• With years of work experience and a proven track record that has contributed towards a unique set of skills and knowledge.
• Having completed workplace training programs or learnerships.
• With expertise gained over many years of employment and wish to, or are required to have a higher educational qualification to continue working.
• In a situation where the rules surrounding your professional license-to-practice have changed and you require a degree or postgraduate qualification.
• Simply wishing to have a better opportunity at furthering your career and educational prospects.

• You have completed a number of short courses or training programmes which could be recognised in helping you gain access to university study with possible exemptions.
• You have an incomplete post-school qualification or simply feel you want to return to study and use your prior learning credits towards a qualification at Cornerstone Institute.
• You have engaged in online learning, self-study and short courses that might count towards part of your qualification.

At our RPL and CAT Unit, we are dedicated to providing expert guidance throughout the documentation process for your RPL or CAT application. Our comprehensive services encompass valuable information and advice on the necessary rules and procedures.

The Portfolio Development Course for Access (PDCA) is specifically designed to support you in creating a personalized Learning Portfolio. Within your Learning Portfolio, you will be required to provide various elements such as a biographical essay that elucidates your unique knowledge and learning journey, transcripts and outlines of any previous learning, as well as appropriate assessments based on your chosen program and whether you seek access or exemption.

As experts in education, we are proud to offer the Portfolio of Experiential Learning module as an integral component of our first-year degree program at Cornerstone Institute. This module is meticulously crafted to cater to the needs of registered students who aspire to challenge for exemption or apply for credit transfer. It serves as a valuable opportunity for students to showcase their experiential learning and demonstrate their eligibility for exemption or credit transfer within their chosen program of study.

RPL stands for Recognition of Prior Learning, which may be used for access to undergraduate study or for exemption from one or more subjects or modules in a qualification.

RPL for access may be used if:

• You are 23 years or older.
• You do not meet the “traditional” entry requirements of a programme, for example, you have an incomplete matric certificate or you only got a certificate pass.
• You feel that, after leaving school, you gained enough knowledge and skills through work and life experience and/or through short courses, self-study or online learning to prepare you for entry into a tertiary degree. This is an alternative entry point into a degree.

RPL for Exemption may be used if:

• You feel you are able to show evidence that you have acquired enough knowledge and skill through work experience (paid or unpaid) and/or short courses, self-study, online learning, that is potentially comparable to the knowledge that is taught in a module within your degree.
• You can then “challenge” for exemption of said module(s).
• Note that credit will not be granted for the module you received an exemption for in this case.
• It will state you have been exempt on your transcript.
• You cannot be exempt for more than 50% of modules within a programme.

Credit Accumulation Transfer refers to the formal learning you have completed and the credits you received for modules/programmes. Where these modules are comparable between courses and institutions, the credits from an accredited qualification or part-qualification can be transferred to another. Eg: You completed a few modules through UNISA, and are now looking to continue your studies through Cornerstone Institute in a similar programme. Some of the modules you have completed at UNISA might be similar or comparable to modules at Cornerstone, making the option of transferring those credits available to you. Please note National Policy states that you cannot transfer more than 50% of credits between courses.

The National Policy states that courses or modules completed more than 10 years ago, cannot be used for the transferring of credits. Applying for exemption through RPL can still be an option.

Comparability is key when it comes to transferring credit and providing the exemption. The knowledge acquired through formal or informal learning should be comparable to the content of the modules you are applying though CAT or RPL exemption for. The determination of whether prior experiential learning or credits acquired towards another qualification are comparable, is the responsibility of the academic staff at Cornerstone Institute.