NQF Support Link

RPL

Overview

The term ‘Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)’ is used in South Africa to refer to the assessment of the skills, knowledge and capability currently held by a person, regardless of how, when and where the learning occurred. The assessment is done outside of a formal learning programme, and may draw on experiential and other forms of evidence.
RPL has many roots and broad goals. It is a way of valuing an individual’s actual and potential capabilities, recognising that people learn in many ways outside of formal education, and that people may have knowledge and abilities which are not reflected by any formal qualifications. RPL is also a way of supporting skills development, in that it can fast-track training for competent individuals, thus saving time and resources.

The RPL assessment process can have various outcomes, including:
Certification in the form of the award of credits and qualifications.
Access into an institution or programme, or placement at a level of the programme.
Access into employment or a particular occupational level.
Exemption from parts of a learning programme.
Identification of training needs.

SAQA has defined RPL as follows: "Recognition of prior learning means the comparison of the previous learning and experience of a learner howsoever obtained against the learning outcomes required for a specified qualification, and the acceptance for purposes of qualification of that which meets the requirements." (National Standards Bodies Regulations (no. 18787 of 28 March 1998).
RPL can for the most part be regarded as a process rather than an event, as it involves preparing for RPL, engaging with RPL candidates, gathering evidence, judging evidence, giving feedback and reporting results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Category: Broad issues of principle and practice

1. Why do we do RPL? What are the different purposes for policy makers, employers,
institutions and learners? click here
2. What policies and legislation need to be considered in relation to RPL? click here
3. What barriers and problems may hamper successful implementation of RPL?
What are some of the most commonly identified issues for research and debate in
RPL in South Africa? click here

Category: Issues for providers

4. What should providers have in place if they want to offer RPL? click here
5. How can providers plan for integrating RPL into their provision? click here
6. How is assessment for RPL different to programme or course-based assessment?
click here
7. Who carries out RPL assessments, and what do they need to know? click here

Category: Issues for people wanting to go the RPL route

8. How can people find about RPL options for their specific needs? click here
9. What sort of things should someone who wants to undertake RPL find out about?
click here
10. Do RPL certificates have the same value as those achieved through programme-based
assessment? click here

Useful Guidelines, Extracts, Tools and Templates

In this section you will find various guidelines on RPL, examples of RPL policy documents from SETAs and other organisations, and examples of RPL planning tools. Most of the policy documents include implementation guidelines on processes and methods of RPL assessment.

RPL in the context of the South African NQF. SAQA Policy Document, September 2002. click here

Criteria and Guidelines for the Implementation of RPL. SAQA, June 2004. click here

Developing approaches to the assessment of prior learning. SAQA summary. Accessed off www.saqa.org.za, August 2008. click here

The RPL Unit Standard: ‘Develop, support and promote RPL practices’ (SAQA 116587). click here

Department of Labour. Recognition of Prior Learning Brochure. click here
Includes contact details of all provincial offices of the DoL.

Example: MerSETA RPL Policy and Criteria. MerSETA November 2005. Accessed off www.merseta.org.za, August 2008. click here
Example: MerSETA RPL Implementation Criteria and Guidelines. MerSETA, February 2007. Accessed off www.merseta.org.za, August 2008. click here

Example: THETA Policy Document ETQA4: RPL. THETA, October 2003. Accessed off www.theta.org.za, August 2008. click here

Example: Guidelines for the Recognition of Prior Learning. LGSETA Road Map Series No. 4. LGSETA, February 2003. Accessed off www.lgseta.co.za, August 2008. click here

Example: RPL Policy: Professional Accreditation Body. January 2005. Accessed off www.pab.org.za, August 2008. click here

Example of an RPL Self Assessment Form: RPL Registation Form Estate Agents. Accessed from Services SETA website, www.serviceseta.org.za, August 2008. click here

Some theoretical perspectives on RPL and Experiential Learning. Extracts from NQF Support Link Module 7 Readings. click here

Example: IEB Process for RPL of Fundamental Learning areas. IEB Workshop Discussion Document, November 2002. click here

Example template: Planning for RPL: Features of an RPL Project. Extract from NQF Support Link Module 7 Unit 1. click here

Example template: Planning for RPL: Pre-Implementation Audit. Extract from NQF Support Link Module 7 Unit 2. click here

Examples of RPL Processes. Extract from NQF Support Link Module 7 Unit 2. click here

Examples of data collection instruments. Extract from NQF Support Link Module 7 Unit 3. click here

Example of a Monitoring and Evaluation Template: Extract from NQF Support Link Module 7 Unit 3. click here

Examples of templates for RPL assessment tasks: Extract from NQF Support Link Module 7 Unit 3. click here

Useful background information

In this section you will find various papers and articles on RPL. Some papers which are not completely current are included where they raise issues of interest.

