Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Information Sheet

What is Recognition of Prior Learning?

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), also known as Recognition of Current Competencies (RCC), is the formal recognition of a person’s current skills and knowledge, no matter how or where the learning occurred. RPL is an assessment process (rather than a training process) in which the individual’s non-formal and informal learning is assessed.

RPL suits people who have industry relevant:

• Work skills or knowledge

• Paid or unpaid work experience

• Life experience (such as hobbies, sport and leisure activities)

• Community work experience.

RPL could provide you with a full or part qualification and/or full or part of an individual unit and avoid duplication of training. RPL can be used to identify gaps where additional training and/or assessment may need to be undertaken to cover the requirements for a unit of competency or qualification. If additional training is required, the final outcome for the applicable unit/s can not be RPL, “RPL is an assessment-only process that assesses the competency of an individual” - ASQA.

What Does RPL Cost?

RPL Cost for Funded Students

Where students are accessing Government funding to contribute to or pay for their course of study, the full student contribution fees are due in accordance with the specific funding arrangement. Various Fact Sheets are available that outline the details relating to student co-contribution fees and RPL costs.

RPL Cost for Fee for Service Students

Where a student has entered a fee-for-service (FFS) arrangement with Strategix, the fees will be calculated as per below:

• Non-Refundable Application Fee: Invoiced prior to the commencement of the RPL process. The non-refundable application fee is equivalent to 20% of the course cost or $400 (whichever is greater)

• Course costs: Students undertaking RPL assessment will have units charged at 2 different rates depending on the outcome of the assessment:

  • If RPL is applied = 75% of unit cost

  • If RPL is not applied and/or additional training is required = 100% of unit cost.

Fees are charged based on the outcome of each individual assessment added together, minus the Non-Refundable Application Fee. Fees will be charged at several intervals throughout the RPL process:

• The Non-Refundable Application Fee will be invoiced and must be paid prior to Strategix providing you with the RPL Assessment

• The total costs of the units will be determined and invoiced after the RPL Assessment is returned and assessed. This can be paid in full or have a payment plan in place prior to the commencement of additional training (for non-RPL units) and/or issuance of your certificate.

Fee for Service student fee example:

What are the Steps?

Firstly, carefully read through this guide to ensure that you are familiar with the RPL process and understand the requirements that will determine your eligibility for RPL.

1. Advise Strategix that you wish to apply for RPL

While completing the enrolment form, advise that you wish to apply for RPL and you will be sent the link to complete the RPL Expression of Interest / Intent Form.

2. Expression of Interest/Intent

Complete and submit the RPL Expression of Interest / Intent form. The form will help you to identify what you can provide as evidence* and make a decision if RPL is right for you. A link to the form will be emailed to you once you indicate on your enrolment form that you wish to apply for RPL.

3. Payment

After completing the RPL Expression of Interest / Intent form, if you have indicated that you can provide evidence and you wish to continue with the RPL process, you will receive an invoice for either:

• The co-contribution fee for the course (issued to funded students), or

• The adjusted cost of the course and the Non-Refundable Application Fee for RPL (issued to Fee for Service students).

You will not be sent the RPL Application until this fee has been paid.

4. Complete RPL Application

To complete the RPL Application, you will need to collect documents and evidence relating to the unit/s, including but not limited to:

• Listing the qualifications you hold (relevant to the application)

• Creating an Evidence Portfolio containing:

  • Resume, relevant job descriptions and relevant qualifications

  • Samples of work or photos of work

  • Copies of emails, reports and documents created by yourself

  • Policies and procedures

  • References from employers, supervisors, managers or team leaders

  • List of employer/s who we can have a competency conversation with

  • Any other relevant documentation to support your claim from the types of evidence listed in the application.

• Mapping evidence to each unit’s assessment criteria

• Completing the declaration.

Once completed, you need to return the Application along with the supporting evidence to Strategix to be assessed by a qualified assessor.

5. Assessment of RPL

The assessor will review/assess the provided evidence and conduct competency conversations with your recent employer/s and yourself.

Feedback will be provided to you on the outcome of the assessment. Where required, you will be provided with an opportunity for additional evidence to be supplied. This will be in cases where there is not enough evidence or the evidence is not valid or current.

If the RPL assessment meets the Rules of Evidence* (valid, sufficient, authentic or current) and the unit requirements, you will be successful in the RPL process.

If the assessment indicates that you are unable to meet the Rules of Evidence and the unit requirements, or if you require additional training, you will not be able to receive an RPL outcome for the applicable unit/s.

Supporting Evidence

Supporting evidence is the information you provide to Strategix that demonstrates you have the required level of competency in the units you are seeking recognition for. The term ‘evidence’ applies to anything you produce to verify your skills, knowledge and experience, and must be matched to the elements and performance criteria of a unit.

The evidence that you provide for your RPL assessment must comply with the ‘Rules of Evidence’. This means that you must ensure that the evidence is:

• Valid: You must provide evidence that satisfies all requirements of the unit. The skills, knowledge and experience that you are claiming to have, should relate directly to the relevant unit and be at a comparable standard

• Current: You must be able to show that your skills are up-to-date and that you could demonstrate these now if required, a general guideline is less than two years old. Evidence that is older than two years must be supported by up-to-date evidence of your continued application of the relevant competence

• Authentic: You must be able to verify that the skills, knowledge and experience in your Application are genuine and the evidence you are presenting is your own work. Any certification submitted as evidence will be verified with the issuing RTO

• Sufficient: You must provide sufficient evidence for the assessor to determine your level of competency.

There are various types of evidence that you can provide (dependent on what is most appropriate and relevant to the unit) which can be gathered from several sources.

Types of Evidence

The types of evidence that you can collect and present are:

Direct Evidence: Anything that you have either produced yourself or for which you have been primarily responsible i.e. correspondence; business reports. You will need to provide 2 - 4 examples of each type of evidence to show that you have done this type of work over a period of time. It is important to verify your work as your own by getting your supervisor to confirm the evidence that you have submitted:

Indirect Evidence: Information about you to support your claim for RPL. This evidence should provide details about your duties, experience and responsibilities that are relevant to the learning outcomes or competencies of the unit and demonstrate your level of skill by you in your work:

Historical Evidence: This evidence requires you to provide evidence of past assignments, achievements and/or items completed by you that are relevant to the learning outcomes or competencies of the unit:

How Much Evidence Do I Need to Provide?

Your assessor will be looking at the quality of the evidence submitted, rather than the quantity. For your application to be successful, the evidence you supply will need to demonstrate to the assessor that you have the required skills and knowledge to meet the standards identified in the performance criteria for the unit. The evidence will also need to be verified by the assessor.

International Students

Within 14 days after the award of RPL, if it results in the shortening of the student’s course, Strategix will:

1. If the course credit is granted before the student visa grant, indicate the actual net course duration (as reduced by course credit) in the confirmation of enrolment issued for that student for that course; or

2. If the course credit is granted after the student visa grant, Strategix will notify The Department of Education and Training and The Department of Home Affairs of the change of course duration.