A step-by-step guide to applying for recognition of current compentence

Before you begin

You need to have an employer in an industry covered by an ITO that can offer training, either as an apprentice or industry trainee.

1. Speak to your ITO about evidence that you believe will meet the requirements for RCC assessment

• Some ITOs require the evidence to be within the last two years, others within the last five years. Check this with your ITO.

• You usually need to discuss RCC at the time of drafting your training agreement. This is important as some ITOs will not allow you to be assessed for RCC partway through your qualification. It is also important because your training plan and agreement should reflect your skills and abilities.

Contact details of ITOs

2. Identify the unit standards of your qualification that you are confident you have competence in

• You can look at the unit standards that will be covered in your qualification by searching on the Kiwiquals database or the New Zealand Qualifications Authority website.

KiwiQuals website - search for your training course content

New Zealand Qualifications Authority website - details of unit standards for national certificates and national diplomas

3. Have your competencies assessed against the unit standard

• The competency assessment will normally be arranged by your employer with a registered workplace assessor or an external expert, such as a teacher or tutor. Who the assessor is will depend on your ITO.

• The assessor will check that you meet the requirements of the unit standard for that particular skill by assessing your evidence.

• It is your responsibility to provide evidence that clearly shows that you can currently meet the standard consistently.

Examples of evidence could be:

• documents or products you have produced
• written attestations
• verifications or testimonies from supervisors, managers or clients

You may also need to sit a test or practical demonstration, answer some interview questions or provide evidence of your study achievements.

• Your ITO will advise you more specifically on what kind of evidence it may be relevant to provide.

• You may need to pay a fee for the assessment.

4. Receive an assessment decision

• The assessor reports the results of your assessment to the ITO. Credits are reported by the ITO to NZQA using standard credit reporting processes and no distinction is made as to whether the credit was gained through RCC. Results are then credited to the candidate’s NZQA record of learning.

• The RCC process may identify gaps in the candidate’s skills and/or knowledge. In this situation the assessor and the candidate will develop a training plan to fill the gaps and enable the candidate to meet the requirements of the unit standard(s).

• As your training progresses, you or your employer may observe other competencies that you have. Some ITOs may allow you to be assessed again partway through your qualifications; others may not. Ask your ITO about what they allow.

5. If unsuccessful, you may appeal a decision

• If you are not happy with the result of your assessment, contact your ITO for an outline of the appeal process.