What Is Recognition of Prior Learning? A Guide to RPL at Eduvos.
Post by Eduvos, August 27, 2026.
Your learning journey doesn't only happen in a classroom. You can gain valuable knowledge and skills through your work, industry training, self-study, incomplete studies, and life experience.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
provides a way for this learning to be assessed and formally recognised.
What is Recognition of Prior Learning?
Recognition of Prior Learning is a process used to make a person's existing knowledge
and skills visible, assess them against relevant standards, and formally recognise
what they already know and can do.
This means your learning does not have to come exclusively from completing a formal qualification.
You may have developed valuable knowledge through years of work experience, industry-based training,
short courses, self-study, or other forms of learning.
RPL is not simply about how many years you have worked. It is about demonstrating what you have learned and what you are capable of doing as a result of that experience.
What is the difference between Academic RPL and RPL for Career Progression?
We have two RPL pathways designed to support different goals.
Academic RPL
Academic RPL is managed by the relevant academic department or faculty.
It focuses on RPL for access and admission into further studies,
as well as
Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT), where applicable.
If you have previous studies or relevant learning, this pathway may help you access further academic opportunities or have prior learning considered towards your studies.
RPL for Career Progression
RPL for Career Progression is facilitated through the Eduvos Recognition of Prior Learning Certification Centre.
This pathway is designed for people who want their existing knowledge, skills, and experience formally assessed and recognised,
particularly when their goal is career progression rather than completing a formal degree.
If your prior learning meets the relevant criteria, you can receive an Eduvos RPL Certificate
aligned with relevant National Qualifications Framework (NQF) standards.
Who can benefit from RPL?
RPL can be particularly valuable if your learning and experience have not followed a traditional academic pathway.
You may want to explore RPL if you:
- Have several years of relevant work experience
- Have gained skills through workplace or industry-based training
- Have completed some, but not all, of a qualification
- Have developed knowledge through self-directed or informal learning
- Want to progress your career but do not have a formal qualification that reflects your experience
- Want to explore further study based on your existing knowledge and skills
For RPL for Career Progression through the Eduvos
Recognition of Prior Learning Certification Centre (RPLCC),
applicants must be 23 or older and have at least three years of current,
relevant work experience aligned with the area in which recognition is sought.
What can count as prior learning?
- Workplace learning
- Company or industry-based training
- Informal study
- Working with experienced professionals
- Short courses
- Incomplete studies
- Relevant life experience
The important factor is that the learning you have gained can be demonstrated against the relevant outcomes and standards.
This is what makes RPL different from simply listing your work experience on a CV. The process looks at what you have learned,
how you can demonstrate your competence, and how that learning aligns with the relevant requirements.
How does career progression through the Eduvos Recognition of Prior Learning Certification Centre (RPLCC) work?
The RPLCC is a structured assessment process. It is not a shortcut around learning or assessment; instead, it provides an opportunity to demonstrate learning you have already gained.
For RPL for Career Progression, the process starts with an eligibility screening. You then submit information about your work experience, prior learning, short courses, or incomplete studies.
The RPL team reviews and validates your submission and may request supporting documents, references, or an interview. If your application progresses, your knowledge, skills, and
competencies may be assessed through methods such as a challenge examination, interview, work-related project,
or Portfolio of Evidence.
The outcome depends on the evidence you provide and how it aligns with the relevant learning outcomes.
If you are found competent, you will receive your RPL Certificate. If there are areas where you have not yet demonstrated the required competence, you may be offered an opportunity
for reassessment or advised on gap-closure learning or further study.
What evidence might you need?
Your experience is important, but RPL requires you to demonstrate the learning you have gained.
Depending on your assessment, you may need to provide evidence such as:
- A CV
- Academic transcripts
- Evidence of relevant work experience
- Training records or certificates
- Work-related evidence
- References
- A Portfolio of Evidence
The specific evidence required will depend on your RPL application and assessment plan.
Your experience can be part of your next step
The knowledge and skills you have developed through work, learning, and experience can form an important part of your future. Through RPL,
Eduvos provides pathways to have relevant prior learning assessed and recognised, supporting your
goals for further study or career progression.
Ready to explore how RPL could support your next step? Discover the Eduvos Recognition of Prior Learning pathways and take the next step towards having your experience formally recognised.
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