Recognition of Prior Learning Policy

1. Purpose and scope

This policy sets out how LIBT recognises learning a student has already achieved before registering for a programme. It also sets out how that learning is used towards entry, or towards the credit needed for a qualification. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is given for evidence of learning, not for experience alone.

This policy applies to every programme LIBT delivers, whether LIBT-awarded (including where the programme carries CMI accreditation or endorsement), QUALIFI-awarded, or LIBT Malta-awarded. Where LIBT or LIBT Malta is the awarding body, LIBT's own quality assurance process (section 5) applies. Where QUALIFI or CMI is the awarding body, that body's own RPL rules and approval process take precedence for that qualification. This must be stated on the relevant programme specification.

2. Types of evidence

• Certificated learning: a qualification already achieved from a regulated awarding organisation or higher education institution. Credit transfer (crediting points from a certificated qualification towards the qualification a student is now registering for) is one form of this.
• Non-certificated learning: learning from a structured training or workplace activity that did not lead to a formal qualification.
• Experiential learning: learning gained through work or life experience. Experience alone is not evidence. The student must present something (a portfolio, a work product, a reflective account) that can be assessed and authenticated.

3. Evidence requirements

All evidence must be Valid, Current, Reliable, Authentic, and Sufficient.

• Certificated learning: the student provides the certificate, any credit transcript, and material describing the qualification's content (for example a specification or syllabus). A certificate alone is not sufficient evidence. LIBT verifies the qualification and its awarding body. The prior qualification must be at the same level or higher than the credit being claimed, within any currency period set by the relevant Awarding Body.
• Non-certificated and experiential learning: the Assessor evaluates the evidence against the qualification's assessment criteria and may hold a discussion with the student to confirm understanding and authenticity.

4. Roles

• Student Counsellor: discusses RPL with the student at enrolment, before registration with the Awarding Body, and helps the student understand what evidence might be relevant. The Student Counsellor does not decide the outcome of an RPL claim.
• Assessor: formally assesses and maps the student's evidence against the qualification's learning outcomes and assessment criteria, and records the mapping.
• Internal Verifier: quality-assures RPL decisions as part of internal verification (see the Assessment Policy), before a claim is submitted to the Awarding Body.
• Awarding Body: gives final approval for the RPL claim before any credit or exemption is confirmed. For CMI- or QUALIFI-awarded qualifications, this is CMI or QUALIFI as applicable. For LIBT's own awards, this is LIBT's own approval process under section 5.

5. Process

1. At enrolment, the Student Counsellor discusses RPL with the student and drafts an assessment plan identifying which modules or assessment criteria might be met through RPL evidence. The student is told the deadline for submitting evidence, normally within 10 working days unless the Student Counsellor agrees a longer period. The student is also told the process and any cost involved, the possibility that evidence may not meet requirements, and the right of appeal.
2. The Assessor assesses and maps the evidence against section 3, then determines whether it is sufficient on its own or requires additional evidence or assessment. The Assessor gives the student written feedback identifying which modules or criteria are met, which need more evidence, and which must still be assessed directly.
3. The Internal Verifier quality-assures the mapping and record before it goes forward.
4. The mapping is submitted to the Awarding Body (or, for LIBT's own awards, confirmed under LIBT's internal approval process) for approval before any exemption or credit is confirmed. The student is told the outcome in writing.

6. Maximum exemption and mapping evidence

The maximum exemption LIBT may grant against a qualification through RPL is 70% of its total credit value. A final project or dissertation module can never be exempted through RPL, regardless of the overall exemption granted. Any claim that would result in an exemption of more than 30% of the qualification's credit value must include an enhanced mapping record. This is a module-by-module (or unit-by-unit) account of how each specific learning outcome is met by the evidence presented. It must be signed off by both the Assessor and the Internal Verifier, and retained on file for the Awarding Body's and any external quality assurance sampling. This applies in addition to the general evidence requirements in section 3. It exists so that a high-exemption claim is always individually justified and auditable, not just accepted on volume.

The Academic Board reviews RPL claim volumes and outcomes annually as part of its standard oversight, to confirm exemptions remain proportionate to the evidence being presented.

7. Appeal

A student who disagrees with an RPL decision may appeal under the Academic Appeals and Complaints Policy.

8. Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the Academic Board. Any change must be checked against the Cross-Reference Map, in particular against the Recruitment and Admissions Policy, the Assessment Policy, and the Academic Appeals and Complaints Policy.

Company information: London Institute of Business & Technology Limited (LIBT) Hillary House, Prospect Hill, Douglas, IM1 1EQ, Isle of Man, British Isles.