RPL for Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology

Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology takes 31 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 AUR32126 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 31 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 AUR32126. 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 AUR32126 involves →

The 31 units you complete, chosen from these 70

You do not do all 70. Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology is 17 core units, which everyone does, plus 14 chosen from the 53 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.

Worth knowing: 5 of them have a prerequisite unit, so the order you gather evidence in matters.

Core units — everyone does these

• AURAEA002 — Follow environmental and sustainability best practice in an automotive workplace
• AURAFA108 — Interpret and apply automotive repair instructions
• AURASA102 — Follow safe working practices in an automotive workplace
• AURETR042 — Remove, refit and operate electrical components following body repair activities
• AURETR125 — Test, charge and replace batteries and jump-start vehicles
• AURTTK102 — Use and maintain tools and equipment in an automotive workplace
• AURTTY001 — Repair vehicle chassis, frame and associated components
• AURVTN003 — Remove and store vehicle body components
• AURVTN022 — Repair vehicle body misalignment
• AURVTN104 — Remove, replace and align bolt-on vehicle body panels and components
• AURVTN116 — Repair vehicle body panels using filler
• AURVTN123 — Repair adhesive bonded structural damage on vehicles
• AURVTN132 — Inspect vehicle damage and determine repair procedures
• AURVTN135 — Apply original equipment manufacturer repair procedures during vehicle repairs
• AURVTN220 — Remove and replace major welded panels on vehicles
• AURVTW103 — Carry out advanced gas metal arc welding on vehicle body sections
• AURVTW105 — Carry out spot welding

Electives — you choose from these

• AUMABA012 — Operate load shifting equipment
• AUMGTY002 — Install vehicle components
• AURAFA002 — Read and respond to automotive workplace information
• AURAFA104 — Resolve routine problems in an automotive workplace
• AURAMA001 — Work effectively with others in an automotive workplace
• AURETH011 — Depower and reinitialise hybrid electric vehicles
• AURETH017 — Work safely with hydrogen in the automotive industry
• AURETH101 — Depower and reinitialise battery electric vehicles
• AURETR052 — Apply knowledge of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
• AURETR249 — Scan and calibrate Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
• AURTTA020 — Apply heat induction processes
• AURTTW001 — Carry out soft soldering techniques
• AURVTA001 — Prepare vehicles for customer use
• AURVTA002 — Remove and replace vehicle supplementary restraint systems
• AURVTN005 — Remove and replace adhesive attached components on vehicles
• AURVTN006 — Remove and replace mechanical units during vehicle repair
• AURVTN017 — Repair vehicle thermoplastic body panels and components
• AURVTN018 — Repair and replace vehicle structural damage
• AURVTN021 — Repair vehicle body components using lead wiping
• AURVTN025 — Repair corroded vehicle body panels and components
• AURVTN029 — Set up and operate universal vehicle measuring systems
• AURVTN030 — Service air compressors and air lines
• AURVTN031 — Carry out vehicle sectional repairs
• AURVTN102 — Carry out non-structural vehicle panel repairs
• AURVTN113 — Carry out paint-less dent repairs on vehicle body panels
• AURVTN115 — Repair vehicle body panels using metal finishing
• AURVTN119 — Repair vehicle structural damage by riveting
• AURVTN126 — Repair vehicle aluminium body panels without the use of body filler
• AURVTN127 — Repair vehicle aluminium body panels using filler
• AURVTN128 — Identify and repair high strength steel vehicle components
• AURVTN133 — Service and repair air compressors and components
• AURVTN143 — Identify and repair high strength aluminium components
• AURVTP005 — Apply rust prevention and sound deadening materials to vehicle body components
• AURVTP113 — Prepare vehicle substrates for refinishing
• AURVTS001 — Fabricate wooden components for vehicles
• AURVTS006 — Fabricate automotive and marine trim components
• AURVTS103 — Fabricate vehicle composite material components
• AURVTS104 — Repair vehicle composite material components
• AURVTS105 — Fabricate vehicle body panels and components
• AURVTT009 — Remove and replace vehicle and vessel seats and fittings
• AURVTT121 — Select and apply adhesives in automotive and marine service and repair work
• AURVTV001 — Remove, replace and test non-electrical vehicle components and accessories
• AURVTW007 — Carry out oxyacetylene thermal heating and cutting on vehicle body sections
• AURVTW104 — Carry out tungsten inert gas welding
• BSBWHS332X — Apply infection prevention and control procedures to own work activities
• MEM05004 — Perform routine oxy fuel gas welding
• MEM11011 — Undertake manual handling
• MEM13015 — Work safely and effectively in manufacturing and engineering
• MEM16006 — Organise and communicate information
• MEM18001 — Use hand tools
• MEM18110 — Perform basic penetrant testing
• RIIWHS204E — Work safely at heights
• TAEDEL311 — Provide work skill instruction

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 Agricultural Mechanical Technology (AUR30420, 36 units)
• Certificate III in Automotive Administration (AUR30126, 18 units)
• Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology (AUR30320, 32 units)
• Certificate III in Bicycle Workshop Operations (AUR30220, 28 units)
• Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology (AUR30620, 36 units)
• Certificate III in Marine Mechanical Technology (AUR30520, 30 units)

More RPL in automotive

Every qualification in this industry, which of them have a guide ready, and what assessors here accept as evidence: RPL in automotive.

When you are ready, see what AUR32126 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.