Frequently Asked Questions

What is a golden copy?

The ‘golden copy’ is the official, master version of a record. There can only be one golden copy of each record. A golden copy exists from the point of creation of a record not just once the record is no longer used. It is important to remember that the golden copy of a record exists for all stages of its development. Therefore during the early stages of a records development the golden copy may be a draft. When a record is superseded by an updated version a golden copy may still exist for the previous version, for example with assessment regulations which are updated every year, it is not just the current regulations which have a golden copy – a golden copy should exist for each previous set of regulations, and there will also be a golden copy of the draft of the next year's regulations.

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