Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)

The RPL features should currently be considered a beta version and so please be aware that issues may be encountered. RPL features are also subject to change in future releases.

The RPL beta tab is available when viewing a learner record as an assessor user. The tab is used to calculate the maximum funding to be received for each of a learner's base modules, versus the total delivery cost.

The process which produces this calculation is as follows:

Steps in the Module Editor only need to be configured once.

RPL bands are configured in the Module Editor. These determine funding reduction percentages to apply in the calculation based on skill scan scores.
The RPL tab is configured for a base module in the Module Editor. This allows you to link a module to an OTJ standard to determine the total required hours and maximum funding. You can also set the total delivery cost and the RPL banding to use.
Planned hours are entered against criteria for the module in the Module Editor (including criteria for units and elements).

The following steps are performed per learner.

A learner on the module is assigned a skill scan which is flagged as an RPL scan.
Once the learner has completed the skill scan, their scores are displayed to the assessor on the RPL tab on the learner's record for approval.
When the scores are approved, the calculation and results are shown on the RPL tab, using the details specified in the Module Editor and by applying any reductions from the RPL band that corresponds to the skill scan's average score.

Full details of these steps and the calculation can be found below.

Grant RPL Administrator permission

Assessor users must be granted permission to use the RPL features:

Go to Web User Editor on the sidebar.
Search for and open the user or group that requires permission.
Expand the Permissions section.
Tick the box for the RPL Administrator permission (under the RPL header).
Click Save.

RPL band configuration

RPL bands determine the funding reduction percentages to apply based on the average score that a learner submits for an RPL skill scan.

On the sidebar, go to Module Editor.
Click Configure RPL Bands.
Click Add Group.
Enter a name for the group and a description. If you want to set this group as the default, tick the checkbox. Click Save to create the group.
Next you must create the bands for the group. Click Add Item.
Enter the minimum and maximum scores for the band, as well as the reduction value (this is the percentage by which the planned hours for the module will be reduced by to determine the RPL hours). You can optionally also enter notes about the band.

Click Save to create the band.
Create additional bands as required. Note that bands with overlapping scores (e.g. 0-3 and 2-4) are not permitted within the same group. If a score is not covered by the bands in a group, no reductions will be applied as a result of that score.
The RPL banding group is now ready to be applied to a module.

Additional groups can be created as required.

Existing groups or individual bands can be edited or deleted using the buttons at the end of the relevant row.

Base module RPL configuration

Each base module that you wish to use for RPL must be configured:

On the sidebar, go to Module Editor.
Search for the module and click edit at the end of the row in the results.
The module structure will be displayed. Select the base module (the top entry) and click the Edit button.
On the side panel that appears, go to the RPL tab.
The Total Required OTJ Hours and Max Funding fields can be entered manually, or they can be populated by linking to an OTJ standard.

To link to a standard, enter the title or code in the search box then select the standard from the list that appears. This will populate the two fields automatically.

If you wish to override the values once they have been populated, click the Override OTJ values button and amend the values as needed.
Tick the Flag first Skill Scan for RPL box if you want a learner's first skill scan for the module to be flagged as an RPL scan.
Enter the Total Delivery Cost.
Select the RPL Banding Group to use from the dropdown box. If you have specified a default group, this will already be selected.
Click Save at the top of the side panel when finished.

Enter planned hours

The RPL calculation uses the planned hours listed against all criteria for the relevant module, including the base module, units and elements.

To enter planned hours against criteria:

On the sidebar, go to Module Editor.
Search for the module and click edit at the end of the row in the results.
The module structure will be displayed. Select the objective that you wish to enter planned hours against and click the Edit Criteria button.

This example assumes that the selected objective already has criteria entered against it.
Complete the Planned Hours column as required.
Click Save at the top of the screen.

Assign an RPL scan to a learner

Once a module has been configured for RPL, learners on that module can be assigned a skill scan flagged for RPL use, so that the average score of the skill scan can be used in the RPL calculation.

Open the learner record for a learner on an RPL-configured module.
Go to the Skill Scan tab.
Click the Add Skill Scan button.
Select the framework and module and select the date to schedule the scan for. Also ensure that To be completed by is set to Trainee.
Tick the Flag as RPL scan box. If this box is not ticked, the skill scan will not be used in RPL calculations.
Click Create Scan.

