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Workplace Assessment Programs

NIBA College is an industry leader in workplace assessment for practitioners wishing to gain qualifications through recognition of their current skills and knowledge.

Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma level qualifications in Financial Services can be attained through workplace assessment. Most assessment programs are undertaken as full qualifications. View the program summary for an outline of the available assessments.

Information about NIBA College workplace assessment programs:

For any other queries about workplace assessment please email qualifications@nibacollege.com.au.

Eligibility

Workplace assessment is for experienced representatives, who believe they are already competent to apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) for a financial services qualification.  Your competency consists of the combination of skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours you have acquired in many different ways during your working career. 

Under the Australian National Training Framework you can obtain a qualification if you can provide evidence that you are competent in the units of competence that make up a qualification.

Each unit of competency describes a discrete job function includes elements, performance standards and evidence requirements:

  • Elements of competence are the outcomes related to doing the job function described by the unit;
  • Performance standards describe the level of performance for each outcome required to prove competence;
  • Evidence is the work documents and NIBA College assessment activities that are used to provide proof of competency.

Each national qualification has a minimum number of units of competence that must be achieved. If you do not achieve RPL for all the required units NIBA College will issue you with a Statement of Attainment for those successfully completed.  This will be recognised as part of your academic record when you apply to enter further training or apply for exemptions and credits.

ASIC program entry rules

If you are completing workplace assessment to gain an ASIC Tier 1 or 2 advisers or responsible officer accreditation you need to have five years relevant industry experience out of the last eight years.

Who the programs are for:

  • PA: People providing Tier 2 advice in retail general insurance products or undertake policy processing or claims handling for general or life insurance.
  • SPA 1: People providing Tier 1 general or life insurance advice to retail or commercial clients as a broker or insurance adviser.
  • SPA 2: People supervising authorised representatives in an insurance organisation; or providing advice as part of your job as a claims manager or underwriter.
    PLEASE NOTE: SPA2 is only available for Insurance Advisers or Underwriters, it is not available in Broking.
  • SPA 3: People in management positions who wish to obtain an Advanced Diploma level qualification.

Program content

A NIBA College workplace assessment is informative and useful for your professional development. Some of the key benefits include:

  • achieving a nationally recognised qualification;
  • obtaining formal recognition for the skills acquired through your years of working in the industry; and
  • receiving constructive feedback from an independent assessor on your performance against current industry standards of practice.

NIBA College has a structured process to help you prepare and present your evidence or proof of competency. As an assessment candidate you will need to complete the following:

  • A portfolio of documentary evidence;
  • An interview with an industry assessor; and
  • An industry knowledge questionnaire.

In addition, Certificate III candidates obtain workplace supervisor validation of their business and office skills.

A portfolio of documentary evidence

As a candidate you must provides a portfolio of examples of your work documents. You should choose documents to include based on discussions with your Assessor about the competency requirements and your specific job role.

NIBA College provides you with a Guide to Preparing an Evidence Portfolio once you have completed your enrolment. This guide includes detailed information about the types of documents that you can use as evidence. Most of this evidence includes work produced by you in undertaking your role; providing advice or, managing the advisory process.

You can also include other supporting information such as:

  • Statements from others about your skills and knowledge e.g. from another manager you have worked with or performance appraisal documents;
  • Records of previous formal study eg. University or TAFE course, or attendance at a company training program; and
  • Documents of relevant life experience e.g. volunteer work.

An interview with an industry assessor

Interviews are undertaken one-on-one within your workplace or at a central location at a mutually arranged time. During the interview you will:

  • Complete the industry knowledge test and discuss the results with the assessor; and
  • Expand on the documentary evidence presented in your portfolio and outline your approach to undertaking your job function.

If you work in a call centre or customer service counter your assessor may also observe you working with clients. In some cases, the Assessor may set you a case study to complete.

Assessment decisions are reached on a mutually acceptable basis between you and the assessor. At the end of the interview the assessor will;

  • Provide you with a copy of your Candidate Assessment Summary which details the results of the assessment and any further training or evidence required; and
  • return your portfolio.

If there are areas where you have gaps in your portfolio or you had problems with the questionnaire, the Assessor will ask you to either provide:

  • Supplementary evidence,
  • Complete specific work activities; or
  • Undertake a gap training module.

NIBA College Assessors have significant industry experience and formal assessor qualifications. Each Assessor maintains strict personal and commercial confidentiality standards, and is bound by NIBA College’s Code of Practice. You can discuss with the Assessor any area in which you feel you may need assistance.

