Recognition of prior learning (RPL), prior learning assessment (PLA), or prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR), describes a process used by colleges and universities around the world to evaluate learning acquired outside the classroom for the purpose of assigning academic credit. Common ways individuals have acquired college-level learning include: corporate or military training; work experience; civic activity; and independent study.
Methods to assess prior learning are varied and include: standardized exams such as those delivered by the College Board, the Excelsior College Examination Program or DANTES Subject Standardized Tests Program; American Council on Education (ACE) Guides to credit recommendations for civilian and military training programs; evaluations of local training programs by local colleges, campus challenge exams; and portfolio assessments of experiential learning.
Prior Learning Assessment programs should not be confused with so-called life experience degrees, which purport to offer academic recognition of work experience but do not in fact have degree status and are illegal in many jurisdictions.
Read more about Recognition Of Prior Learning: Prior Learning Assessment, History of Prior Learning Assessment, Benefits of Recognition of Prior Learning
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