RPL Credit Equivalency (EQ) Portfolio

The first step in the RPL process is to determine whether your prior learning and skills match at least 80% of the NBCC course competencies, outcome, and depth of learning. In order to perform the self-assessment, you will first need to access the course profile for the NBCC course specific to your RPL application and portfolio submission.

RPL Self-Assessment Template instructions:

Access the course profile by logging into the RPL Portal and clicking on the “view course profile” button as noted in the screenshot below.

If you require assistance, watch the video tutorial on how to search for your course profile.

Once you have downloaded the course profile, follow the instructions to complete the RPL Self-Assessment template:

1. Using the RPL Self-Assessment template (docx), copy and paste each of the course competencies into the first column where noted. Add additional rows as needed if the course has more than 13 competencies.
   
   Tip: While all NBCC course profiles provide course-specific competencies, some course profiles also include content sections. For the purpose of this portfolio, you must be able to demonstrate that your prior learning and skills address at least 80% of the noted competencies, outcome and depth of learning. When completing the self-assessment, you should refer to the course competencies, however, you may also consider the content section to help you determine if your prior learning and skills match the NBCC course outcome and competencies.
2. For each of the course competencies you will need to ask yourself:
   1. Am I able to accurately describe and detail how I acquired the knowledge and skills?
   2. Am I able to explain how I apply this learning based on the acquired knowledge and skill(s)?
   3. Am I able to demonstrate mastery or depth of learning of the acquired knowledge and skills?
   4. Am I able to provide proof/evidence of the acquired learning, knowledge, and skills?
3. For each of the course competencies and questions a) through d) noted above, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 4 (refer to the rating scale on the self-assessment template for details).
4. If you rated yourself a 3 or 4 for 80% or more of the NBCC course competencies, you may consider submitting a portfolio in support of an experiential application. If you did not rate yourself a 3 or 4 for 80% or more of the course competencies, it is recommended that you remain in the course.
5. Ensure that you save the completed RPL Self-Assessment template as it is a required component of the RPL Portfolio.

If you decide to submit an application based on non-formal/experiential learning, your portfolio must contain the following documents: 

• Completed RPL Self-Assessment Template
• Introduction
• Resume
• Completed RPL Competency Worksheet
• Verification Letter (required for learning that is based on work-related experiences)
• Supporting Evidence
• Portfolio Index

Prior to assembling your portfolio, consider the following important details:

• Ensure that your portfolio is user-friendly and well-organized for the Assessor.
• Incorporate only verifiable facts, documents, and data directly relevant to your application and to the portfolio. Be selective about the information and documentation you choose to include and avoid unnecessary repetition. Quality over quantity matters.
• Arrange the documents and information in a manner that facilitates easy comprehension, allowing the Assessor to follow your train of thought seamlessly from one section to another.
• All documents submitted with your RPL application must be in English. If your original document is not in English, you must provide an official/professional translation along with the original untranslated document.
• The portfolio must be neatly and professionally presented. College-level communication is expected with grammatical and spelling accuracy.

The introduction is a brief cover letter (approximately 3 to 4 paragraphs in length) that provides: 

• A written introduction to your professional and educational background
• Basic details about your request and an explanation as to why you feel your prior learning and experience aligns with the NBCC course outcome and competencies
• Any additional information that you wish to highlight or bring to the attention of the Assessor

Your resume should be current and correspond with details noted in your portfolio as well as the course competencies. Your resume should also emphasize your strengths and abilities as well as highlight your accomplishments and achievements that may be referenced in the RPL Competency Worksheet.

Please be sure to include the following areas in your resume:

• Education
• Professional/Work Experience
• Activities, Interests, Volunteer Details, etc. 

The RPL Competency Worksheet - in combination with the supporting evidence that verifies your learning - is the focal point of your portfolio. The completed RPL worksheet should demonstrate your ability to distinguish between experience and learning while also providing a map or summary of the evidence you have provided, which competencies the evidence validates, and where to find the evidence in the portfolio.

Organize your worksheet and evidence so that it is easy and efficient for the Assessor to navigate. It should be clear to the Assessor what learning and evidence can be attributed to which of the NBCC course competencies.

[ View sample of a completed RPL Competency Worksheet (pdf) ]

While all NBCC course profiles provide course-specific competencies, some course profiles also include content sections. For the purpose of this portfolio, you must be able to demonstrate that your prior learning and skills address at least 80% of the noted competencies, outcome and depth of learning. When completing the RPL Competency Worksheet, you should refer to the course competencies, however, you may also consider the content section to help you determine what learning, experience, and evidence you should highlight or provide. 

Once you have determined how your learning and experience aligns with the course competencies, you will need to complete an RPL Competency Worksheet.

[ Download blank RPL Competency Worksheet template (docx) ]. 

