Recognition of Prior

Learning(RPL)
Manual

Revised September 2012

Adult Learning and Literacy

350 - 800 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 0N4
Phone: (204) 945-8012
Fax (204) 948-1008
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/all
 RPL at Adult Learning Centres

Table of Contents ........................................................................1

What is RPL? ...............................................................................2

What are the Benefits of RPL? ...................................................3

RPL Model (6 Stages) ..................................................................5

Procedures for Implementation..................................................6

How is Prior Learning Assessed? ..............................................7

Assessing Prior Learning ...........................................................9

Canadian Labour Force Development Board (CLFDB) .............10

National PLAR Standards

10 Standards for Quality Assurance – .......................................11

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)

Forms:

 RPL Intake Form .................................................................13

 Assessment of Educational Documents
for Course Credit Transfer................................................15
 Application for Portfolio and /or
Challenge Process Assessments .....................................16
 Results of Portfolio and/or Challenge Process
Assessments ......................................................................17
 Assessment Record ...........................................................18
 Assessment Plans .............................................................19

RPL Manual 1
 What is PLAR?

PLAR is the process that involves the identification, documentation,

assessment and recognition of the learning you have acquired
through formal and informal study. The process of recognizing and
giving credit for knowledge, skills, and competencies that have been
acquired experientially, that is, through work experience,
unrecognized education or training, self study, volunteer activities,
and hobbies.

The type of learning known as prior learning, may occur:

 On the job
 In volunteer activities
 Through a hobby or interest
 In military service
 Through travel
 On training courses
 Through independent study
 Through family and life experiences

PLAR is a process that can be used to look at what you know and
what you can do. PLAR can be used to get some form of recognition
for what you know and what skills you have.

We live in a society that values a balance of both credentials and

experience. The ever-changing job market, the lack of employment
security, the speed of technology development all require adults to re-
skill and re-train more frequently than ever before. Employers and
post-secondary institutions must meet the needs of employees and
learners who require skills upgrading and/or are going back to college
or university with a wealth of prior learning experiences.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 2

 What are the benefits of PLAR for individuals?

1. Eliminates duplication of learning.

Learners should not have to re-do courses they already know. For most
adults, this shortens the route to accreditation. At the same time, the
individuals are not forced to re-take courses or information that they already
know and can do.

2. Increases self-esteem and self-confidence.

PLAR advances and enriches an adult’s learning through the promotion of

self-esteem, self-discovery, and the mobilization of resources toward self-
actualization.

3. Validates learning through work and life experiences.

Too often in our society, the only learning that is valued is that gained
through formal learning experiences. The PLAR process allows individuals
to recognize and validate prior learning achieved through work and life
experiences.

4. Identifies areas requiring further study.

Individuals are not always aware of what skills they do and do not possess.
By helping individuals pin point their areas of strengths and weaknesses, the
PLAR process allows individuals to self-determine what further work will be
needed in order to challenge successfully for credit.

5. Gains an understanding of personal strengths and likes.

Through the PLAR process individuals do a great deal of self-reflection and

identification of interests and abilities. They set goals and determine their
wants and needs in a wide range of areas of their lives. This helps them
clarify where they want to go and how to get there.

6. Encourages learners to pursue education.

PLAR can give a learner a base from which to pursue further education.
Individuals can develop goals from their prior learning, knowledge, and skills.
Life long learning is validated and offered as a possible goal.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 3

7. May reduce the cost of education.

The individual may benefit financially because she will pay only for the
learning that is required in college or university. Not all learners may save
money, however, since most institutions charge assessment fees for the
PLAR process or award “advanced standing” only.

8. Increases access.

Adult learners who might not come back for further or higher education may
be attracted to pursue credentials through PLAR. PLAR shows individuals
that they do possess the necessary qualifications to complete college or
university programs.

9. May shorten the time to complete.

When individuals are assessed for their prior learning they can receive
credits for courses, parts of programs, or a number of credits. Assessment
may allow learners the chance to demonstrate skills and knowledge through
a portfolio, challenge exams, skill demonstrations, projects, interviews, or
simulations.