JET Bulletin Number 11. Focus on Workplace Development. June 2004.
Accessed from www.jet.org.za, August 2008. click here

JET Bulletin Number Number 13. Focus on Linking Learning to the World of Work. July 2005. Accessed from www.jet.org.za, August 2008. click here

Council for Higher Education. Improving Teaching and Learning (ITL) Resource No 5. CHE 2004. Accessed from www.che.ac.za August 2008. click here
Buchler M, Castle J, Osman R, Walters S. Equity, Access and Success: Adult Learners in Public Higher Education. Review of Higher Education in SA, 2007. click here

Walters, S. Adult learning within lifelong learning: a different lens, a different light. Journal of Education, Number 39, 2006. School of Education, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg. click here

Castle, J. The prior learning paths of mature students entering a postgraduate qualification in adult education. Journal of Education, Number 29, 2003. School of Education, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg. click here
King, M. RPL Policies and Practices: Reality Challenges. Paper presented at 2nd National JET RPL Conference, July 2003. click here

Moll I, Welch T & SAIDE Teacher Education Team. Theory, policy and implementation of RPL in teacher education: lessons being learned from the National Professional Diploma in Education. Paper present at the Kenton Conference, Muldersdrift, 1st – 4th November 2002. click here
NCVER. Recognition of Prior Learning in the Vocational Education and Training Sector. National Centre for Vocational Educational Research, Australia. 2003. click here

Upcoming changes

In this section you will find notice of any upcoming legislation or policy debates which may impact on the topic on this page.

There are a number of developments taking place in the NQF landscape. Key documents are:

Joint Policy Statement by the Ministers of Education and Labour.
This statement refers to the setting up of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). The QCTO will have jurisdiction over all workplace or occupational learning at all levels of the NQF, and will have overall responsibility for learnerships, while working with the relevant SETA. click here

2. NQF Bill 2008 This billincorporatesthenew thinking around the NQF. click here

3.Vorwerk, C. 2007. Occupational Qualifications Framework: Proposals for a revised approach to the development and management of occupational qualifications on the NQF. Q-Africa 2007 Conference, November 2007. This paper gives some insight into the current debates around re-framing the approach to occupational qualifications, including the structure, delivery and assessment of occupational qualifications. Other papers delivered at this conference are also relevant to learnerships, and can be found on the SAQA website. click here

4.Frequently asked questions on the HEQF.
The new Higher Education Qualifications Framework has some implications for assessment. The FAQ document put together by the DoE, SAQA and the CHE is included here to enable discussion and planning. click here

Acts and Regulations

Broad policy around assessment, and in relation to RPL as a particular form of assessment, is integrated into key Acts such as the following:

South African Qualifications Authority Act 58 of 1995 click here
GENFETQA Act 58 of 2001 click here
FET Act of 1998 click here
FET Act of 2006 click here
South African Schools Act of 1996 click here
Higher Education Act of 1997 click here
Higher Education Amendment Bill 2008. click here

You will find links in the listing of all education and training related Acts and Regulations on the 'Implementing the NQF’ page on this portal. You should also refer to the draft legislation noted in ‘Upcoming Changes’.

The national Department of Education and the provincial Departments of Education carry out various functions as assessment bodies, and you will find specific assessment policies and regulations governing the public sector, for schools and FET colleges, on these websites. Umalusi, together with national DoE, has regulatory responsibilities over schooling and FET colleges. Umalusi is also in the process of developing regulations which relate to accreditation and assessment for the private sector. Regulations regarding assessment and RPL in the context of learnerships can be found on the 'Learnership' page of the NQF Gateway.