall CRNs start with 8 or 9, Winter 4, Spring 1 or 2, Summer 6 or 7.
Duplicate Course: You have already registered for this course/section.

Drop the course from your schedule. If you would like to add a different section of the same course, perform a conditional add/drop.

If you are attempting to re-add a course previously dropped, locate your Summary Panel and switch from “web drop” to “register” if seats are still available.
Time Conflict: The course overlaps with another course already on your schedule Choose courses that do not overlap.
Total Credit Hours cannot exceed Maximum Credit Hours: You have reached the maximum credit hours allowable. You may request an overload approval by your college if you plan to enroll in courses past the maximum.
You have holds which prevent registration: Explanation/details of the holds on a student’s account that block registration. Hold must be resolved with the respective office.
Course Restrictions (may start with “Invalid” or “Field of Study”): More than one of the following restrictions may exist on a course. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Attributes: The course is only available to students with a special attribute, such as University Honors (students in the honor’s program). Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Campus: The course is only available to students enrolled at one of Virginia Tech’s nine campuses. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Class: The course is restricted by class level: freshmen, sophomore, junior, or senior. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
College: The course is restricted by the student’s primary college. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Degree: The course is restricted by the student’s primary degree. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions
GPA: The course requires a specific GPA threshold. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Hours: The course requires the student to have completed a specific credit threshold calculated based on earned hours. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Level: The course is only available to students in a specific enrollment level: undergraduate or graduate. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Major: The course is restricted by the student’s primary or secondary major. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Minor: The course is restricted by the student’s minor. Review restrictions in Class Details. Choose a section/course without restrictions.
Prerequisite/Test Score: Your academic record does not reflect completion or enrollment of the listed pre-req. Select a different course. If you took the pre-req at another institution, review your transfer credit on your DARs and speak with your assigned Advisor about options.