Assessors use the following criteria to assess your evidence against the elements and performance standards for each competency:

  • The extent, relevance and depth of your learning
  • Verification of your prior learning (both formal and informal)
  • Your knowledge acquisition
  • The standard or level of achievement
  • How well you can transfer your prior learning to your current role.

The industry knowledge questionnaire

The industry knowledge questionnaire checks that you are up to date with current legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice relating to your role.

It comprises of approximately 50 True/False or multiple choice questions. It is usually completed at the beginning of your assessment interview and your Assessor will review the results with you during the interview. If you gain less than 90% accuracy on the questionnaire you will be asked to complete a distance education gap-training program covering this essential knowledge area. This will be marked by your assessor.

On enrolment you will receive the Legal Requirements and Ethical Responsibilities workbook, which will assist you in preparing for the Industry Knowedge questionnaire.

Supervisor validation of business skills – PA candidates only

If you are a candidate for a Certificate III qualification (PA), your workplace supervisor will validate your business and office skills.

An information kit is forwarded to your nominated supervisor that outlines how they are to conduct the assessment and complete the validation form.

Enrolment

Before selecting an assessment read through the program descriptions and reflect on how well your past training & work experience match against the requirements. Once you have decided on the program you wish to undertake, download the enrolment form and forward to NIBA College. If you have any questions regarding your enrolment or which Assessment is right for you, please contact us on qualifications@nibacollege.com.au.

Once you have enrolled you will receive a confirmation email with a link to your Evidence Guide and other important information, you should also receive an email with your allocated Assessors contact details. If you do not receive either of these emails it is important that you contact us as soon as possible.

Candidate support

Once you have received your Evidence Guide and Assessors details, you should read through the information you have been sent and then speak with your Assessor straight away to set a date for your interview. Your assessor will help to customise the evidence requirements to suit your specific work situation and provide you with guidence on how best to go about the assessment process.

Please be aware that you must be prepared to make available to the assessor all relevant files, logbooks and other supplementary evidence. Collate your documents in an A-4 ring binder. This information must be sent to the Assessor at least two weeks prior to your scheduled interview. These materials will be returned to you at the conclusion of the assessment and assessors adhere to strict standards of confidentiality.

SPA 1, SPA 2 and SPA 3 candidates in remote locations can make arrangements to complete the knowledge questionnaire and interview at pre-arranged times via telephone conferencing. If you undertake SPA in this way you must take special care to make sure that the portfolio has been thoroughly checked and is in an easy to follow format.

PLEASE NOTE: Where Assessor travel costs are greater than $100, these will be passed on to the candidate.

Candidate Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions apply to all candidates.

As a NIBA College assessment candidate you are enrolled in a formal qualification.  NIBA College conducts a rigorous assessment process and conforms to State and Federal government requirements for Registered Training Organisations providing nationally accredited courses.  As such, certain terms and conditions apply to how the process is conducted, including a formal appeals procedure.  These details are outlined below.

Copyright

The copyright of all material used in the assessment process is held by NIBA.

Assessment Centre or Individual Workplace

NIBA College provides the option of undertaking assessment interviews in an assessment centre provided a minimum of 4 SPA and maximum of 5 candidates are available to attend the same location on a particular date. An assessment centre daily rate applies based on 4 SPA assessments.  Where there are less than 4 SPA assessments, candidates will need to make an individual time for their assessment.  If you are undertaking your assessment within a NIBA College assessment centre you will agree with your assessor to attend your interview on a particular day.  In most cases assessment centres are conducted at your own place of business with other candidates from your office.  NIBA College will confirm this time with you once your enrolment has been processed.  If you are an individual candidate you will need to contact your assessor to arrange a mutually suitable time to attend the interview at your workplace.

Workplace Assessment Program Candidate Preparation

Assessment candidates are required to submit portfolios at least two weeks prior to their scheduled interview date. 

Candidates deemed by the assessor to be insufficiently prepared for their interview may have their assessment terminated.  NIBA College will charge an additional assessment fee for such candidates should they rebook their assessment at a future time.

Grading Policy and Notification of Results

At the time of the assessment interview candidates will receive a copy of the Assessment Summary, which notes standards achieved (A) or standards to be achieved (TBA) for those units assessed.  This is a provisional result only. 

