# PEARS Features for Age 5-17 Subcategory Data

Two updates released in **June 2024** improve how age 5-17 subcategory data is collected and reported in PEARS.

## New Organization Setting

A new setting — **Require 5-17 Age Subcategories for Program Activity Demographics** — is available in Organization Settings. When enabled:

* If the 5-17 total field contains data, the subcategory fields (**5-7**, **8-10**, **11-13**, **14-17**) must also have data
* The total of all subcategories must match the 5-17 field total
* Applies only to new demographics entries — existing records are unaffected unless manually updated
* Defaults to **off**

{% hint style="info" %}
**TIP:** Enable this setting to ensure complete subcategory data collection. Organizations that already collect subcategory data can turn this on without affecting existing records.
{% endhint %}

## N-PEARS Export Estimation

For organizations that do not enforce subcategory reporting, the N-PEARS export now estimates subcategory breakdowns:

* The 5-17 total is evenly divided across the four subcategories (5-7, 8-10, 11-13, 14-17)
* Results populate the "estimated reach" fields in the Direct Education sheet
* Remainders are assigned to one subcategory to avoid decimals
* Existing subcategory data is never overwritten by estimates
* Estimation applies to FY 2024 data forward only

{% hint style="warning" %}
**NOTE:** The estimation is a convenience feature for reporting purposes. For the most accurate data, enable the organization setting to require actual subcategory entries.
{% endhint %}

## Related Documentation

* [Organization Settings](https://github.com/canopyllc/support-docs/blob/main/updates/manage/administration/organization-settings.md) — Enable the Require 5-17 Age Subcategories setting
* [N-PEARS Export](https://github.com/canopyllc/support-docs/blob/main/updates/analyze/n-pears-export/README.md) — Run the N-PEARS export with estimated subcategory data


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