RPL Exemptions Procedure for Humber Electrical Training

The purpose of this document is to provide support, clarification and guidance on implementing the companies’ policies regarding the recognition of a learners’ previous achievements and / or qualifications. In terms of contents the document explains City & Guilds’ Assessment Policy on RPL. Further information can be found in City and Guild’s “Recognition of Prior Learning – Assessment Policy and Guidance Document”.

Under no circumstance does the RPL process mean that a qualification assessment can be avoided e.g. exams, practical/theory tests or assignments. The purpose of this procedure is to allow an individual to avoid unnecessary learning, meaning that they can present for summative assessment without repeating learning in areas where they will be able to show that they can meet the learning outcome(s). It remains the role of assessors and quality assurance staff to ensure that learning outcomes are only deemed to have been met.

Procedure

After initial consultation with an individual in relation to the RPL process a meeting must be arranged with the owner (Richard Hanmer) within 5 days of consultation. The process will then involve the individual, owner, quality assurance staff and instructor/assessor.

Determine if an individual has evidence of having previously learnt something but has never received formal recognition for it through a qualification or other form of certification.

Obtain evidence through the City and Guilds’ RPL process. This must be assessed to the rigorous quality as evidence obtained through any other process. The assessor and quality assurance staff must ensure learning outcomes are met using evidence meeting VARCS requirements.

Example of assessment strategy:

Examination of documents

Expert witness testimony

Reflective accounts

Professional discussion

Process of assessment:

Plan with learner

Make a formal assessment decision

Feedback assessment decisions to the learner, confirming decision and giving guidance on the available options

Maintain appropriate records – to be stored in Humber Electrical Training – Teams, IQA Channel.

Ensure that the learner is aware of their right to access the appeals process should they feel the assessment decision was unfair

If an appeal is requested from the learner, then follow Humber Electrical Training’s Appeal Procedure.

Exemptions

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) describes an exemption as:

“The facility for a learner to claim exemption from some of the achievement requirements of a QCF qualification using evidence of certificated, non QCF achievement deemed to be of equivalent value.”

This means that certificated qualifications that were obtained outside of the QCF can be used as evidence for part of or all of a unit /qualification. The assessor must make sure that the components of the certificated qualification are sufficient to cover the requirements of all the learning outcomes, unit or units that it is being examined against.

Exemptions allow the recognition of qualifications (i.e. formally recognised achievements) obtained outside of the QCF; however unlike RPL, they do not attract credits.

Exemptions do not attract credit, as the skills knowledge and / or competences described in the unit will already have been recognised.

Further information can be found in City and Guild’s “Recognition of Prior Learning – Assessment Policy and Guidance Document”.