Follow the steps below when completing the worksheet:

1. Enter your full name.
2. Enter your NBCC Student ID number.
3. Enter the NBCC course code.
4. Enter the NBCC course name.
5. Enter the NBCC course competencies you will be addressing (refer to the competencies noted in the course profile).
6. Provide an overview of your prior learning. Use clear, descriptive, and detailed language to describe your knowledge, skills, and experience. Be sure to explain how the learning was acquired and how it was demonstrated.
7. Where and when did you put the learning into action? Where and when was the learning and skills applied?
8. What evidence/supporting documentation are you providing to verify and validate the learning? (Refer to Step 6 for information about evidence/supporting documentation)
9. What is the file name of the evidence? The naming of evidence should be clear and consistent and should match what is noted in the Portfolio Index. (Refer to Step 8 for details regarding file naming conventions and the Portfolio Index).

Tip: Add as many rows to the worksheet as needed. For example, if you are addressing 6 NBCC competencies, you should have at least 6 rows in your worksheet.

Note: If you wish to expand on any of the sections in the worksheet, feel free to include a supplemental document that provides additional information. Please ensure the supplemental document is well-organized and clearly notes which competencies you are addressing. Be sure to also include the supplemental document in the Portfolio Index as noted in Step 8 below.

This section verifies and validates your expertise by presenting concrete evidence of your learning, experiences, and skills. Similar to how students in a classroom demonstrate their understanding of course materials through presentations, research papers, or test and exam results, the evidence/support documents provided in your portfolio validates your claimed knowledge and skills.

Evidence can take on many forms:

• Reports, presentations, or products that you have personally created and/or presented.
• Links to a personal e-portfolio that highlights computer coding skills.
• A course outline and certificate of completion for a course taken through your employer or for Professional Development purposes.
• A verification letter or performance appraisal from a supervisor or employer that outlines your job descriptions and describes your job performance relevant to the course competencies. Note: The individual writing the verification letter must be qualified to assess any skill-based competencies.
• Links to websites or social media that you created for your business that align with the course competencies.
• A video of you performing a skill or task or giving a presentation or speech.

There are two types of evidence to include in your portfolio:

1. Direct evidence
2. Indirect evidence

Direct Evidence

Direct evidence refers to documents, work, and/or items that you have crafted or created yourself. Direct evidence is the strongest and most reliable source of evidence as it is reflective of your own work and signifies the knowledge you have gained through it. Direct evidence serves to authenticate and validate your learning journey, while offering the Assessor insight into the depth of knowledge you have acquired.

** IMPORTANT: While not all portfolios will include indirect evidence, ALL portfolios must include direct evidence. **

Examples of direct evidence includes:

• Projects, reports, or assignments
• Work samples or presentations
• Video or audio of presentations, speeches, skill demonstrations, etc.
• Journal articles
• Computer programs
• Blueprints and plans

Indirect Evidence

Indirect evidence pertains to evidence specific to you and your achievements, which has been validated by a third party.

Sources of indirect evidence are often letters written by individuals with the expertise to verify your learning. Typically, this evidence is provided by employers, supervisors or instructors. A crucial aspect to bear in mind concerning indirect evidence is that it is verification of your skills and expertise and not a recommendation.

Indirect evidence can also be used to support direct evidence. As an example, if you have provided a report that you completed for work that you feel addresses one or more of the NBCC course competencies (direct evidence), the verification letter should acknowledge the report and provide confirmation that you did in fact prepare it and others like it (indirect evidence).

Examples of indirect evidence includes:

• Verification letters written by an individual qualified to assess any skill-based competencies (ie. supervisor, teacher, etc.) verifying your knowledge and skills specific to the course competencies
• Performance appraisals or job evaluations (that are specific to the course competencies) completed by a supervisor
• Detailed job description for a job you have performed
• Membership certificates for professional organizations
• Certificate of completion for training programs or professional development courses
• Awards, licenses, memberships specific to the course competencies 

When considering evidence to include in your portfolio, please avoid the following:

• General performance appraisals or job evaluations that state you were a “good” employee and are not specific as to what you did or the specific skills and knowledge you demonstrated
• Employment certificates, job offers, or employment confirmation letters that do not address your specific job duties, and/or verify your knowledge and skills specific to the course competencies
• Documentation, reports, projects, etc. that cannot be directly attributed to you (ie. group assignments or reports)

Strength of Evidence

The evidence that you choose to provide in your portfolio should not only prove your learning as it relates to the specific NBCC course competency but should also be authentic and verifiable. For example, a video of you giving a presentation to a committee may be considered strong and verifiable evidence, whereas simply stating that you have experience giving presentations is weak evidence that cannot be verified.

