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Credit transfer, RPL, and VET

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Updated 12 Jun 2024

NESA has published its clarified requirements for credit transfer towards the HSC and for credit transfer and/or RPL within VET courses.

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Sections 12, 95 and 95A of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) set out the curriculum requirements and eligibility requirements for the award of the HSC.

About credit transfer, RPL, and VET

  1. Credit transfer and recognition of prior learning (RPL) are 2 ways students can have their previous learning count towards the completion of HSC. This includes formal, informal, or non-formal learning gained through past education and/or training programs undertaken in Australia or overseas, or through life and work experience.
  2. Students can be granted:
    1. Credit transfer towards the HSC. This provides students with credit that counts towards the student’s pattern of study as Board Endorsed units.
    2. Credit transfer and/or RPL within VET courses developed or endorsed by NESA. This provides students with credit that counts towards AQF VET qualifications and/or Stage 5 or Stage 6 course requirements.
  3. For any given AQF VET qualification, students can either apply for credit transfer towards the HSC or credit transfer and/or RPL within VET courses, but not both.

Categories

HSC credentialHSC (curriculum)PreliminaryVET

About credit transfer

  1. Credit transfer is for students’ seeking recognition for formal learning completed within the previous 5 years.
  2. Where a student’s application for credit transfer is approved, the units of credit granted will count as Board Endorsed units towards the student’s pattern of study.
  3. Students may apply for credit transfer:
    1. when entering the NSW education system for the first time
    2. when re-entering the NSW education system after a period of absence
    3. while undertaking Stage 6 courses
    4. while independently undertaking a course with TAFE NSW or another registered training organisation (RTO) concurrently with their NESA courses.

Formal learning criteria for credit transfer

  1. For NESA to approve credit transfer of formal learning, the formal learning must:
    1. be a TAFE course or a course completed with another recognised education and/or training provider; and
    2. contain specific learning outcomes, and a well-defined knowledge, skills and understanding component; and
    3. be comparable in depth of treatment with those VET courses which NESA develops and/or endorses; and
    4. equate to NESA indicative hours for the credit unit value sought.

Limitations on credit transfer

  1. NESA will:
    1. grant a minimum credit transfer of 2 units (120 indicative hours of study)
    2. grant a maximum credit transfer of 6 Preliminary units
    3. grant a maximum credit transfer of 4 HSC units
    4. allow a 5-year accumulation period of time between the completion of the course that a student is seeking credit for, and the year the first HSC course is completed.
  2. NESA will not approve credit transfer for a course that has been credentialled as part of a student’s Stage 5 pattern of study, or as part of a credential at a similar level to Stage 5 in another school system interstate or overseas.

Applying for credit transfer

  1. Credit transfer applications must be submitted to NESA by principals on behalf of students.
  2. Principals must:
    1. advise students about credit transfer provisions
    2. advise students about implications for pattern of study requirements and the ATAR
    3. complete the Application to NESA for credit transfer form, and send to records@nesa.nsw.edu.au, and
    4. retain certified copies of all supporting documentation for the units of credit sought for a minimum period of 24 months.
  3. Students seeking credit transfer must:
    1. take responsibility for knowing and adhering to the formal learning criteria; implications for pattern of study requirements; and implications for the ATAR
    2. provide certified copies of relevant documentation as supporting evidence of completion of formal learning to their principal – including course content, hours of study, result notices, and certificates.
  4. NESA will make a determination about credit transfer based on the principal’s recommendation.
  5. Where credit transfer is granted, principals must:
    1. produce a new Confirmation of Entry, and
    2. retain a student’s correct, signed Confirmation of Entry for a minimum period of 24 months.

Appealing a credit transfer determination

  1. Students may appeal to NESA for a review of its credit transfer determination.
  2. Principals must submit the appeal to NESA on behalf of the student.
  3. The appeal must:
    1. be endorsed by the principal in writing
    2. include additional supporting documentation, and
    3. be sent to records@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Provisional approval of credit transfer

