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Recognition of prior learning

Use the skills you already have without repeating training you may not need.

If you know the work but do not hold the qualification on paper, BLS checks whether a qualification is actually missing and helps prepare your experience for a genuine RTO assessment when RPL fits.

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At a glance

Start with the right application.

  • Find out whether a qualification is actually missing
  • Use completed units and experience you already have
  • Separate credit transfer, possible RPL and training you still need

What the regulator will ask for

Before you pay for a course, check what is actually missing.

RPL may recognise skills gained on site when they match the required qualification or units. An RTO decides the RPL result. The state regulator separately decides the licence or registration application.

  1. 01

    Start with the licence or registration

    Your state, current role and next career or business move help identify the likely licence or registration and whether it requires a qualification.

  2. 02

    Qualifications and units you already hold

    A transcript, statement of attainment or USI record may show equivalent units already completed. These may be handled through credit transfer rather than RPL, so check them before paying for another assessment.

  3. 03

    What can you show from real work?

    An RTO may consider work samples, project records, photographs, training records, employer declarations, references and other relevant evidence. The exact requirements depend on the qualification and the RTO’s assessment process.

  4. 04

    The RTO checks your evidence

    The RTO may grant full or partial credit, ask for more evidence or require further assessment or training for real gaps. RPL is not automatic or guaranteed.

  5. 05

    What happens after RPL

    RPL deals with the qualification. The regulator may still assess experience, referees, business structure, financial information, insurance, identity and other requirements before deciding the licence or registration application.

Preparing your records

A carpenter checking a finished timber frame joint with a steel square.

Preparing your records

Skills you use.Records you keep.

Start with the qualification gap. The RTO sets the evidence requirements and decides the assessment outcome.

Check the qualification
Identify the qualification needed for your intended application.
Gather relevant evidence
Connect your skills to projects, records and people who can verify them.
RTO assessment
The RTO assesses the evidence and any remaining requirements.

What BLS does for you

Use the experience you have before paying to learn it again.

BLS checks whether a qualification gap exists before recommending RPL. If it fits, we help prepare your work history and records for the RTO, then return to the separate regulator application.

Help with the application

You know the work. We help get the application sorted.

  • Check whether the licence or registration requires a qualification you do not hold.
  • Review completed qualifications and units before paying for another assessment.
  • Gather projects, licences, training and work records you can genuinely prove.
  • Separate likely credit transfer, possible RPL and training still required.
  • Prepare the separate licence or registration application after the RTO result.

Who this is for

  • Experienced builders and tradespeople who have learned substantial skills on the job.
  • Applicants who hold some relevant units or qualifications but may still have a specific gap.
  • People who want to check whether their work can count before paying for more training.

When another service may fit better

  • Anyone looking for an instant or guaranteed qualification without a genuine assessment.
  • Applicants who cannot provide sufficient evidence of the skills and experience being claimed.
  • Situations where the regulator does not require a qualification gap to be addressed.
Illustrative scene: hands compare a small timber sample with process photographs on a used carpentry workshop bench.

Application guides

Read the guides for this application.

These guides explain the regulator requirements, application steps and documents you may need.

Application guide

Can RPL help you get a builder licence?

See when RPL may replace training and why the licence or registration should be checked first.

Read the application guide

Application guide

RPL evidence for builders and trades

See what an RTO may ask for and which work records can support an assessment.

Read the application guide

Application guide

RPL before a QBCC licence application

See when a Queensland applicant may need RPL and which records could support the assessment.

Read the application guide

Service and cost

Know what is included before you proceed.

Licence and registration applications vary by state, class and how much preparation is needed. The free check gives BLS enough information to explain the service and provide a quote.

What affects the quote

The quote depends on where you are applying, the type of application, what records you already have and how much preparation is still needed.

Included work
BLS confirms the included application and evidence work before you proceed.
Other fees
Regulator, RTO, insurance, police check and other third-party fees are separate unless a proposal expressly includes them.
Qualification gaps
RPL or training is recommended only where a genuine qualification gap is identified.
Assessment
The regulator or RTO assesses the application or qualification and makes the final decision.

Your next step

Start with where
you are.

Get clear on your likely licence, gaps and next step before you pay for training or start pulling the paperwork together.

Find your next step