Glossary

1. Advanced Standing

Recognition through pre-arranged RPL, mutual recognition, or RPL results in an exemption from a particular module or unit of competency, and a result BY ADVANCED STANDING appears on the student's transcript.

2. Assessment

Assessment in TAFE NSW is the process of collecting evidence and making judgements of whether competence has been achieved, or whether specific skills and knowledge have been achieved that will lead to the attainment of competence.

3. Assessor

A person who has the necessary skills and knowledge to make the decision whether a person seeking assessment is competent or not yet competent against a national competency standard.

4. Auspicing/Partnership

Auspicing is the process by which a registered training organisation authorises an enterprise or other RTO to deliver training and/or conduct assessment on its behalf. The auspicing RTO is responsible for the quality assurance of the training and/or assessment. The term 'partnership' is widely used nationally, and has the same meaning as 'auspicing'.

5. Competency Standards

The standards developed by industry for satisfactory performance in the workplace. Units of competency comprise the standards.

6. Delivery and Assessment

Delivery and assessment are the means by which TAFE NSW students achieve learning outcomes. In TAFE NSW, delivery and assessment are carried out in a range of modes, including on-campus, off campus, online and within agreed arrangements.

7. Evidence

Information provided by you to an Assessor to support your claims for skills recognition.

8. Exemption

Exemption is the result of a successful recognition application. The student is formally acknowledged to have prior achievement of the module/unit of competency outcomes and thus is not required to complete a particular module or unit of competency. Exemption in TAFE NSW is granted in the following four instances:

• a student has completed modules/units of competency in TAFE NSW which lead to a TAFE exemption.
• a student has completed study with other providers for which arrangements are in place with TAFE NSW.
• a student has met the outcomes of TAFE NSW modules/units of competency as a result of previous study, work or life experience.
• a student has an appropriate qualification or part-qualification from another RTO.

9. Gap Training

Gap training is delivered in conjunction with assessment processes. It is often part of a package for enterprises, consisting of training, assessment and consultation. Gap training follows initial assessment for recognition of employees. Training is then tailored to meet individual learning needs, followed by assessment of the new learning outcomes. Gap training allows for a flexible, cost effective response by TAFE NSW to the training needs of enterprises and employees.

10. Learning Outcomes

A learning outcome is what you are expected to be able to demonstrate after studying a subject (module).

11. Mutual Recognition

Mutual recognition is a standard within the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF). Mutual recognition requires a Registered Training Organisation (RTO): to recognise and accept Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications and partial qualifications conferred by other RTO's and to recognise an individual's AQF qualification or partial qualification. Adherence to the standard of mutual recognition does not mean that TAFE NSW is required to re-issue the same qualification previously issued by another RTO. TAFE NSW fulfils its mutual recognition obligations to RTO's and individuals by providing up to 100 per cent recognition of the previous qualification towards a related (non-identical) TAFE NSW qualification at the same or higher level of the AQF.

12. Non-standard Exemption

Means the same as RPL.

13. Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of evidence that you can provide to an assessor as proof of your skills. Your portfolio may include references, certificates, reports, examples of work you have done.

14. Pre-arranged Recognition of Prior Learning

Pre-arranged Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a term describing previously negotiated arrangements between TAFE NSW and other Training providers such as universities, schools and Adult and Community Education colleges. The process of negotiating and maintaining pre-arranged RPL generates an amount of ASCH which is approximately twenty-five per cent of the nominal hours of the course/module.

15. Qualification

A qualification is the formal certification, issued by a Registered Training Organisation, in recognition that all required competencies or learning outcomes have been achieved.

16. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL is the acknowledgement of a person's current skills and knowledge acquired through previous training, work or life experience. In terms of ASCH, RPL generates approximately twenty-five per cent of the nominal hours of the course/module hours. The precise amount of ASCH for pre-arranged RPL and RPL is determined according to the following ANTA formula: 5 hours + 10 per cent of nominal module hours, to a maximum of 10 hours per module. Where a module is less than 5 hours duration, the amount of ASCH generated is the same as the nominal module hours.

17. Recognition of Current Competency

Means the same as RPL.

18. Result Transfer

Recognition through TAFE NSW credit transfer results in an exemption from a particular module or unit competency. Where the student is exempted from the same TAFE NSW module for which they have a previous result (or a module deemed by a TAFE NSW Division to be equivalent to another TAFE NSW module), PASS or GRADED result appears on the student's transcript. Result transfer is not granted for mutual recognition, pre-arranged RPL or RPL.

19. Standard Exemption

Means the same as pre-arranged RPL or TAFE NSW credit transfer.

20. TAFE NSW Credit Transfer

TAFE NSW credit transfer is the recognition of specified learning previously completed in TAFE NSW, within a single institute or across institutes. TAFE NSW credit transfer is considered to be an automatic process, and therefore does not generate ASCH.

21. Trade Test

Trade tests are assessment events administered by TAFE NSW as part of a contracted service to the Vocational Training Board. Trade tests provide a means for people to re-enter their trade or profession. Although principally designed for people with overseas qualifications, those who have partially completed an Australian trade qualification also use them.

22. Unit of Competency

A component within a competency standard. It has a title, a description and contains the elements of competency and their performance criteria. Units of competency form qualifications.