Recognition for Prior Learning application

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL) APPLICATION FORM
Download the RPL form

You may be eligible to be granted credit toward a certificate or higher qualification, before commencing that course, if you fit into one or more of the following categories:

a/ You have studied part of a similar course previously

b/ You have completed a previous course in the same, or a related discipline

c/ You have significant and relevant work experience

d/ You have significant and relevant experience, other than work

FIRST UNDERSTAND THESE CATEGORIES

a/ You have studied part of a similar course previously

-Prior studies must normally be in the same broad discipline (eg. Horticulture, Psychology, Health and Fitness)

-Credit awarded will take into account: duration of prior studies (hours of instruction), qualification of teachers, content of the course and the results you achieved

-Prior studies in certificates with a duration of less than 100 hours are not commonly considered for credit

-Prior studies in short courses or modules with a duration of less than 15 hours are not commonly considered for credit

-Formal recognition or accreditation of the institution you studied with will be less important than the above criteria

b/ You have completed a previous course in the same, or a related discipline

-A degree or diploma in one discipline, may contribute credit toward a different discipline

eg. If research skills have been learnt in an engineering degree, you are likely to be exempt from a Research Project in any other science diploma or higher qualification.

c/ You have significant and relevant work experience

-Work experience is only relevant if it is seen as having contributed to the overall learning required to be achieved for the qualification concerned.

-The value of work experience will be based upon not only what you did, but also for how long (hours), who your “supervisor” was (and their qualifications), nature of tasks performed and diversity of work.

d/ You have significant and relevant experience, other than work

-Various other pursuits may be considered as a valuable learning experience, including involvement with clubs, associations or professional bodies, serving on committees, volunteer work or travel.

-These things must be relevant to the discipline though.

NEXT UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH CREDIT YOU MIGHT GET

We believe that it is degrading the value of any qualification if credit is given for the entire qualification based upon studies and experiences outside of that normal study program.

When a person holds a particular qualification (eg. certificate, diploma or degree), possession of that qualification indicates they have the knowledge, skills, awareness and experiences which are attained through undertaking that qualification. There are intangible benefits which come from undertaking any qualification, such as seeing intimately how a well constructed study program is composed and delivered.

In the light of the above considerations, ACS has found its credibility and reputation has been significantly enhanced world wide, by adhering to the following:

-No more than 66% credit is ever granted toward any qualification; whatever the circumstances.

-Credit is granted less freely toward higher qualifications than for lower qualifications

-The first 33% of credit granted is given on the basis that anything shown to have been achieved elsewhere will gain a full exemption (eg. If the person has adequate plant identification skills, they will be exempt from 33% of plant identification requirements in a course.

-The second 33% (up to the maximum 66%) is increasingly difficult to attain credit for (eg. If a person may already possess knowledge and skills required for 66% of a qualification, they will be unlikely to gain 66% credit. They must significantly exceed this 66% in their current abilities in order to be granted the maximum 66%)

HOW TO APPLY
Download the form now

The application process is relatively simple, and for some people, may be completed in perhaps less than half an hour. For others, it may take several hours.

There are five main things you need to submit:

1. Contact details

2. The name of the course you wish to be assessed against

3. Details of prior studies

4. Details of prior experience

5. An application fee

Make the application by filling out the following pages:

RPL SUBMISSION/APPLICATION FEE:

If no interview is required and this submission is based solely on these forms (NB: This includes a resume and references to substantiate what is written on the following pages), a minimum fee of £40 is charged for Certificate courses or £60 for Diploma courses If an interview or additional documentation is required, an additional £20 per hour fee is involved above the submission fee.

The RPL fee MUST accompany the application for RPL.

DOCUMENTATION

Copies of any certificates, courses, or any other information which you feel might aid the assessment of your request must be submitted with this application.

REFERENCES

Three written references must be submitted with this application.

The references must come from previous employers clearly stating skills learnt, duration of employment and experiences, etc.

EXEMPTION AND FEES

If exemptions are granted, fees may or may not be reduced by up to approx. £4 per lesson exempted.

