RPL for Certificate III in Animal Technology

Certificate III in Animal Technology takes 13 units. Through Recognition of Prior Learning, each unit is assessed on evidence of work you have already done rather than on training you sit through.

What the assessment looks at

Every unit sets out what you must be able to do and what you must know. An assessor works through them one at a time, asking the same question each time: does this person's evidence show they can do this reliably, in a real workplace, recently enough to count?

You can read the full requirements for ACM30219 on the national training register. They are public, and worth a look before you spend anything — if the units describe work you have never done, RPL is not your route.

Evidence worth gathering before you start

• Photos of completed jobs, ideally showing a few stages of the same job, with their original dates intact.
• Job sheets, dockets, work orders or site diaries covering a spread of jobs.
• Supervisors, employers or clients who will confirm specifically what you did.
• Any licences or tickets you already hold.

How the guided process works

You work through the 13 units one at a time, talking about jobs you have actually done. You can speak rather than type. Add photos as you find them, and stop whenever you like — progress saves itself, and most people spread this over weeks while they dig out records. At the end you have an evidence portfolio your RTO's assessor can work through.

What this does not do

It does not assess you, and it cannot promise you ACM30219. An assessor at a registered training organisation makes that decision and may require further evidence or training. What a complete portfolio buys you is a fair assessment rather than a rejection over paperwork.

See what ACM30219 involves →

The 13 units you complete, chosen from these 31

You do not do all 31. Certificate III in Animal Technology is 9 core units, which everyone does, plus 4 chosen from the 22 electives below. Read both lists before you spend anything — it is the fastest way to tell whether RPL is your route. If most of this describes work you have done, you have a case to make. If whole sections describe work you have never touched, an assessor will say so, and doing the course is the honest answer.

Core units — everyone does these

• ACMATE306 — Follow containment and exclusion procedures in animal facilities
• ACMATE307 — Work within an animal technology facility
• ACMGAS202 — Participate in workplace communications
• ACMGAS204 — Feed and water animals
• ACMGAS301 — Maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing
• ACMGAS302 — Provide enrichment for animals
• ACMGAS304 — Carry out simple breeding procedures
• ACMSPE312 — Provide basic care of rodents and rabbits
• ACMWHS301 — Contribute to workplace health and safety processes

Electives — you choose from these

• ACMATE402 — Conduct euthanasia of research animals
• ACMGAS307 — Identify animal anatomy and physiology for animal care work
• ACMSPE301 — Provide basic care of amphibians
• ACMSPE302 — Provide basic care of birds
• ACMSPE303 — Provide basic care of common native mammals
• ACMSPE304 — Provide basic care of domestic dogs
• ACMSPE305 — Provide basic care of domestic cats
• ACMSPE306 — Provide basic care of marine fish
• ACMSPE307 — Provide basic care of freshwater fish
• ACMSPE308 — Provide basic care of marine invertebrates
• ACMSPE309 — Provide basic care of terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates
• ACMSPE310 — Provide basic care of mammals
• ACMSPE311 — Provide basic care of non-venomous reptiles
• ACMSUS201 — Participate in environmentally sustainable work practices
• ACMVET203 — Assist with surgery preparation
• HLTAID011 — Provide First Aid
• MSL922001 — Record and present data
• MSL933005 — Maintain the laboratory/field workplace fit for purpose
• MSL973013 — Perform basic tests
• MSL973014 — Prepare working solutions
• MSL973016 — Perform aseptic techniques
• MSL973019 — Perform microscopic examination

Each unit breaks down further into elements and performance criteria — the specific things you have to be able to show. The guide works through them one unit at a time and asks about jobs you have actually done, rather than making you read the register yourself.

Related qualifications

Same training package, and a common second choice for people who find this one is not quite their trade:

• Certificate III in Animal Care Services (ACM30122, 17 units)

When you are ready, see what ACM30219 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.