10. Provides career development.

Individuals who do PLAR can expect to identify career goals, career

objectives and avenues to job advancement. When individuals clearly
understand their skills, knowledge and abilities, they identify routes to gaining
credentials and also a better understanding of the requirements of different
job categories. PLAR can prepare individuals to challenge employers for job
promotions and/or career development opportunities.

11. Eases transition to post-secondary institutions.

The PLAR process helps individuals prepare for entry into post-secondary
institutions. As people identify their learning and develop documentation to
verify their learning, they feel more comfortable with entering the post-
secondary system. As learners they perceive of themselves as being
successful and able to complete their course of study.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 4

 PLAR Model
Steps

 Pre-entry: Learner investigates PLA at college/university.

Institutions distribute information on PLA.

 Advise Learner: Learner establishes goals. Learner

meets with institutional advisor. Learner may/may not
enroll in portfolio development course.

 Prepare, Gather Information: Learner prepares for

assessment/interview by collecting and organizing
documentation, preparing for assessment. Institution
supports learner through the availability of print materials,
workshops, etc.

 Assessment: Learner submits portfolio, writes challenge

examination, demonstrates, practical skill, etc.

 Credit Acknowledgement: Credit posted to learner’s

record.

 Review Career and Education/Training Plan: Learner

re-visits plan. May revise as necessary.

Adapted from Susan Simosko and Cathy Cook. Applying APL Principles in
Flexible Assessment: A Practical Guide. London, England. Kogan Page, 1996.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 5

 Procedures for PLAR

Interest in PLAR

Contact PLAR
Advisor

PLAR information
& guidance

Self-assessment &
identification of
Demonstrate prior prior learning
learning for
assessment against Demonstrate prior
ALC course criteria learning for career
opportunities

1. Assessment of educational document

2. Complete portfolio for assessment
3. Complete challenge process (i.e. projects, assignments,
interviews, product assessment, skill demonstration, etc.
Accepted for
employment opportunity
Credits granted/not
granted

Continuous Assessment:
(Against required outcomes and their associated criteria)

Complete Courses in Selected Programs

High School Diploma

Registration at a post-secondary
institution/employment

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 6

 How is Prior Learning Assessed?
PLAR recognizes that your learning has been developed in a variety of learning
situations and life experiences. Therefore, a number of methods exist which allow
for flexible and effective assessment of your learning.

These methods include:

1. Assessment of Educational Documents for Transfer Credits

This method is used to assess courses you may have taken at a
recognized post- secondary institution to determine their equivalency to a
program in another post-secondary institution. Transfer of credit decisions
are made by teachers in the program area you are seeking credit. You
would be required to submit documentation that teachers would use in the
assessment process.

2. Portfolio Assessments
A portfolio is a detailed document in which you articulate and provide proof
(documentation/verification) of your prior learning.

Where the human resources and expertise exists, learners develop

portfolios on their own with the assistance of teachers or advisors. The
portfolio is submitted to the program for assessment by teachers who are
knowledgeable of the learning outcomes of a particular course. Most often,
this would be the faculty member who teaches the course. If the learning
you have documented is equivalent to the learning outcomes of a
particular course, you would be granted credit.

In some cases, learners enrol in a Portfolio Development Course to

complete a portfolio, which can be assessed for credit. Upon successful
completion of the Portfolio Development Course, you will have the tools
required to develop additional portfolios or to update an existing completed
portfolio.

It is important that you provide proof that learning has taken place. Credit
is granted for the learning gained from experience and is not granted for
experience alone. The process of portfolio development is a useful self-
assessment tool that can assist you in making effective decisions and
choices. It may also be used to seek employment, set goals, build on an
existing career, and/or identify your personal strengths and interests.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 7

3. Challenge Process
These are methods of assessment developed and evaluated by program
faculty to measure a learners prior learning as it relates to the learning
outcomes of a specific course in a program. The methods include:

3.1 Challenge Examinations

(i.e. oral/written tests, projects, assignments, interviews)
These are tests or projects based on the learning outcomes of a specific
course, which have been designed by program faculty to assess learning.
If you believe that you have prior learning that is equivalent to a particular
course, you will be provided with a course outline and have access to
appropriate texts and other learning materials to prepare for these
challenge examination(s). As a learner, you are required to demonstrate
through the challenge examinations that you have equivalent learning. If
you are successful in the challenge processes, you will be granted credit
for the course.