  1. When making decisions about their Stage 6 pattern of study, students may choose to investigate credit transfer options with their principal for intended study of a nationally recognised AQF VET qualification from a Training Package or accredited course that is not already available through Loading .
  2. Provisional credit transfer will not count towards a pattern of study until the AQF VET qualification has been achieved.
  3. Principals may:
    1. seek provisional approval from NESA for potential credit transfer, if the principal believes that the student has a reasonable chance of achieving the AQF VET qualification while also at school
    2. contact NESA to seek further information – the Vocational Education team if they have any questions about AQF VET qualifications from a Training Package or accredited course (curriculum@nesa.nsw.edu.au), and Student Records if they have any questions about the application process (records@nesa.nsw.edu.au).
  4. Applications for provisional approval of credit transfer must be submitted to NESA by principals on behalf of students.
  5. Principals must:
    1. complete the Application to NESA for provisional approval of credit transfer for intended study of an AQF VET qualification form and send to records@nesa.nsw.edu.au
    2. provide to NESA once the student has finished, certified copies of documentation as evidence of achievement of the AQF VET qualification, along with a copy of the provisional approval notification
    3. retain certified copies of all completed applications, supporting documentation and provisional approval notifications for a minimum period of 24 months.
  6. To be granted credit transfer following provisional approval, students must:
    1. satisfactorily meet all formal learning criteria and achieve the AQF VET qualification
    2. provide certified copies of relevant documentation as supporting evidence of achievement of the AQF VET qualification to their principal – including course content, hours of study, result notices, certificate and transcript of competencies achieved.
  7. NESA will:
    1. assess the application for provisional approval and determine whether potential credit transfer will be granted
    2. contact and discuss with the principal where provisional approval is not able to be granted
    3. grant credit transfer and update the student’s record once the student has finished their study, and the school has submitted evidence of achievement of the AQF VET qualification. Credit transfer will only be granted if a principal submits evidence of achievement that is in accordance with the details provided in the application for provisional approval, along with the provisional approval notification.

Credentialling credit transfers

  1. NESA approved credit transfers count as Board Endorsed units in the Preliminary and HSC pattern of study and are reported as ‘Credit Transfer Units’ on the RoSA and HSC.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For credit transfer towards the HSC enquiries, please contact Student Records on (02) 9367 8001 or by email at records@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Categories

HSC credentialHSC (curriculum)VETPreliminary

About credit transfer and/or RPL within VET courses developed or endorsed by NESA

  1. Credit transfer and RPL within VET courses allows students to have their previous learning (formal, informal, or non-formal) count towards the completion of Loading  or Loading  VET courses and AQF VET qualifications.
  2. Students can be granted credit (credit transfer or RPL) for:
    1. units of competency in AQF VET qualifications
    2. VET course requirements including:
      1. indicative hour requirements of Stage 5 or Stage 6 VET courses
      2. VET course outcomes and HSC content in Stage 6 VET Industry Curriculum Frameworks (Loading )
      3. mandatory work placement requirements (RPL only).
  3. Principals have delegated authority from NESA to assess and approve applications for credit transfer or RPL for VET course requirements.  Determination of credit transfer or RPL for units of competency must be made by an RTO with the AQF VET qualification on its scope of registration.

Applying for credit transfer and/or RPL within VET courses

  1. Students seeking credit transfer and/or RPL within VET courses are responsible for:
    1. initiating an application with the school and/or RTO delivering the Stage 5 or Stage 6 VET course
    2. providing certified copies of relevant documentation as supporting evidence to the school and/or RTO including:
      1. for credit transfer, the AQF VET Certificate and Transcript of Competencies achieved and/or AQF VET Statement of Attainment showing competencies achieved
      2. for RPL, documented evidence of the formal, informal or non-formal learning previously completed.
  2. Schools and RTOs must:
    1. support students in completing the Loading  form
    2. review students’ application for credit transfer and/or RPL
    3. retain certified copies of all completed applications and supporting documentation for a minimum period of 24 months
    4. advise students’, in writing, on the result of their application.
  3. Where credit transfer and/or RPL is granted, schools and RTOs must liaise about information that needs to be entered in Loading .

Credit transfer and RPL for units of competency common across multiple VET courses

  1. For students undertaking multiple VET courses, the same unit of competency may be included in more than one VET course.
  2. Where a student is granted credit transfer or RPL for a unit of competency that is included in more than one VET course, they may be required to undertake additional units of competency to meet the course indicative hour requirements1.

Credit transfer, RPL, and HSC Content in Frameworks

  1. Where a unit of competency associated with an HSC focus area (HSC Content) has been awarded through credit transfer or RPL in a Framework course, the school/RTO is responsible for determining any gaps in the prescribed scope of learning detailed in the HSC Content and for providing a program which enables the student to address the identified gaps.

Credit transfer, RPL, and the HSC VET exam

  1. Students who have been granted credit transfer and/or RPL for some or all units of competency in a Loading  course are eligible to sit the HSC VET exam provided they meet the requirements of the corresponding 240-hour course2.
  2. For students who have been granted credit transfer and/or RPL for some or all of the HSC focus areas associated units of competency, the school/RTO delivering the Frameworks course must:
    1. support exam preparation for students who intend to sit the HSC VET exam
    2. enter an estimated HSC exam mark in Loading  for all students entered for the HSC VET exam by the due date outlined in the Loading .

