RPL for Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying

Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying takes 28 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 CPC33020 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 28 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 CPC33020. 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 CPC33020 involves →

The 28 units you complete, chosen from these 43

You do not do all 43. Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying is 20 core units, which everyone does, plus 8 chosen from the 23 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: 31 of them have a prerequisite unit, so the order you gather evidence in matters.

Core units — everyone does these

• CPCCBL2001 — Handle and prepare bricklaying and blocklaying materials
• CPCCBL2002 — Use bricklaying and blocklaying tools and equipment
• CPCCBL3002 — Carry out masonry veneer construction
• CPCCBL3003 — Carry out cavity brick construction
• CPCCBL3005 — Lay masonry walls and corners
• CPCCBL3006 — Lay multi-thickness walls and piers
• CPCCBL3009 — Install flashings and damp proof course
• CPCCBL3010 — Construct masonry arches
• CPCCBL3011 — Construct curved walls
• CPCCBL3013 — Construct masonry structural systems
• CPCCCA3002 — Carry out setting out
• CPCCCM2006 — Apply basic levelling procedures
• CPCCCM2008 — Erect and dismantle restricted height scaffolding
• CPCCCM2012 — Work safely at heights
• CPCCOM1012 — Work effectively and sustainably in the construction industry
• CPCCOM1013 — Plan and organise work
• CPCCOM1014 — Conduct workplace communication
• CPCCOM1015 — Carry out measurements and calculations
• CPCCOM2001 — Read and interpret plans and specifications
• CPCCWHS2001 — Apply WHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry

Electives — you choose from these

• AHCLSC319 — Implement a retaining wall project
• CPCCBC4003 — Select, prepare and administer a construction contract
• CPCCBL3001 — Lay paving
• CPCCBL3004 — Construct masonry steps and stairs
• CPCCBL3007 — Install glass blockwork
• CPCCBL3012 — Construct fireplaces and chimneys
• CPCCBL3014 — Install fire-rated masonry construction
• CPCCBL3015 — Construct decorative brickwork
• CPCCBL3016 — Construct battered masonry walls and piers
• CPCCBL3017 — Carry out tuck pointing and repointing to masonry
• CPCCBL3018 — Install aerated autoclaved concrete products
• CPCCCM2009 — Carry out basic demolition
• CPCCCO2013 — Carry out concreting to simple forms
• CPCCPA3001 — Prepare subgrade, base and bedding course for segmental paving
• CPCCPA3002 — Lay segmental paving
• CPCCPA3003 — Cut segmental paving
• CPCCPA3004 — Finish segmental paving
• CPCCPA3005 — Maintain and repair segmental paving
• CPCCSF2004 — Place and fix reinforcement materials
• CPCCST4001 — Prepare to undertake the heritage restoration process
• CPCCST4002 — Undertake the heritage restoration process
• CPCCST4003 — Undertake preparations for refractory work
• CPCCST4007 — Construct a fire brick wall and arch using refractory materials

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 Carpentry (CPC30220, 34 units)
• Certificate III in Concreting (CPC30320, 22 units)
• Certificate III in Demolition (CPC30426, 20 units)
• Certificate III in Painting and Decorating (CPC30620, 29 units)
• Certificate III in Shopfitting (CPC30120, 18 units)
• Certificate III in Signs and Graphics (CPC30216, 16 units)

More RPL in construction, plumbing and services

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

When you are ready, see what CPC33020 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.