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Institute of Advanced Technological and Commercial Studies

Practical guides

Building a prior-learning validation file

Prior-learning validation awards one or more blocks on the basis of your experience. The file is assessed on documents and interview, and the decision is written and reasoned. Here are the seven steps of the process.

What validation awards

Validation applies to skill blocks, one at a time. Each validated block is permanently acquired and appears in the descriptive supplement attached to the award. The remaining path is then rebuilt around the blocks still to run, which shortens the duration and tunes the cost to what genuinely remains to be worked.

  • A validated block, permanently acquired
  • An entry in the award's descriptive supplement
  • A remaining path rebuilt around the blocks still to run
  • A written, reasoned decision, block by block

The seven steps of the file

  1. 01

    Step 1 — choose the target title

    The title determines the framework used as the measure. 72 titles are published, each with its blocks.

  2. 02

    Step 2 — target the blocks

    Keep the blocks your practice genuinely covers. A targeted file is assessed faster than a broad one.

  3. 03

    Step 3 — describe the practice

    For each block: the context, the actions run, the frequency, the scope of responsibility.

  4. 04

    Step 4 — gather the evidence

    Outputs, working documents, statements. One piece of evidence per action is enough; its date matters as much as its content.

  5. 05

    Step 5 — file the dossier

    Online, with your application reference. A timestamped receipt opens the assessment period.

  6. 06

    Step 6 — take the interview

    Before a person, on your evidence. The exchange covers what you ran, block by block.

  7. 07

    Step 7 — receive the decision

    Written and reasoned, block by block, with the remaining path quantified in hours and duration.

What the file involves

titles open to validation
72
skill blocks in the frameworks
360
steps in the validation process
7
working days for an acknowledgement
2

The calendar of a validation

PhaseWhat you produceWhat comes back to you
PreparationThe block-to-action matching tableThe title framework, published
AssemblyDated evidence, one per actionThe list of expected documents
FilingThe complete file, onlineA timestamped receipt and a reference
InterviewYour explanations before a personThe questions covering each block
DecisionNothing: assessment is closedA written reason, block by block

Validation questions

How much experience is needed?

What is examined is the match between your actions and the block's content, with their depth and regularity. A short but complete practice on a precise block stands up better than a long presence with no attachable action.

What happens with blocks not validated?

They make up your remaining path, quantified in hours and duration in the decision. You follow them at your chosen pace, and validated blocks stay acquired throughout.

Is the validation interview like the admission one?

It covers your evidence and what you ran, block by block, whereas the admission interview covers the project. The written file serves as the outline: the more precise it is, the shorter and sharper the exchange.

Can the decision be reviewed?

Yes, review by a person is a right on any assessment, with no justification required. It follows the same route as any complaint: acknowledgement within two working days, reasoned answer within ten working days.

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