3.2 Skill Demonstrations

I.e. practical examinations, skill demonstrations, product assessments and
simulations)
This method involves practical examinations, skill demonstrations and
simulations in which you actually demonstrate your prior learning as it
relates to the learning outcomes of a course(s). In this situation, you are
provided with course materials such as course outlines and performance
checklists, in addition to texts and other course resources. Program faculty
assesses the specific learning outcomes and performance standards. If
you are successful in the challenge processes you will be granted course
credit.

It is important to note that the challenge process for a particular course

may include a combination of challenge examinations (i.e. oral/written
tests, projects and assignments) and skill demonstration methods.
Teachers determine, develop and administer the combination of challenge
methods that will allow an individual to demonstrate prior learning in the
best way possible.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 8

 Assessing Prior Learning
Learning outcomes provide guidance to the assessor in making judgments and to
the students who must aim to prove their knowledge, skills, and judgments.

The assessor should fit the assessment method to the learner and use
techniques that are appropriate to the background and characteristics of the
learner.

Assessments should always include feedback for the learner.

Self-assessment is crucial part of PLAR.

Assessment Process
1. Define Criteria: Assessor defined standards against which the evidence
presented by the student is to be judged.

2. Select Assessment Method: Which type of assessment procedure is most

appropriate?

3. Structure the Assessment: The structure of the assessment process will

vary according to the situation. In most cases it is the assessor who decides
which methods will be used in the assessment. (Review of material in a
portfolio, an oral interview, a written exercise, etc..)

4. Adapt the Assessment: Use of the fairest and most relevant techniques for
the demonstration of a student’s learning.

5. Observe the Assessment: Observation of a student’s behavior against

established performance criteria.

6. Judge the Learning: The act of judging or quantifying the student’s learning
against the established criteria and recording the results.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 9

 Canadian Labour Force Development Board (CLFDB)
National PLAR Standards

1. PLAR must be accessible and relevant to people as individuals. It must focus on the unique
needs and abilities of the individual.

2. Assessment recognition must be of learning (knowledge, skills, and judgement acquired

through study or experience) not of experience.

3. The PLAR process must be fair and equitable. It must be barrier & bias free.

4. The PLAR process must be efficient. It must make the best use of resources for the
individual.

5. The PLAR process must be effective. It must provide the opportunity for recognition of prior
learning, but it must not hold out false promises.

6. The PLAR process must be transparent. The individual must know the criteria and standards
used to assess his or her skills and knowledge.

7. The assessment must be reliable. The criteria and standards must be recognized and
respected by all the labour market partners. This principle applies to occupational and skill
standards, the learning outcomes stated for a specific course or training program, and the
credentials required for a specific job or occupational group. (i.e. it must be against criteria
that is recognized and respected by all the labor market partners.)

8. The assessment tools and their PLAR application must be valid. They must be recognized
and accepted by all the labour market partners.

9. Individuals assessing prior learning must be trained to perform this task.

10. The assessing organization must provide a number of ways to carry out an assessment.
Individuals should have the opportunity to choose how their assessment will be done. They
should receive help in making their choice.

11. Recognition awarded through PLAR should be considered equal to recognition awarded in the
traditional manner.

12. Recognition awarded through PLAR should be transferable between organizations, provinces,
and territories.

13. PLAR must be an option or opportunity, and not a mandatory process.

14. If a person is not satisfied with the PLAR assessment, an appeal procedure must be available.


Adapted from “Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition”, CFLDB # 35, January 1997.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 10

 Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
Ten Standards for Assessing Prior Learning

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

1. Credit should be awarded only for learning not experience.

2. College credit should be awarded only for college-level learning.

3. Credit should be awarded only for learning that has a balance,

appropriate to the subject, between theory and practical applications.

4. The determination of competence levels and of credit awards must

be made by appropriate subject matter and academic experts.

5. Credit should be appropriate to the academic context in which it is

accepted.

