If you disagree with a recognition of prior learning (RPL) assessment, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed. If your concern is about how you were treated or how the process was handled, you can make a complaint. In either case, the first step is usually to use the registered training organisation’s (RTO’s) published complaints and appeals process.
The distinction matters: an appeal challenges an assessment decision, while a complaint raises a concern about a service, conduct or process. Your RTO’s policy should explain how to submit either one and what happens next.
An RTO is responsible for assessing your evidence against the relevant training requirements. It also handles complaints and appeals about its own assessment services. Check its website, student handbook or enrolment documents for its policy, contact details and submission requirements.
Before you write, gather your enrolment details, the qualification or unit codes, the assessment outcome and any feedback you received. You can check the qualification and unit details on the Australian Government’s training.gov.au register.
Keep your request focused. State what happened, when it happened, which decision or part of the process concerns you, and what you would like the RTO to review. Attach relevant documents, but send copies rather than your only originals. Keep a record of what you submit and any replies.
Consider an appeal if the RTO found your evidence insufficient or assessed you as not yet competent, and you believe relevant evidence was overlooked, misunderstood or assessed incorrectly. Identify the specific units or requirements involved and explain why you disagree. An appeal is an opportunity for review, not a guarantee that the result will change; the RTO may uphold its decision or ask for further evidence.
A complaint may be more appropriate if your concern involves unclear instructions, delays, fees, communication, accessibility or an assessor’s conduct. You can raise both a complaint and an appeal if you have separate concerns about the process and the decision. Ask the RTO how it will handle each issue under its policy.
The RTO should follow its published process for receiving and considering complaints or appeals and communicating an outcome. The steps and applicable timeframes depend on its policy and the circumstances. If you do not understand the outcome, ask for written reasons and for information about any further review option available under that policy.
If you used an RPL advisory service, remember that its role is different. An adviser may help you organise evidence or understand the process, but the RTO makes the assessment decision and issues any resulting certification. An adviser cannot overturn an RTO’s decision. If your concern is about the adviser’s own service rather than the RTO’s assessment, direct that complaint to the adviser as well.
Once you have followed the RTO’s process, the appropriate external option depends on the provider and the nature of your concern:
If your concern relates to an occupational licence or visa, treat it as a separate decision. Licensing authorities decide licensing matters, and Australian Government migration authorities decide visa matters. Neither decision is made by an RPL adviser or guaranteed by an RPL assessment outcome.
Find the RTO’s complaints and appeals policy, write a short account of your concern and submit it through the stated channel. Ask for an acknowledgement and retain your evidence and correspondence. A clear record makes it easier to explain the issue if you need to seek an external review or make a report later.
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