The RPL scan will now be assigned to the learner for completion on the scheduled date.

RPL scans appear as normal skill scans for learners and are completed in the same way.

Approve the RPL scan

Once a learner has submitted their scores for an RPL scan, the assessor must approve their scores on the RPL tab.

Open the learner's record and go to the RPL tab.
The tab shows each of a learner's base modules in collapsible sections. Click a module title to expand or collapse that section.
Expand the module which the learner completed the RPL scan for. You will see the learner's submitted scores for review.

If you wish to approve the scores, click the Approve RPL Scan button at the bottom.

If you wish the learner to retake the skill scan, assign another RPL scan to them. Each RPL scan for a module replaces the previous one.
Once you have approved the RPL scan, the results will be shown, along with the fields used for the calculation (see the next section for details).

RPL tab fields and calculation

When an RPL scan is approved, the RPL tab shows the calculated result for the maximum funding to be received, as well as the fields used to produce that figure.

The fields used in the calculation are defined as follows:

Field	Definition
Total Reduced OTJ Hours	Total Planned Hours - Recognised Prior Learning Hours
Total Required Hours	Specified in the module's configuration (Total Required OTJ Hours), either entered manually or taken from a linked OTJ standard
Total Planned Hours	The sum of all planned hours for all criteria on the module, at all levels (base, unit and element)
Banding Reduction % (not shown)	The percentage reduction to apply, taken from the RPL band that corresponds to the average score in the RPL scan
Recognised Prior Learning Hours	Sum of planned hours for criteria in the RPL scan x Banding Reduction %
Total Deduction (%)	(Recognised Prior Learning Hours / Total Required Hours) x 100
Maximum Funding Available (£)	Specified in the module's configuration (Max Funding), either entered manually or taken from a linked OTJ standard
Pricing Reduction (%)	Half of the Total Deduction percentage
Funding Reduction (£)	(Pricing Reduction (%) x Maximum Funding Available (£)) / 100
Manual Adjustment (£)	This can optionally be entered to manually adjust the final funding value. Click Save after entering the figure, which can be positive or negative.
Maximum Funding to be received (£)	Maximum Funding Available (£) - Funding Reduction (£) + Manual Adjustment (£)
Total Delivery Cost (£)	Specified in the module's configuration

Using the above image as an example to work through the calculation (with an RPL scan where every score was entered as 1):

Average RPL scan score = 1, which places it in the 0-3 band with a Banding Reduction of 20%
42 Total Planned Hours x 20% Banding Reduction = 8.4 RPL Hours (displayed to the nearest integer, which is 8)
42 Total Planned Hours - 8.4 RPL Hours = 34 Total Reduced OTJ Hours (rounded to the nearest hour)
(8.4 RPL Hours / 348 Total Required Hours) x 100 = 2.41% Total Deduction
2.41% Total Deduction / 2 = 1.21% Pricing Reduction
(1.21% Pricing Reduction x £4000 Maximum Funding Available) / 100 = £48 Funding Reduction (rounded to the nearest £)
£4000 Maximum Funding Available - £48 Funding Reduction + £100 Manual Adjustment = £4052 Maximum Funding to be received
£4052 Maximum Funding to be received - £3400 Total Delivery Cost = £652 surplus

If the learner were to later perform another RPL scan and submit a score of 9 for all criteria, the calculation would change as follows:

Average RPL scan score = 9, which places it in the 7-9 band with a Banding Reduction of 5%
42 Total Planned Hours x 5% Banding Reduction = 2.1 RPL Hours (displayed to the nearest integer, which is 2)
42 Total Planned Hours - 2.1 RPL Hours = 40 Total Reduced OTJ Hours (rounded to the nearest hour)
(2.1 RPL Hours / 348 Total Required Hours) x 100 = 0.6% Total Deduction
0.6% Total Deduction / 2 = 0.3% Pricing Reduction
(0.3% Pricing Reduction x £4000 Maximum Funding Available) / 100 = £12 Funding Reduction (rounded to the nearest £)
£4000 Maximum Funding Available - £12 Funding Reduction + £100 Manual Adjustment = £4088 Maximum Funding to be received
£4088 Maximum Funding to be received - £3400 Total Delivery Cost = £688 surplus