ADMINISTRATIVE STANDARDS

6. Credit awards and their transcript entries should be monitored to

avoid giving credit twice for the same learning.

7. Polices and procedures applied to assessment, including provision

for appeal, should be fully disclosed and prominently displayed.

8. Fees charged for assessment should be based on the service

performed in the process and not determined by the amount of credit
awarded.

9. All personnel involved in the assessment of learning should receive

adequate training for the functions they perform, and there should be
provision for their continued professional development.

10. Assessment programs should be regularly monitored, reviewed,

evaluated, and revised as needed to reflect changes in the needs
being served and in the state of the assessment arts.

Whitaker, Urban (1989). Assessing learning: standards principles and

procedures. (pp. Xvii). Philadelphia, PA: Council for Adult and Experiential
Learning

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 11

 PLAR at
Adult Learning Centres

Forms

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 12

 Intake Form
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)

Last Name First Name

Mailing Address

City Prov. Postal Code

Phone Ext. Fax

E-mail

Background Information About You

Academic Achievements (i.e. college, university, other post-

secondary institutions)

Employment History

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 13

Community/Volunteer/Family Experiences

Self-directed Learning Experiences (books, resources,

conferences, non-credit courses)

Courses/Learning Outcomes to which Prior Learning may apply

To be completed by PLAR Advisor/Teacher:

PLAR Action plan

Date:

Signature: Teacher

Learner

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 14

 Prior Learning Assessment
Assessment of Educational Documents for Course Credit Transfer

An official transcript and detailed course outline/course objectives must be

attached for EACH course.
 The transferred grade must meet or exceed the grade required for a pass in
the program.
 The length of time since the course/program was taken will be a factor
considered in the granting of credit.

To be completed by the learner:

Name:

Address:

Phone Number: Student Number:

I am requesting evaluation for transfer of credit for the following courses:

Course
Credit
Name & Number of Name/Number That
Awarded
Course Name of Institution Credit Transfer Is
Yes or no
Requested For
Example: Introduction to University of Winnipeg Introduction to Microsoft
Computer Based Systems Office

Student Signature: Date:

To be completed by Adult Learning Centre Education Director:

Comments:

Signature: Date:

RPL Manual 19
 Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
Application for Portfolio and/or Challenge Process Assessments

1. Credit will be awarded only for the learning which is equivalent to high school
level learning and the standards of attainment will be equal to the standards
required by the program in which credit is sought.
2. Learners may be required to provide additional demonstration of learning.
3. Names of references or employers may be requested to verify your learning.
4. Learners will be notified in writing of the outcome of their assessment(s).
5. The learners certify that all of the information/documents provided to support
the request for credit are authentic, accurate and true.

To be completed by the learner:

Name:

Student Number:

Address:

Phone Number:

I am requesting assessment of prior learning for the following courses:

Course Name Course Number

Signature Date

RPL Manual 16
 RPL
Results of Portfolio and/or Challenge Process Assessments

To be completed by the Education Director and Assessor

Student Name: Student Number:

Credit awarded: Demonstration of prior learning is complete and credit is

awarded for the course(s).

ALC Course RPL Assessment Transcript

ALC Course
Code (Credit) (Partial) Grade

Assessment Process:
Explain assessment
process.

Credit not awarded: Demonstration of prior learning is incomplete and

credit is not awarded for the course(s).

ALC Course Code ALC Course Name

Comments:

Education Director Assessor Signature Date

Signature

RPL Manual 19
Assessment Record
Learner: ALC:

PLAR Advisor: PLAR Assessor:

1. Assessment process:

2. Evidence provided:

3. Areas where outcomes have been achieved:

4. Areas where outcomes have not yet been achieved & recommendations:

5. Assessor’s comments:

Signature of Learner: Date:

Education Director Assessor Signature Date

Signature

RPL Manual 19
Assessment Plan
Learning Outcome:

Evidence of Performance:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Knowledge and
Actions Evidence Comments
Discussed/Observed

RPL Manual 19
 Assessment Plan
Name of Course:

Assessment Criteria:

Comments Additional Evidence

Evidence Provided Comments Results
Required

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 20

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Manual 20