Recognition of Prior Learning assesses the skills you built on the job instead of making you sit a course to prove them.
By continuing you agree to be contacted about your enquiry. No spam, and you can opt out any time.
No classroom, no night courses, no putting your tools down for six months.
A handful of questions about the work you actually do. No documents needed yet.
We line you up with a registered training organisation that assesses your trade in your state.
Photos off your phone, payslips, a reference from the boss. Most of it you already have.
An assessor reviews your evidence. Meet the standard and the RTO issues the qualification.
A snapshot, not a menu. What you can be assessed for depends on your evidence and the RTO’s scope of registration.
Qualification names above are examples only. Nothing is guaranteed — every applicant is assessed against the current training package by the issuing RTO, and gap training may be required.
Same qualification at the end of it. Very different road to get there.
| RPL | Enrolling in the course | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to qualification | Weeks | 1–3 years |
| Classroom hours | None | Hundreds |
| Assessed on | Work you have already done | Coursework and exams |
| Keep earning while you do it | Yes | Usually not full time |
| Nationally recognised | Yes | Yes |
| Gap training if evidence falls short | Only the units you are missing | The whole qualification |
Sample copy for layout. Replace with real, verifiable client stories before launch.
“Fourteen years swinging a hammer and no piece of paper to show for it. Sent through photos off my phone and a couple of old payslips. Had my Cert IV inside a month and my licence application in the week after.”
“I’d been running crews for years but every job ad wanted the qualification. Being assessed on what I actually do, instead of sitting a course I’d already lived, made the whole thing make sense.”
“Twelve years in aged care and I never had the Cert III. Two weeks of gathering evidence, a chat with the assessor, and it was done. Went for the team leader role the month after.”
Yes. RPL is a formal assessment pathway built into Australia’s VET system. The certificate is issued by a Registered Training Organisation under the national standards and carries exactly the same weight as one earned by sitting the course. It is not a “certificate for sale” — you still have to prove you can do the work.
Photos and videos of jobs you have done, payslips, employment letters, references, a resume, tickets and licences you already hold, and often a conversation or practical demonstration with the assessor. If you have been doing the work, you have evidence — most people just do not realise what qualifies.
It depends on how quickly you get your evidence together, and the qualification. Straightforward cases are often assessed in a few weeks. If there are gaps, the RTO will tell you exactly which units need topping up rather than sending you back to the beginning.
RPL is a paid assessment service, and the fee varies by qualification and RTO. It is normally a fraction of enrolling in the full course, and payment plans are commonly available. Whoever we match you with quotes you before you commit to anything — the eligibility check on this page is free.
We will tell you straight away rather than take you through a process that ends in a no. Assessors generally want to see sustained experience in the industry. If you are not there yet, come back when you are.
A qualification is usually one requirement of several. Licensing is administered by each state — QBCC in Queensland, NSW Fair Trading, the VBA in Victoria and so on — and they also look at things like relevant experience declarations, financial requirements and insurance. We will tell you where the qualification fits in your state’s process.
Generally no. Migration skills assessments go through the relevant assessing authority — for most trades that is Trades Recognition Australia — and an RPL qualification on its own is not a substitute for one. If migration is your goal, speak to a registered migration agent.
The work is behind you. This is just the paperwork that proves it. Find out in about a minute whether your experience is likely to qualify.
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