NIBA College will forward a Statement of Attainment within three weeks of the receipt of the documentation from the assessor.  If additional “gap” training is required, this will be described. 

An appropriate qualification will be awarded as soon as all required standards of competence have been achieved.

If candidates want to query their result, they may make an application in writing, within one month of the issue of results, for the final assessment to be re-assessed.  The application for re-assessment includes a fee of $350, which will be refunded only if the assessment result is amended.

Fees & Refunds

Workplace Assessment Program applications are processed on receipt of the enrolment fee. 

NIBA College's withdrawal policy is as follows:

  1. Refunds will only be granted under exceptional circumstances. We do not give refunds if you simply change your mind. Applications for refunds should be sent in writing, acceptance is at the discretion of NIBA College. Refunds will incur a $65 Administration Fee.
  2. Withdrawals granted 6 months or more after the enrolment date will be eligible for 50% refund of the enrolment cost.
  3. Withdrawals granted after 9 months will not receive a refund of the enrolment fee.
  4. Enrolments may be transferred within an organisation. Transfers will incur a $65 fee.
  5. Transfers will not be granted after 9 months from the enrolment date.

A candidate can reschedule their appointment without incurring a charge provided they supply written notification directly to NIBA College no less than two weeks before the original assessment interview date. If written notification of a change of interview date is given less than two weeks before the original assessment date, the candidate will be charged an administration fee of $150.

Program Discontinuance

A candidate who does not complete the requirements for assessment within 12 months from first enrolment will be deemed ‘Discontinued’. Candidates who are discontinued will need to re-enrol and pay the full enrolment fee is they wich to continue with the program.

Grievance Procedures

Any complaint about personnel or a program will be treated seriously, investigated thoroughly and dealt with, according to the merit of the complaint. 

NIBA College has established appropriate grievance procedures for workplace assessment candidates who believe they have been unfairly treated in relation to course assessment, assessment procedures, or problems related to completion of a course. In the event of a grievance or complaint workplace assessment candidates are advised to:

  • Contact the person immediately responsible for the course.  Discuss the grievance with the instructor/s directly involved with the decision to fail or exclude.
  • If no satisfaction is gained from discussions with the instructor/s, then the workplace assessment candidate is to contact the designated course coordinator, who will discuss the problem with both parties, either together or separately.
  • Workplace assessment candidates who feel the matter has been unresolved have a right of appeal to a panel, which is to include a member of the workplace assessment candidate body, the course coordinator and one other, preferably a member of the NIBA College National Education Committee.

NIBA College will address any grievances fairly and equitably within 5 working days.

Academic Misconduct

In line with government requirements of registered training organisations providing accredited courses, NIBA College conducts a rigorous assessment process for its courses.

Workplace assessment candidates must provide evidence that is authentic.  Where it is partly the work of others candidates must indicate in full their involvement.  NIBA College may undertake checks on any evidence provided.

A workplace assessment candidate will be considered to have committed academic misconduct if, after due process, they are shown to have passed off as their own work, or copied without acknowledgement as to its authorship, the work of any other person.

NIBA College has procedures in place to deal with academic misconduct by workplace assessment candidates, should it occur. These procedures have been designed to protect the rights and interests of all workplace assessment candidates.  Where examinations or workplace assessments are conducted workplace assessment candidates must not:

  • Take into the session any material other than material specifically permitted by the assessment instructions;
  • Obtain from, or give to, another person any information without approval of the assessor;
  • Behave in any manner that is, in the opinion of the assessor or NIBA College officer, intended to provide a misleading basis for assessment.

Where the assessment supervisor believes that a workplace assessment candidate has committed any academic misconduct, they will immediately inform the workplace assessment candidate that this matter will be reported to NIBA College. In such circumstances, the workplace assessment candidate will be allowed to complete that assessment session. Where an examiner believes that a workplace assessment candidate has committed any academic misconduct, he or she will immediately report the matter to NIBA College. 

Procedures for handling academic misconduct are outlined in the NIBA College Code of Practice.

Access, Equity and Participation

The minimum standards for entry into all NIBA College courses are based on educational requirements to undertake study.  In all cases, workplace assessment candidates must have the prescribed educational requirements that appear in NIBA College workplace assessment program description. NIBA College is committed to ensuring that its courses are accessible to all possible workplace assessment candidates.

Code of Academic Practice

All NIBA College vocational education courses are conducted in accordance with the NIBA College Code of Practice.  Copies can be obtained from NIBA College upon request.

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