Below are some examples of weak versus strong forms of evidence:

Example of Competencies

• Develop presentation tools for a specific purpose, context, and audience.
• Use appropriate software, templates, and online resources for presentation aids.
• Use secondary sources, graphs, images, charts, or other information to enhance presentation aids.
• Deliver oral presentations with confidence and professionalism.

Examples of Weak Evidence

• Resume (only)
• Letter from a co-worker or supervisor that says they have seen you give a presentation
• A copy of your job description indicating that your job includes the preparation of meeting materials (only)
• Toastmasters Education Program certificate of completion (only)

Examples of Strong Evidence

• A video of you giving a presentation at a recent committee meeting
• A Toastmasters Education Program Certificate of Completion AND a recording of you delivering a speech at a Toastmasters meeting
• A PowerPoint presentation that you created at work for a Board of Governors meeting along with a verification letter from your supervisor that verifies that you were the one to create and deliver the presentation

A verification letter is a letter written by an individual (ie. a supervisor) capable of attesting to your proficiency in the specific course competencies and to those you have outlined in the portfolio. While a verification letter can support your direct evidence, on its own, a verification letter is not considered direct evidence. 

Note: A verification letter must be included in your portfolio if any of the learning noted in the RPL Competency Worksheet is based on work-related experiences or learning.

It is important to note that the individual who writes your verification letter must be qualified to assess any skill-based competencies. For example, an HR manager working at a long-term care facility may not have a nursing background and thus would not be qualified to provide verification of nursing skills, whereas an RN supervisor would be qualified. 

When requesting a verification letter, consider the following points: 

• The individual verifying your learning must have directly observed your progress and learning in question
• The individual verifying your learning must be qualified to assess any skill-based competencies.
• It is possible for one person to verify multiple learning experiences, with comments focusing on distinct areas of learning
• The letter should detail the learning encounter, highlighting your acquired knowledge, and evaluating both the quality and quantity of your learning
• The letter should address the specific course competencies and should not just speak in generalities to your performance
• The writer must specify their relationship to you (e.g., supervisor, colleague) and provide their qualifications
• The letter should be composed on company or organization letterhead, with a current date, signature, and contact details (email address and phone number) 

When requesting a verification letter, it is recommended that you provide guidelines similar to those above to the individual who will be writing the letter. It is also recommended that you provide the individual who will be writing the letter with a copy of the NBCC course profile, or with a list of the course competencies you wish for them to verify. 

The Portfolio Index will help the Assessor navigate through the documentation that is uploaded in support of your application. Please review the naming and saving convention details below prior to completing the RPL Portfolio Index^*.

[ Download RPL Portfolio Index File (pdf) ]

Naming and saving your evidence

When naming and saving your documents, it is recommended that you use the following naming conventions:

• “Competency_Worksheet_ Lastname_Firstname_student ID”
• “Introduction_Lastname_Firstname_student ID”
• “Resume_ Lastname_Firstname_student ID”
• “Verification_Letter_Lastname_Firstname_student ID” 

When naming and saving your evidence, ensure that the file name matches the name specified on the RPL Competency Worksheet. File names should be reflective of the evidence (ie. “ppt_presentation_Smith_M_1234567.pdf,”).

^* The RPL Portfolio Index is a fillable pdf. Please be sure to download, complete, and save the document prior to submitting the application.

Before submitting your application, ensure that all the items noted below have been included in your portfolio: 

1. Completed RPL Self-Assessment Template (docx)
2. Introduction
3. Resume
4. Completed RPL Competency Worksheet (docx)
5. Supporting Evidence
6. Verification letter (if required)
7. Completed Portfolio Index (pdf)

Once you have assembled and completed all the documents required for your portfolio, you will need to complete the RPL application form. To complete the application form, login to the RPL Portal. 

NOTE: For detailed information about how to complete the RPL application form, refer to the Step-by-Step Application Guide. 

After completing the NBCC course information section of the RPL application, select the type of prior learning you are submitting from the drop-down menu: 

Select either “Experiential Learning” or “Combination Courses and Experiential Learning” from the drop-down menu.

If you have selected “Experiential Learning”, read and acknowledge the two statements specific to non-formal/experiential learning applications and the RPL portfolio requirements. 

If you have selected “Combination Courses and Experiential Learning”, be sure to complete both the first section specific to the course(s) you wish to be evaluated AND the second section specific to non-formal/experiential learning (which includes reading and acknowledging the two statements specific to non-formal/experiential learning applications and the RPL portfolio requirements). 

Prior to submitting the application, ensure that you upload and attach all of the required portfolio documents*. Refer to Step 9 above to review the Portfolio Checklist and to ensure that you are including all of the necessary documentation.

For detailed information about how to complete the RPL application form, refer to the Step-by-Step Application Guide.

* If you are submitting an application based on a combination of courses and non-formal/experiential learning, be sure to also upload the relevant detailed course outlines.