Four learners sitting side by side. Two the learners are looking at each other and smiling. The other two learners are looking ahead and smiling. They represent the learners that Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) could benefit

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Learners Employers Educators & Advisers RPL Guide RPL Stories
A group of 4 students, who all have bags, walking towards a building. They represent students that the SCQF supports.

Jump-start your learning with
Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows you to explore your previous learning and experiences to prove you’ve got the knowledge and skills you need to get to your destination. Whether you’re aiming for college, university, a career promotion, or a new start after unemployment, RPL can help you get there.

Why would I use RPL as a learner?

You won’t have to repeat learning:

If you can demonstrate that you have already met the learning outcomes of certain modules in the course you wish to study, you could be exempt from the module(s).

Fast track your learning:

If you can demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes of the course’s first year, you could go straight into second year.

Meet entry requirements:

If you don’t meet the entrance requirements for admission to a course, you can use RPL to show your prior knowledge equates to the requirements.

A graphic of icon bars, to signify the ascending SCQF levels

Advanced entry:

You can gain advanced entry to a course using credit points you’ve gained in another course. This is called Credit Transfer.

Why would I use RPL to enhance my career?

RPL helps you reflect on your learning so far by formally recognising your skills, learning and experiences

Build confidence:

By identifying your achievements and transferable skills, you will boost your confidence and be equipped to set goals for your future. This reflection can also help you identify your personal strengths and weaknesses.

Explore new opportunities:

Plan for new job opportunities by aligning your learning to potential new career paths.

Bridge the gap:

Even if you don’t have any formal qualifications, the RPL process will help you map your skills and experiences to the requirements in a job advert or training scheme.

Next steps

Discover inspiring stories:

View our case studies of people who have successfully utilised RPL.

Get personalised help:

Explore our interactive RPL Guide for more guidance and to plan your next steps.

Work for the NHS in Scotland?

Find out how RPL can help you take the next step in your career at Learning for Career Success.

Glossary Term

Authority

Appears at Level 12 only where it is used in the phrase ‘demonstrate substantial authority’, reflecting a recognised high level and depth of expertise/expert knowledge and understanding, along with confidence. It does not mean ‘exercise authority over staff and resources’ etc, as that could clearly apply at earlier levels.

Glossary Term

Exercise

Used in connection with management and/or supervisory responsibility, denotes a requirement of a formal, substantive role.

Glossary Term

Directive

Applied to ‘supervision’, signifies a task or activity that is guided.

Glossary Term

Graphical Data

Encompasses maps, plans, diagrams, tables and graphs.

Glossary Term

Synthesis

Combine discrete elements into a coherent whole.

Glossary Term

Analysis

Examine in detail with a view to explanation and interpretation.

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Present

Set out, put forward, deliver information using a variety of mediums as appropriate.

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Hypothetical

Supposed, assumed for the sake of argument.

Glossary Term

Straightforward

Clear and uncomplicated activity, but not as demanding or systematic and therefore not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Creativity

Often used in combination with ‘originality’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of creativity appears to be imagination.

Glossary Term

Originality

Often used in combination with ‘creativity’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of originality appears to be independence.

Glossary Term

Professional

Used throughout as an adjective and applied to terms including level, skills, techniques, practices, contexts, and issues where it bears broad interpretation as ‘behaving appropriately/doing things properly and well and to notions of accepted, (including externally) prescribed standards’, as well as narrow, relating to a specific occupation designated as a profession. In this latter sense, the term applies in all contexts including academic study, eg footnoting properly.

Glossary Term

Unfamiliar

New territory for an activity.

Glossary Term

Routine

Used as an adjective throughout and applied to terms including skills, tasks, elements, practices, contexts, methods and problems where it describes activity that is standard, usual, unvarying, customary, common.

Glossary Term

Everyday

Slightly more advanced and beyond personal but a known experience/activity encountered/applied regularly - less advanced than ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Familiar

Often encountered or experienced; common; something one has a good knowledge of - more advanced than ‘personal’ and ‘everyday’, not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Personal

An experience relating only or primarily to the person – one would expect to start here then widen out into the rest of the world, so not as advanced as ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Critical

Fully informed, capable of supporting in-depth analysis and assessment.

Glossary Term

Discerning

Using judgement to recognise differences but not fully equipped/informed to analyse and discuss them in depth, so less advanced than critical.

Glossary Term

Awareness

Consciousness, including a background consciousness. Can be a starting point for further exploration.

Glossary Term

Appreciation

A sense, perception, a hold, fix or grasp of one or more of the various aspects of a subject/discipline/sector.

Glossary Term

Understanding

A thorough and firm grasp of a subject/discipline/sector or an element or elements of it, derived from education/study, experience and reasoning in appropriate combination. Can be defined as ‘know why’, as opposed to ‘know that’. More holistic knowledge of processes and contexts, so more advanced than appreciation and knowledge.

Glossary Term

Simple

Undemanding activity not necessarily part of a formal structure - not as advanced as ‘basic’.

Glossary Term

Knowledge

Facts, ideas, theories and concepts in a subject/discipline/sector acquired through experience and/or education – a surer grasp than appreciation so more advanced.

Glossary Term

Basic

Activity is early stepping stone on a structure or framework that can be built upon – more advanced than ‘simple’.