What is Recognition of Prior Learning?
We offer Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as an assessment-only pathway for achieving a nationally recognised competency outcome.
RPL is a way to be deemed competent in a unit of competency by providing evidence to an assessor, proving your skills and knowledge you’ve gained through work and life experiences, rather than learning these competencies in the classroom.
RPL Process
RPL is a 2 stage process:
- Completing the RPL work pack and gathering supplementary evidence
- Assessment of documentation
During these two steps, there is opportunity for you to discuss questions with the assessor.
Stage 1: RPL Kit Completion
Any student who wishes to apply for RPL against a nominated set of competencies should firstly
contact us for an application form.
The completed application form should be lodged with us, together with the appropriate application fee. On receipt of the completed application form and the payment of the relevant fee we will send out a RPL pack detailing the skill and knowledge requirements for each unit of competency and examples of the kinds of evidence considered suitable. This pack contains questions to also help determine your level of knowledge.
The RPL kit will consist of the following;
- Application for RPL Assessment
- Self-Assessment Questionnaire
- Written Submission
- Third Party Reports
- Declaration Form
Please note that payment of fees and submission of an application does not guarantee a finding of competence. The onus is on the student to provide sufficient evidence that a judgement of competence can be made.
Other ways to determine competency in a unit include the use of:
- Previous training records
- Questioning (oral or written)
- Observation of performance in work-based and/or simulated environments
- Documentation prepared by the RPL applicant that relate to the learning outcomes including portfolios and written documents prepared in the workplace
Stage 2: Assessing The Evidence
It is the student’s responsibility to gather sufficient evidence to satisfy the competency requirements and to return the evidence to the assessor.
Once this process is completed, documentation can be scanned and uploaded through our
RPL Documentation Upload Portal.
An assessor will then review the evidence supplied and discuss the results with the student. The student will have the ability to source any missing evidence that the assessor requires.
Once this process is completed, the assessor will then let the student know if they are competent in the unit(s) of competency and a Certificate IV will be issued.
Why does competency training use RPL as a training pathway?
We recognise that many of our students have considerable career experience that can also be attributed to their desired training qualification.
The RPL process will recognise this experience while also allowing the students to shorten their time necessary to earn a qualification.
RPL Self-Assessment Tool
The QLD Department of Education and Training have developed an RPL Self Evaluation tool that can be accessed online. Through the use of this tool, students have the ability to select the qualification they wish to seek RPL for and go through the relevant competencies, skills and experience required for RPL. Access the tool
here.
How is RPL different from a credit transfer?
Credit transfer recognises previous formal learning (e.g. university, other qualifications). A credit transfer can occur when a student is completing a qualification and finds that units of competency they have completed in other qualifications can be crossed over.
Credit Transfers recognise that the student has already been made competent in a unit and therefore negates the need for them to complete it again. Credit transfers can reduce the amount of time for a qualification to be completed, and may also reduce the cost of the full qualification.
Please
contact us for an assessment of a previous course or subject to determine whether it can be credited to the new course in which the applicant wishes to enrol.
Want to find out more?
For further information on RPL or credit transfers, please contact us on
1300 872 585 or
info@competencytraining.com.
