Preparing your evidence

Evidence is information gathered which, when matched against units of competency/learning outcomes, provides proof of competency. Evidence can take many forms such as:-

• relevant course certificates/evidence of training undertaken
• samples, photographs or videos of your work
• letters of validation from your employers
• an on-the-job assessment record
• performance management report
• a job description
• a written assignment
• copies of documents you have completed as part of your work eg budgets, reports, memos, spreadsheets, estimates etc.

Best types of evidence

You want your application to be successful, so you should submit the best evidence available. This means it should be:

• Current - you should be able to demonstrate that your skills are up-to-date and that you can use them NOW if required.
• Relevant - the skills you are claiming to have should relate directly to the learning outcomes/performance criteria for the relevant module and be at a comparable standard.
• Authentic - you need to be able to show that your claims are genuine. This is where letters from employers and so forth are very helpful.
• Transferable - skills you have learned in one situation must be capable of being applied to other situations. For example, if you are making claims against computing skills, you should be capable of demonstrating those skills on any appropriate machine or system, not just the one in your office!

Several different methods may be available to you, depending on the subject area. Below are some guidelines about the different types of evidence that might be used to assist in your application.

Interview or Verbal Questioning

It may be possible to demonstrate competence by explaining particular areas directly to an assessor. This would happen in an interview that your assessor would arrange. Be aware that you would have to attend the interview prepared. Have relevant documents or other material to hand and ensure that your responses related directly to the learning outcomes.

Challenge Activity

You may be asked to demonstrate competence by completing an assignment agreed upon by you and your assessor. In some circumstances, you may sit existing tests prepared for students who have taken the unit/module in the usual way.

Work Experience

It doesn't matter if the work was paid or unpaid. The experience may be something you are doing now or it may be in the past. However, recent or current experience tends to have greater validity. Evidence in this category could be:

Samples of your work

If possible, you should submit your application with examples of work that demonstrate your competence against particular learning outcomes or relevant performance criteria. For example, a person applying for recognition in a word processing module may choose to submit examples of merged letters, complex tabulations, assignments, reports or similar.

Letter of Validation

A letter of validation should not be confused with a reference. Its purpose is to help confirm the authenticity of the information in your application. It should provide details about your duties, experience and responsibilities, which are relevant to the learning outcomes or competencies of the module. Such a letter should also indicate the level of skill demonstrated by you in your work performance.

It is important that the letter is written on official stationary and by someone who knows you and also the duties that you perform. The position of the person writing the letter should also be clearly indicated.

Life Experience

Relevant experience that you have acquired through any normal day-to-day activities may also be considered as evidence. For example, activities such as:

• involvement in a community group
• family including childcare
• leisure pursuits, including sports
• hobbies
• organising events
• membership of a committee

Try and consider how the relevant features of these activities can demonstrate your competence in a particular learning outcome. Include supporting documentation such as letters or samples or work where possible.

Think about a combination of different types of evidence. That way, you provide the assessor with the best possible chance of processing your application successfully.