Recognition of Prior Learning

Applications for credit transfer/equivalency are now closed

The second application period for courses scheduled to start between November 1 and December 17 will open on October 19. Please check this website regularly for updates.

Please use the RPL Portal to see the status of your RPL application, view the list of previously evaluated courses, or search for NBCC course profiles: https://helpdesk.nbcc.ca/CherwellPortal/RPLPortal

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) Pilot Project for IT Programs

Starting Fall 2021, NBCC will be piloting new approaches to assessing and recognizing informal learning gained through work or life experience and other non-formal training. We are currently seeking applicants interested in pursuing either the IT: Programmer-Analyst or IT: Web & Mobile Application Development programs.

If you have experience in the IT field that may be equivalent to courses in these two programs, you might be an ideal candidate. For more information please contact Patrick.Reinartz@nbcc.ca.

At NBCC, we recognize that learning happens inside and outside the classroom. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program allows you to gain credit for the learning you already possess. You may have taken many different paths to develop this learning, from formal coursework at other post-secondary institutions to informal workshops and seminars, on-the-job training, work experience, volunteerism, military service or family commitments. No matter how or where you gained your experience, RPL provides a way for you to demonstrate your learning and receive formal credit for it.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Values

The RPL Team operates with a culture of respect, transparency, and accountability and is committed to continuously improving processes and services. Diverse forms of learning are valued and assessments are based on the learning achieved, not the individual or where the learning occurred. By acknowledging diversity, embracing inclusivity, and rejecting biases we reduce institutional barriers and facilitate academic and career success for students.

There are two ways you can be awarded credit towards your program at NBCC:

  • Credit Transfer (CR): You may earn credit for courses you previously completed at a recognized post-secondary institution if the learning matches at least 80% of the competencies, scope, depth, and level of learning required for the respective NBCC course and you achieved a minimum grade of 60%.
  • Credit Equivalency (EQ): You may earn credit for learning you gained from work or life experience, volunteerism, self-directed study, military service, on-the-job training, workshops, or seminars. The learning you achieved must match at least 80% of the competencies, scope, depth, and level of learning required in the respective NBCC course.

There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Questions? Ask Us

Use this form to ask questions about RPL or request a meeting with the RPL Coordinator to discuss your application.