Skip to main content
  • RTO Standards Guide
  • Accredited Course Standards Guide
  • asqanet
  • asqaconnect
Australian Government Australian Skills Quality Authority
  • Contact us
  • News & Events
  • Complaints

Main navigation

  • RTOs
    Close
    RTOs
    • What is an RTO?
    • How to become an RTO
      • Prepare your RTO application
      • Submit your RTO registration application
      • How we assess RTO applications
      • RTO application decision
    • Renew RTO registration
      • How to renew your registration
      • How we assess your registration renewal
    • Change RTO scope
      • Change RTO scope | Add training products
      • Change RTO scope | TAE Training Package evidence
      • Change RTO scope | Application process
      • Change RTO scope | Remove training products
      • When training products change
    • Withdraw registration
    • Requirements and responsibilities
      • Complying with legislation
      • Complying with ASQA requirements
      • Qualifications and statements of attainment
      • Data collection and provision
      • Other licensing and registration requirements
    • Change RTO details
      • Change business address
      • Change key staff or their contact details
      • Change legal or business name
      • Change scope of registration
      • Change to financial status
      • Change to legal entity type, ownership, and mergers
      • Changes due to COVID-19
      • Keep delivery locations updated
    • Focus on compliance - Spotlight On
      • Series 1 | Trainers and assessors
      • Series 2 | Assessment Validation
      • Series 3 | Assessment
      • Series 4 | Student support
    • Users’ guide to the Standards for RTOs 2015
      • Introduction to the RTO standards users' guide
      • Chapter 1—Marketing and recruitment
      • Chapter 2—Enrolment
      • Chapter 3—Support and progression
      • Chapter 4—Training and assessment
      • Chapter 5—Completion
      • Chapter 6—Regulatory compliance and governance practice
      • Appendix 1—Index to Standards/clauses as referenced in the users’ guide
      • Self-assessment tool
    • ASQA delegations
    • More support
  • ESOS providers
    Close
    ESOS providers
    • What is an ESOS provider?
    • How to become an ESOS provider
      • Prepare your ESOS application
      • Submit your application
      • How we assess ESOS applications
      • ESOS application decision
    • ESOS requirements
      • Legislative obligations
      • Quality of training experience
      • Maintaining your registration
      • Reporting obligations summary
      • Provider default obligations
      • Education agents
      • Tuition fee obligations
    • English-language courses (ELICOS)
    • Change ESOS registration
      • Change ESOS registration | Documentation requirements
      • Change ESOS registration | Fees
      • Change ESOS registration | Application process
    • Renew registration
    • Change CRICOS details
    • How we process applications
    • Withdraw registration
    • More support
  • Course accreditation
    Close
    Course accreditation
    • What is an accredited course?
    • Apply for course accreditation
      • Step 1—VET course concept
      • Step 2—Course development
      • Step 3—Course submission
      • Step 4—Application assessment
      • Step 5—Decision
      • Users’ guide to developing a course document
    • Manage a course
      • Amend a course
      • Cancel a course
      • Extend a course
    • Renew a course
      • Step 1—Intention to renew
      • Step 2—Course redevelopment
      • Step 3—Submit course renewal
      • Step 4—Application assessment (renewal)
      • Step 5—Decision (renewal)
    • Course owner responsibilities
    • Users’ guide to the Standards for VET Accredited Courses
      • Foreword
      • About the Standards
      • About this guide
      • National course document template
      • Standards
      • Accredited courses guide appendices
    • More support—Course accreditation
  • Training package assurance
  • Students
    Close
    Students
    • How ASQA can help students
    • Choosing a course and provider
    • Provider closures
    • Student records
    • Complaints about providers
    • More support
      • Courses and providers
  • Guidance & resources
    Close
    Guidance & resources
    • Focus on compliance - Spotlight On
      • Series 1 | Trainers and assessors
      • Series 2 | Assessment Validation
      • Series 3 | Assessment
      • Series 4 | Student support
    • Third-party agreements
      • Third-party written agreements
      • Third-party agreements for VET in schools
    • Annual declaration on compliance
    • Practical training and assessment
    • Online learning
      • Planning online learning
      • Marketing and enrolment for online learning
      • Online student support
      • Online training and assessment
    • ESOS Return to Compliance for face to face training
    • Managing natural disaster and pandemics
    • Resources
      • Users' guide to Standards for RTOs 2015
      • Users’ guide to developing a course document
      • Accredited Course Standards Guide
      • Fact sheets
      • FAQs
      • Forms
      • Guidance for Providers
      • Guides and tools
      • Presentations
      • Publications
      • Videos and webinars
  • How we regulate
    Close
    How we regulate
    • Our approach
    • Risk-based regulation
    • Regulatory priorities
      • ASQA's regulatory risk priorities 2022-23
      • Setting our Regulatory Risk Priorities
    • Self-assurance
      • Towards self-assurance
      • Draft model for self-assurance
      • Building a shared understanding of self-assurance
    • Strategic reviews
      • Past strategic reviews
    • Our regulatory practice
    • How we engage and educate
      • Provider Roundtable
      • Stakeholder Liaison Group
      • Consultation
    • Performance assessment (audit)
      • How to prepare for a performance assessment
      • During your performance assessment
      • After your performance assessment: If you’re compliant
      • After your performance assessment: If you’re non-compliant
    • Provider profiles
  • About us
    Close
    About us
    • ASQA overview
      • Our role
      • Our values
      • Key legislation
      • Our leadership and organisation
      • National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Advisory Council
      • Work with us
    • VET sector overview
      • National register of VET
      • Training Package Assurance
      • Training packages
    • Fees and charges
      • Current ASQA fees and charges
      • Annual registration charge
      • Transition arrangements
      • Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS)
      • How we consult on fees and charges
      • ELICOS fee relief
    • Reporting and accountability
      • Annual reports
      • Corporate Plan
      • Gifts and benefits register
      • Consultation
      • Service standards
      • Surveys
      • Corporate publications
      • Privacy policy
      • APS employee census results
      • Financial reporting
      • Freedom of information
      • Harradine report
      • Information publication scheme
      • Child Safety Policy
    • Contact us
      • Office locations
    • Complaints
      • Complaints about training providers
      • Complaints about ASQA
      • More support
    • Using this website
      • Accessibility
      • Disclaimer
      • Site map
      • Copyright
  • Contact us
  • News & Events
  • Complaints
FAQs
  • ASQA regulation
  • Compliance
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Compliance arrangements
    • Face-to-face teaching
    • International teaching issues
    • Regulatory issues
    • Student issues
  • Data and reporting requirements
  • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
  • Registration
  • Students
  • asqanet
  • Home
  • Guidance & Resources
  • Resources for providers
  • FAQs
  • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

