Recognition of Prior Learning¹

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) (previously called Accreditation of Prior Learning) enables people of all ages and backgrounds to receive recognition and formal credit for learning acquired in the past through formal study and through work and other life experiences. It is based on the premise that an individual’s learning can be identified and given credit within academic courses, regardless of the context in which it is acquired.

Recognition of prior learning is available to students at the Northern College of Acupuncture, in order to ensure that students receive credit for any relevant prior learning they may have undertaken. Applications for RPL will be considered on an individual basis.

You can claim for learning acquired through previous formal study via a process termed Recognition of Prior Certificated Learning (or RPCL) and for learning gained through other life experiences and study which has not been formally assessed, via Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (or RPEL).

Recognition of Prior Certificated Learning (or RPCL) – this is learning acquired from previous formal study. Academic, vocational or professional qualifications at an appropriate level may be admitted for general credit within a work based course or for specific credit which maps to a course. Previous certificated learning must be cohesive with the learning outcomes of the course of study and/or its constituent modules. To apply for this form of RPL you may be required to submit a portfolio showing evidence of recent previous relevant study². Certificates and documentation to support the claim should accompany this portfolio. To be given specific credit on the course, it must be possible to establish the level of the prior learning, and this must be at a Higher Education level.

Students who transfer into an NCA course from a course at another UK Higher Education provider, from a course at an HE provider in a country within the Council for Europe (and so part of the Bologna process for mutual recognition of qualifications), or who transfer between courses at the NCA, are likely to be eligible for RPCL. Students who transfer will usually have completed assessments for one or more credit-bearing modules. Typically, transferring students will be required to provide NCA with transcripts of marks/grades achieved for completed modules, together with module and course guides that provide information on FHEQ level, learning outcomes, content, credit rating and study hours of modules. NCA staff will then help the student to construct a table comparing the level, learning outcomes, content and credits/study hours of NCA modules against these features of the modules the student has completed elsewhere. This mapping process is used to identify both commonalities and differences between the two courses. Where there is a good degree of commonality, measures to correct for differences are identified and documented (for example, provision of additional homestudy with one-to-one tutorial input).

RPL for Health Sciences University-validated courses: The maximum number of RPL credits and the conditions under which RPL for courses validated by the Health Sciences University (HSU) may be considered are described in Table 1.

Table 1: The maximum number of RPL credits and the conditions under which RPL can be granted for courses validated by the Health Sciences University (HSU):

The NCA will notify the HSU of all RPL applications and RPL application decisions through Module Assessment Board minutes. In line with HSU regulations, grades or marks will not be awarded for RPL credits awarded. The HSU will, in conjunction with the NCA, monitor the impact on assessment outcomes of such students.

Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (or RPEL) – this is learning acquired from other life experiences and study, including work-based learning, learning which is community-based or from a similar setting, and learning from experience and reflection. Note that RPEL is about your learning, it is not simply a reflection of experience alone. Experiential learning must be cohesive with the learning outcomes of the course of study and/or its constituent modules. Applying for RPEL on the basis of your learning from prior life or work experience normally requires you to produce a portfolio of evidence of the learning gained from experience. You may obtain application forms and guidance notes from the Admissions team. Other ways in which we may assess your learning from experience include a focused interview or viva; completion of a piece of work and a reflective account/diary of the learning achieved, or completion of a “challenge assessment” which is often the usual assessment used to demonstrate learning in the module/course for which equivalence is being claimed.

Portfolios are assessed by an assessor appointed by the Course Director and approved by the Principal. A final proposal on RPL is then put forward by the assessor to the Course Director for their approval. The Module Assessment Board for the course must be provided with a report which includes the decision reached, copies of portfolio documents, and/or documentation of other assessment processes used. This ensures scrutiny of the process by the external examiner and link tutor.

Mapping of Course Contents and Learning Outcomes, and Challenge Assessments

For students transferring from courses other than one provided by another UK Higher Education provider, or from another NCA course, it may be that information on matters such as level of study and credit rating is not available. In these cases the admissions team (including a senior academic from the course team) will map the contents and learning outcomes of the previous course to the modules of the NCA course (see RPCL above). They may also require the transferring student to undertake a “challenge assessment”, usually one or more examinations or other assessments from the modules proposed for exemption, to confirm that the student is able to achieve pass standard at the appropriate level. Challenge assessments are marked by members of the module team who normally mark such assessments. Admissions staff may also scrutinise course materials and student notes to gain a further understanding of content and level.

Making a Claim for RPL

Responsibility rests with you the applicant for making a claim. You must have acquired appropriate knowledge and skill and you must support your claim with appropriate evidence. We will normally help you with the process of preparing an application for the accreditation of prior learning. You should discuss this initially with the Admissions team, who may suggest a meeting with you, herself and senior academic staff.

When you are making a claim for RPEL:

• The learning you have derived from experience must be able to be identified in order to be assessed. We will help you to do this.

• Prior learning is normally identified through systematic reflection on experience, the writing of clear statements about what was actually learned and the collection and collation of evidence to support those statements.

Where you are making a claim for RPL the methods of assessment of your claim must be such that the judgement made can be overseen by the College’s Assessment Boards.

There are limits to how much credit can be brought into the course. For HSU-validated courses the maximum allowed is not more than two thirds of the credit required for the qualification/award.

Following an evaluation of both certificated and experiential learning, exemption may be granted from part of the requirements of a qualification/award. The minimum exemption possible is exemption from the requirements of one module.

You are advised to contact the Admissions team in the first instance if you think you have credit which may be appropriate for RPL in your course. E-mail: , tel: 0333 996 2726.

You should submit your application to the Admissions team as soon as possible, before or after your acceptance of a place on the course and certainly before 30 November in the year of claim. Late applications will only be considered where appropriate justification is provided.

