The Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2025
The Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2025 (the 2025 Standards) came into full regulatory effect on 1 July 2025. They set the minimum requirements that all registered training organisations must meet in order to maintain their registration with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) or relevant state regulator.
The 2025 Standards replaced the previous framework and introduced stronger requirements around RPL specifically — in part because ASQA had identified significant non-compliance and quality issues in how RPL was being offered and delivered across parts of the sector.
Why This Matters to You as a Learner
When you enrol in RPL with an RTO, that RTO is legally obligated to meet the standards set out in this framework. Understanding what the standards require gives you the ability to recognise whether an RTO is operating correctly — and to know when something doesn't feel right.
What the 2025 Standards Require for RPL
The 2025 Standards contain specific obligations relating to RPL. Here is what a compliant RTO must do:
Must Offer RPL to All Students
RTOs are required to ensure all VET students are offered the opportunity to seek RPL, and are made aware of the organisation's policies for seeking recognition. An RTO that does not inform you of your right to RPL, or that actively discourages you from pursuing it, is in breach of the standards.
Evidence Must Drive Decisions
Decisions about RPL must be based on evidence of prior skills, learning, and experience. An RTO cannot grant RPL without evaluating evidence, and it cannot withhold RPL without a genuine evidential basis for the decision.
Fair, Transparent, and Consistent Process
RPL decisions must be made in a way that is fair, transparent, and consistent across students. This means the process must be clearly explained, the criteria must be the same for all applicants, and the assessment must reflect genuine professional judgement rather than arbitrary or commercially motivated decisions.
Qualified Assessors Only
RPL assessment must be conducted by assessors who hold the appropriate qualifications and vocational competency for the area being assessed. RTOs cannot outsource assessment to unregulated third parties who do not meet assessor requirements.
Compliance with Principles and Rules
All RPL assessment must be conducted in accordance with the Principles of Assessment (fairness, flexibility, validity, reliability) and the Rules of Evidence (validity, sufficiency, authenticity, currency). See our Evidence Guide for detailed explanations of each.
Documentation and Records
RTOs must document their RPL decisions, including the evidence considered and the basis for the outcome. This documentation must be retained and be available to demonstrate compliance if required by ASQA.
Non-Compliant RPL Practices to Watch For
ASQA has publicly identified specific practices that indicate non-compliance with the standards. Being able to recognise these protects you from engaging with poor-quality providers.
🚩 Red Flags — Seek a Different Provider
- Guaranteeing a qualification outcome before evidence is assessed
- Outsourcing RPL assessment to unregulated brokers or third parties who don't hold assessor qualifications
- Automatically granting RPL based solely on a higher AQF qualification in the same industry, without evidence review
- Failing to adequately assess or test evidence for currency against training package requirements
- Accepting a résumé and self-declaration as sufficient evidence without further assessment
- Failing to assess overseas qualifications against Australian legislative and regulatory requirements
- Having no systems for identifying and addressing gaps in a student's RPL evidence
- Failing to inform students of their right to RPL at the point of enrolment
Your Rights as an RPL Learner
- Right to be informed about RPL. You must be told about RPL as a pathway option before you enrol. If an RTO doesn't mention it, ask.
- Right to a fair assessment. Your evidence must be assessed objectively against the unit requirements — not based on commercial incentives or administrative convenience.
- Right to feedback. You are entitled to understand why units were assessed as competent or not yet competent, and what additional evidence or activity would be required to achieve competency.
- Right to appeal. Every RTO must have a formal complaints and appeals process. If you believe an assessment decision was incorrect, you have the right to have it reviewed. Ask the RTO for their appeals procedure.
- Right to complain to the regulator. If you believe an RTO is operating non-compliantly, you can lodge a complaint with ASQA at asqa.gov.au. ASQA investigates complaints about RTO conduct.
How to Use training.gov.au (TGA)
Training.gov.au is the national register for vocational education and training in Australia. It is the authoritative source for information about qualifications, units of competency, and registered training organisations. Using TGA to research your options is an essential step before committing to any provider.
The walkthrough below uses Asset College (RTO 31718) as a worked example to illustrate each step.
Step 1: Search for a Qualification
Navigate to training.gov.au and use the search to find the qualification you're interested in. You can search by qualification name, industry, or code.
training.gov.au — Search for a qualification
Search the National Register
Step 2: View the Qualification Details
Click through to the qualification to see its units of competency, packaging rules, and other details. This is where you'll find the specific units that make up the qualification — essential for mapping your evidence.
Qualification detail page — Units of competency
Step 3: Find RTOs That Deliver the Qualification
From the qualification page, switch to the "Delivery" tab to see which RTOs are registered to deliver that qualification. You can filter by state or delivery mode.
Delivery tab — RTOs delivering BSB50420
Step 4: Verify an RTO's Registration
Before engaging any provider, verify that they hold current registration on training.gov.au. An RTO that is not on the national register cannot legally issue nationally recognised qualifications.
Organisation detail — Asset College (RTO 31718)
Privately Operated RTO
National (ASQA)
View all ↗
Step 5: Check the RTO's Scope of Registration
An RTO can only legally deliver and assess qualifications that appear on their current scope of registration. Always confirm that the specific qualification you want appears on their scope — and that their registration is current.
Scope of Registration — Confirming qualification is listed
You Now Have the Full Picture
Using training.gov.au, you can: confirm a qualification is current, review its exact unit requirements, identify which RTOs are registered to deliver it, verify an RTO's registration status, and confirm the specific qualification is on their scope. This five-step process takes only a few minutes and can protect you from making an expensive mistake.