APPLICATION FOR ADVANCE STANDING

(Note if you run out of room, simply attach extra sheets of paper following the same format below)

PERSONAL DETAILS:

Surname: ____________________________________________________________________________

Given Names: ___________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________ Postcode: ________________

Postal Address: __________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________ Postcode: ________________

Telephone No: Day (______) ________________________ Night (______) __________________

E mail address _____________________________________

Date of Birth: _____________/_____________/_____________

Day Month Year

WHAT COURSE DO YOU WANT TO BE ASSESSED AGAINST?

You MUST nominate a course which you are considering enrolling in

This must be a course offered by ACS Distance Education or Australian Correspondence Schools.

Name of the Course: …………………………………………………………………..

Course Code:

(if applicable) …………………………………………………..

We will evaluate your application and provide you with formal documentation of credit granted in this specified course.

We will also inform you of any adjustment to the normal course fees, or other requirements.

If we find any uncertainty in your application, you may be approached to supply further information, or answer specific questions, before the final assessment is made.

WORK EXPERIENCE DETAILS:

Indicate in the table below any work experience, either full time or part time. Include any voluntary or unpaid work.

Start with the most recent job first.

Employer Type of Work F/T or P/T Dates employed

(address, contact From: To:

name, & phone No.)

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........................ ............................. .................... .....................

OTHER EXPERIENCE DETAILS:

Examples: Attending seminars, conferences, trade shows, committee work, volunteer work, involvement with associations, clubs, societies, etc.

Indicate in the table below any work experience, either full time or part time. Include any voluntary or unpaid work.

Start with the most recent job first.

Employer Type of Activity F/T or P/T Dates employed

(address, contact From: To:

name, & phone No.)

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........................ ............................. .................... .....................

DETAILS OF PRIOR STUDIES

Modules within Qualifications Completed:

Name of Qualification	Year Completed	Name of Institution	Duration (contact hours)	Contact email/phone

Name of Qualification: State the name and course code (eg. Certificate in Horticulture C12CN002)

Year Completed: The year when this award was given to you

Name of Institution: The College, School or University name, the town/city, and the country.

Duration (Contact hours): This is the number of actual hours of lectures, workshops, practicals and anything else where you were under direct instruction from a teacher/tutor or for distance education, an estimated equivalent.

Contact email/phone: Provide an email address which can be used to contact and verify any details you submit. Alternatively provide a phone number include country and area code.

Relevant Modules within Completed Qualifications which you wish considered

Qualification Name	Name of Module	Module Duration (contact hours)	Lecturer/Teacher/Tutor And their qualifications

Lecturer/Teacher/Tutor and their qualifications. Provide the name of the person who taught this module.

Where possible, also list the formal qualifications of that teacher/lecturer (eg. Mark James B.App.Sc.,Adv.Cert.Hort.)

NOTE: Where possible, please supply photocopies of transcripts/results.

Important additional information

Check back over the application form to ensure you have included all relevant information.

Have you enclosed all letters of proof and support?
Have you filed in the sections correctly?
Have you enclosed the application fee?

You will have the opportunity to clarify points regarding your RPL assessment.

It is the responsibility of the student to show proof of experience and education. Lack of relevant evidence will not aid the process of gaining RPL

Note: The higher the qualification for which you are seeking RPL, or the higher the ASF level, the more details and proof are required to gain exemption/credit.

Qualifications or experience more than ten (10) year ago, and have not been maintained or updated, may not be eligible for consideration when assessing an RPL. However, it is still advised to mention early qualifications and experience.

RPL may be granted on parts of a lesson, or parts of a course.

HOW WE CALCULATE DISCOUNTED COURSE FEES

There are always some costs (eg. Student records and administration) which are unchanged even when you are given exemptions in a course.

As such, 15% of your course fee will not be discounted.

On this basis, if you are given exemption from 50% of studies in a certificate, the applicable fee is calculated as follows:

1. We calculate 15% of the current certificate course fee

2. We discount 50% from the remaining 85% of the current certificate course fee

3. These two figures are added together

4. Any fees you have paid for processing the RPL are deducted from that amount

Note : If paying in instalments a further charge applies:

-8% of the course cost for 2 instalments.

<A furt-A further charge applies for payment plans of more than 2 instalments.

Important additional information

Add extra copies of this last page if necessary.

Check back over the application form to ensure you have included all relevant information.

You may have the opportunity to clarify points in an interview, via a telephone, or in person.

After printing and filling out, please send to:
P.O. Box 4171, Stourbridge, DY8 2WZ, UK

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