September 2012

Section 21: Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)

• The University may admit a student to the beginning of a course, or with advanced standing beyond the beginning of a course, through an assessment of that student’s prior learning, whether certificated or uncertificated.  The process for making such a decision is known as the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).
• Decisions regarding APL are a matter of academic judgement. 
• The normal credit limit for admission with APL is two thirds of the total credits required for the course award.
• Where cohorts of students are to be admitted with advanced standing on a regular basis, the arrangement should be subject to an Advanced Standing Agreement.
• Schools / Course teams should provide clear and accessible information for applicants, academic staff and examiners about their APL procedures (care must be taken that the information is accessible for all groups of students).
• The range and form(s) of evidence used to substantiate an APL claim – together with the assessments utilised to consider those claims – should be clearly set out to students.
• Appropriate arrangements should be in place to support applicants submitting claims for APL and to provide feedback to applicants on those decisions.
• The criteria to be used in judging a claim for APL should be made explicit to applicants, academic staff and examiners.
• APL procedures should be subject to monitoring, the scope of which should reflect the importance of APL within that particular course.
• ASQC will review the University’s APL policy from time to time in the light of emerging good practice within and without the University.
• Full details of the policy can be found in Section 21 of the Handbook. Schools / Course teams should also have regard to the University’s Guidelines on APL – available on this webpage.

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