Prepared by John Wilcox and Richard Brown of Bradford College
What is accreditation of prior and experiential learning?
Accreditation Of Prior And Experiential Learning (
APEL) is a process
that enables people of all ages, backgrounds and attitudes to receive
formal recognition for skills and knowledge they already possess. A
person' learning and experience can be formally recognised and
taken into account to:
- gain entry to further or higher education courses
- give exemption
from certain parts of a new course of study
- qualify for an award in an
appropriate subject in further or higher education
APEL takes into account:
- organised prior-learning where the learning has been assessed and
where certificates are awarded on completion
- learning gained through
unstructured experiences and short courses, arising through leisure
pursuits, family experiences and work
APEL is of particular value to:
- Mature students returning to education who lack the formal qualifications
required for entry to a course of study. APEL can be used to gain
access to a course of further or higher education.
- Students of all ages
who wish to study overseas, and whose domestic qualifications are not
automatically accepted for entry to the overseas
course of study. Here, APEL can be used to gain access to the course
of study.
- Past students who have previous further and higher educational
qualifications but who now seek to add to those qualifications in order
to broaden their expertise or change careers. APEL can be used to avoid repeating
specific modules of learning by providing evidence that prior learning has already
taken place.
- Students who wish to return to courses of study that have
been interrupted by work or family commitments. Again, APEL can provide
evidence that prior learning has occurred.
- Those who are seeking the award of professional
qualifications and need to provide evidence of specific training and
practical work experience.
APEL provides the framework for collecting and presenting the evidence
that is required.
- Students on full or part-time courses who wish to
gain recognition for informal learning that has taken place through
work or leisure-related activities.
If you think that APEL will be of benefit to you:
You should have a preliminary discussion with the institution to which
you are applying. It would be helpful if, when attending this initial
meeting, you take with you information about yourself and your background
(for example a current curriculum vitae).
Should you decide to apply for APEL, ask for a copy of the student
guide to help you through the process.
