Advanced standing

If you are applying for an ECU course and have completed previous study or professional experience, at an equivalent level, then you may be eligible for advanced standing (credit for previous study or work experience).

What is advanced standing?

Advanced standing is the term we use for credit (aka exemptions) for previous studies, or recognition of prior learning, for professional experience.

Advanced standing can enable you to reduce the number of units you need to study to be awarded your ECU qualification. It can be awarded as credit or in the form of a preclusion.

Note: If your ECU course is gearing you to work in an industry where recognition by a professional body is required (such as working as a CPA), you will need to ensure that accepting advanced standing does not prevent you from being accepted as a member into the professional association.

Credit

Credit is the assigned value of previous learning granted towards a qualification in recognition that this previous learning reflects and is equivalent to, in part or whole, the education requirements of the relevant qualification.

For the purpose of credit previous learning includes formal, non-formal and in-formal learning:

• Formal learning:
  Learning you completed through a structured program of instruction that has been formally approved through accreditation/endorsement which leads to the full/partial attainment of a qualification (e.g. a certificate, diploma or degree).
  Includes formal learning recognised as part of the AQF or other formal courses of study recognised by NOOSR or an institution/organisation.
• Non-formal learning
  Learning you completed through a structured program of instruction which did not lead to the attainment of a formal qualification (e.g. in-house professional development programs conducted by your employer, education by professional associations, product courses and unaccredited structured training).
• Informal learning
  Learning you achieve through experience in work-related, social, family, hobby or leisure activities. Unlike formal and non-formal learning, informal learning is not organised or structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support.

Substitution / Preclusion

Recognises that you have previous learning which reflects and is equivalent to parts of the qualification which you are undertaking but does not lead to credit.

A preclusion enables you to be exempted from undertaking the relevant parts that have been achieved (units), but requires you to complete an alternative unit in place of the unit(s) you have been granted preclusions for.

Being granted a preclusion means you will complete the same number of units as required by the rules of the qualification

Have previous qualifications and want to know more?

You can check our advanced standing database to see if you may be eligible to receive credit for previously completed qualifications.

If your qualification is not listed in our database, you can contact the School offering your course to get an assessment of possible advanced standing.

Applying for advanced standing

When you apply for one of our courses, you should indicate you wish to be assessed for advanced standing

You will need to complete an advanced standing application and submit it with your supporting documentation to Student Central.

Supporting documentation

• Formal: You should provide a full academic record which has been certified by the institution which awarded the qualification or certified photocopies of original transcripts.
• Non-formal and informal: You should contact the School offering your course for advice about your eligibility and required supporting documentation.

A complete assessment can be made only when full documentation has been provided. Please do not provide us original documents as they will not be returned.