RPL for mandatory work placement requirements

  1. RPL may be granted for mandatory work placement requirements. Students’ outside employment (ie not under the auspices of the school) may be recognised towards the requirement for work placement in a VET course.
  2. Credit transfer cannot be granted for work placement as no formal learning and assessment program is deemed to be equivalent.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For enquiries about credit transfer and/or RPL within VET courses developed or endorsed by NESA, please contact the Vocational Education team by email at curriculum@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. Schools/RTOs must check exclusions outlined in VET Framework syllabuses and/or VET BEC course descriptions.

  2. Eligibility for the Human Services exam is completion of the 240- or 360-hour course.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

The policy framework that defines all qualifications recognised nationally in post-compulsory education and training in Australia.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

HSC results are used by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) to calculate a rank order of students known as the ATAR. It is a ranking system used to allocate university placements.

Certificate (VET)

A formal document that recognises a student's vocational achievement towards a nationally recognised AQF VET qualification.

Confirmation of Entry

A report generated by schools, using Schools Online, for each student. It contains: a student's personal details, their NESA student number, courses, and whether or not they are eligible for the HSC and an ATAR.

credit transfer (VET)

Granted by a registered training organisation (RTO) to students for units of competency (unit) completed at the same or another RTO.

formal learning

Learning that takes place through a structured program of instruction, which is generally recognised by the attainment of a formal qualification.

HSC exam mark

The exam mark for each course shows the student's performance in the HSC exam for that course.

HSC focus area

HSC content within VET Frameworks is organised into focus areas. Each focus area draws content from associated unit(s) of competency and prescribes the scope of learning for the HSC.

informal learning

Learning gained through work, social, family, hobby or leisure activities and experiences. Unlike formal or non-formal learning, informal learning is not organised or externally structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support.

non-formal learning

Learning that takes place through a program of instruction but does not usually lead to the attainment of a formal qualification.

recognition of prior learning (RPL)

An assessment process that recognises skills, knowledge, understanding or experience an individual may have acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning to determine the extent to which that individual meets partial or total completion of course or qualification learning outcomes and/or requirements.

registered training organisation (RTO)

A training provider registered by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), or a state registering and accrediting body, to deliver training, and/or conduct assessments, and issue nationally recognised AQF VET qualifications. RTOs delivering NESA VET courses must have the relevant qualification and units of competency on their scope of registration.

Stage 6 VET Industry Curriculum Framework (Framework)

Syllabuses developed by NESA to provide students with the opportunity to gain industry-recognised national vocational qualifications (Certificate or Statement of Attainment) under the AQF as part of their HSC. Courses within a Framework count as Board Developed unit credit for the HSC, and include an optional HSC exam which provides the opportunity for students to have this HSC exam mark contribute to the calculation of their ATAR.

Statement of Attainment

Vocational education document that recognises a student's partial achievement of a nationally recognised AQF VET qualification. It lists all units of competency achieved towards the qualification.

Training Package

A nationally endorsed, integrated set of competency standards, assessment guidelines and AQF VET qualifications for a specific industry, industry sector or enterprise. Training Packages specify the knowledge and skills required by individuals to perform effectively in the workplace, which are expressed in units of competency, and detail how units of competency are packaged into nationally recognised and portable qualifications that comply with the AQF. NESA's VET Industry Curriculum Frameworks (Frameworks) and VET Board Endorsed courses (VET BECs) are based on Training Packages.

Transcript of Competencies Achieved

The list of all units of competency achieved by a student in a nationally recognised AQF VET qualification. Students receive 2 documents: the Certificate, and a Transcript of Competencies Achieved.

unit of competency

Component of a Training Package that can be assessed and recognised. It specifies industry knowledge and skill and the application of that knowledge and skill to the standard of performance expected in the workplace.

VET Board Endorsed course (VET BEC)

A course endorsed by NESA that is based on an AQF VET qualification in industry areas not covered by Board Developed Framework courses. VET BECs count as Board Endorsed unit credit for the HSC but do not contribute towards an ATAR.

work placement

A period of unpaid work with an employer undertaken by VET students in order to satisfy the requirements of a course or qualification, with supervision provided by the employer, the training provider or both. For NESA VET courses, work placement may be mandatory, recommended or not required.