  • What is Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?

    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) means an assessment process that assesses the competency/s of an individual that may have been acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning to determine the extent to which that individual meets the requirements specified in the training package or VET accredited courses.

    • formal learning refers to learning that takes place through a structured program of instruction and is linked to the attainment of an AQF qualification or statement of attainment (for example, a certificate, diploma or university degree);
    • non-formal learning refers to learning that takes place through a structured program of instruction, but does not lead to the attainment of an AQF qualification or statement of attainment (for example, in-house professional development programs conducted by a business); and
    • informal learning refers to learning that results through experience of work-related, social, family, hobby or leisure activities (for example the acquisition of interpersonal skills developed through several years as a sales representative).
  • What form of documentation should be provided when applying for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?

    You can use a variety of documentation to apply for RPL. This includes, but is not limited to:

    • records of completed training
    • assessment items
    • assessment records
    • declarations from a student’s employer, and/or
    • a copy of student records provided by ASQA.
  • Are RTOs able to provide RPL for their own trainers and assessors?

    The VET Quality Framework or the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 do not prevent RTOs from providing and granting RPL and issuing AQF qualifications or statements of attainment to their own trainers and assessors. However, RTOs must be able to provide evidence which demonstrates how competence was determined prior to issuing AQF qualification or statement of attainment. For example, the RTO must be able to demonstrate compliance with Clause 1.8, ensuring that assessment complies with the requirements of the training package, is conducted in accordance with the principles of assessment and rules of evidence. In addition, the trainer and assessor delivering the training and conducting assessment must comply with Clauses 1.13 – 1.16.

  • Can a superseded unit of competency be used toward recognition of prior learning (RPL) for a current unit of competency? (Clause 1.12)

    Yes, a superseded non-equivalent unit of competency can be used as part of an RPL process toward the award of a current unit of competency.

    However, currency is a particular risk with recognition of prior learning. Your RTO may be presented with evidence gathered over a number of years, including evidence of competency from a superseded non-equivalent unit of competency. This does not mean the superseded non-equivalent unit is not valid; however, you must ensure there is sufficient evidence of the person’s competence at the time you make the assessment decision.

    For example, if a learner is applying for recognition of prior learning for the unit SHBXCCS007 Conduct salon financial transactions and provides evidence of previously completing the superseded non-equivalent unit SHBXCCS001 - Conduct salon financial transactions, your RTO should:

    • Consider all of the requirements of the unit SHBXCCS007 and compare them to the skills awarded in SHBXCCS001 (refer to the mapping information provided within the SHB v4.0 Training Package for guidance).
    • Identify any additional forms of evidence the student could provide to demonstrate competence.
    • Ensure the total evidence provided by the learner shows they have current skills and knowledge in all requirements of SHBXCCS007.
    • Retain all evidence collected during the process.

    If the learner has been awarded a previous unit of competency which is deemed superseded and equivalent, please see ASQA’s position on awarding credit transfer here.

  • Should RTOs provide recognition of prior learning (RPL) or training and assessment for highly qualified learners?

    RTOs must develop and implement strategies for training and assessment that consider the characteristics, skill, and experiences of each individual learner. The Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 require RTOs to offer RPL to learners. RPL is an assessment-only process that assesses the competency of an individual—competency which may have been acquired through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning. This assessment seeks to determine the extent to which an individual meets the requirements specified in training packages or VET accredited courses.

  • Do I need to offer Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in one unit of competency that is clustered with other units?

    Under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, your RTO must offer recognition of prior learning (RPL) to individual learners—unless the requirements of the training package or licensing requirements prevent this.

    Offering RPL ensures the learner has the opportunity to participate in assessment that is flexible and fair. Where units, and assessments, have been clustered:

    In developing the assessment tools, your RTO should have a mechanism for ensuring all requirements of each unit of competency are addressed—for example, a mapping process. An RTO could use this mechanism to identify which components of an assessment have been addressed by awarding RPL for a unit, and which tasks are still required to be completed. It is possible the units have been clustered because of their similarities. A student may be able to demonstrate competency by RPL for all units in the cluster. For further information, refer to Clauses 1.8 - 1.12.

  • Was this page helpful?

    Share

    Print
    Australian Government Australian Skills Quality Authority
    Logo Working Together

    Footer

    • RTOs
    • Guidance & Resources
    • How we regulate
    • About Us
    • CRICOS
    • RTO standards
    • Our regulatory practice
    • Contact us
    • Students
    • Course accreditation
    • Privacy
    • Using this website

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    Logo Working Together
    Flag TI Aboriginal flag

    The Australian Skills Quality Authority acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.