If you have gained Admission with Credit, you should use the Course Handbook to familiarise yourself with the content, aims and learning outcomes for those modules from which you have been granted exemption. A claim for exemption on the basis of RPL means that you have achieved these Module and Course aims and that you are familiar with the content of the accredited modules. Later modules will assume this.

Procedure for deciding a claim for RPL

1. Your application will be considered by the Admissions team in consultation with one or more of the admissions staff. They may ask you to provide further information and/or evidence before formally submitting your claim.

2. When the Admissions team considers your claim to be sufficiently robust she/he will follow the appropriate procedure as described above.

3. In order to ensure scrutiny of the process by the external examiner and the validating partner’s link tutor, all decisions on RPL are reported, with the RPL mapping document(s), to the Module Assessment Board for the course.

Principles of RPL at the NCA

• If the College is satisfied that an applicant has fulfilled some of the progression and assessment requirements of the course by means other than attendance on the course, and will be able by completing the remaining requirements to fulfil the objectives of the course and attain the standard required for the award, that student may be admitted with credit and may be admitted to an appropriate stage of the course.

• In exercising its discretion in this way the College will ensure that such admissions accord with good practice throughout higher education in the United Kingdom.

• Credit may be through certified learning from a relevant institution, but may also include learning achieved through experience. Guidelines on what constitutes evidence of such learning are given below.

• The maximum amount of credit awarded will be, for HSU-validated courses, that identified in Table 1 above.

• The minimum exemption possible is exemption from the requirements of one module.

• In determining a student’s eligibility for the accreditation of prior learning, it may in some cases be necessary to require a student to undergo some form of assessment. Academic assessment is the responsibility of academic staff in the College, consulting if necessary with the validating partner. The academic staff may employ any procedure they believe is appropriate to arrive at a professional judgement.

• Confirmation of eligibility for RPL rests with the Course Director, who will report annually to the Module Assessment Board on approvals granted.

• The College reserves the right to charge a fee for the assessment of complex evidence of prior learning.

Guidelines on the Operation of the Policy:

• Responsibility rests with the applicant making a claim to have acquired appropriate knowledge and skills and to support the claim with adequate evidence. The knowledge and skills demonstrated must be relevant to the learning outcomes of the course or module.

• Evidence for recognition of certified learning is likely to be successful if the applicant has gained those credits:
• on a course run at the Northern College of Acupuncture;
• on a course at a UK University;
• on a course at a University in a country which is a member of the Council of Europe (and therefore a participant in the Bologna Agreement on mutual recognition of awards);
• on a course at a University or similar institution overseas which is recognised by the College and/or its validating partner;
• on a course at a teaching institution which was fully accredited by the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board, European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Association or Nutritional Therapy Education Commission at the time when they graduated.

• The applicant may need to present further evidence in cases where the applicant:
• graduated from a teaching institution which was in the process of achieving full accreditation with the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board, European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Association or Nutritional Therapy Education Commission at the time when they graduated;
• completed their certified learning more than five years ago;
• studied overseas, at a stated institution known to the College and/or its validating partner.

• Further evidence of certified learning which may be required of an applicant includes:
• number of hours of study and length of the course followed
• curriculum information which must demonstrate compliance with the learning outcomes of the course and/or the core curriculum/education guidelines of the professional accrediting body
• for students for whom English is their second language, evidence of English language competence at the level required for entry to the course

• Where relevant, other certified evidence of achievement may be drawn from other Universities or the professional bodies of other organisations. Responsibility rests with the candidate to demonstrate relevance to the knowledge and skills described as learning outcomes for the module for which credit is sought.

• Applicants may put forward a case for recognition of prior experiential learning. The learning derived from experience must be identified in order to be assessed. The identification of prior learning comes through systematic reflection on experience, the writing of clear statements about what was actually learned and the collection and collation of evidence to support those statements. The prior learning is normally identified in relation to the learning outcomes for the course and/or its constituent modules. The consideration of the evidence should consider the following aspects:
• Acceptability i.e. the match between the evidence and the learning demonstrated should be valid/reliable;
• Sufficiency i.e. there should be enough evidence to demonstrate achievement of learning claims;
• Authenticity i.e. the evidence provided should clearly be the applicant’s achievements;
• Currency i.e. the evidence should relate to current learning.

• In the case of applicants who are applying for a post-professional registration course, additional support for an application for recognition of prior learning can be provided by demonstrating membership of the BAcC, RCHM, CNHC, BANT or an equivalent professional body, and a minimum of two years’ experience as a practitioner.

• Applicants for RPL will be given feedback on the outcome of their application. When the application for RPL is accepted, feedback will include the level and amount of credit awarded. When the application is refused, feedback will include the reasons for failure.

• The amount and source of credit awarded through the recognition of prior learning will be recorded in the Diploma Supplement provided to students on completion of their award.

Further guidance on RPL processes (from the Quality Assurance Agency) is available at this link.

RPL FOR NCA STUDENTS WHO WISH TO TRANSFER TO A COURSE ELSEWHERE

At the end of each academic year, all NCA students are provided with a transcript containing marks achieved for every module undertaken. Transcripts giving marks for assessments completed before the end of a year can be provided on request, for students wishing to transfer before completing the year. Students are provided via the VLE and/or Sharepoint with module descriptors and course handbooks/course guides (including course specifications) which specify course and module aims and learning outcomes, module FHEQ level and credits, contents, assessments and assessment criteria.

Transferring students or the receiving institution will also be provided with references and further information on request.

¹Policy updated with reference to HSU Sept 2020, reviewed by Academic Board 12/05/2022. Next review due May 2026

²Recent study is normally taken to mean within the last five years