RPL for Certificate IV in Building and Construction

Certificate IV in Building and Construction takes 19 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 CPC40120 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 19 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 CPC40120. 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 CPC40120 involves →

The 19 units you complete, chosen from these 43

You do not do all 43. Certificate IV in Building and Construction is 11 core units, which everyone does, plus 8 chosen from the 32 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: 2 of them have a prerequisite unit, so the order you gather evidence in matters.

Core units — everyone does these

• CPCCBC4001 — Apply building codes and standards to the construction process for Class 1 and 10 buildings
• CPCCBC4002 — Manage work health and safety in the building and construction workplace
• CPCCBC4007 — Plan building and construction work
• CPCCBC4008 — Supervise site communication and administration processes for building and construction projects
• CPCCBC4009 — Apply legal requirements to building and construction projects
• CPCCBC4010 — Apply structural principles to residential and commercial constructions
• CPCCBC4012 — Read and interpret plans and specifications
• CPCCBC4014 — Prepare simple building sketches and drawings
• CPCCBC4018 — Apply site surveys and set-out procedures to building and construction projects
• CPCCBC4021 — Minimise waste on the building and construction site
• CPCCBC4053 — Apply building codes and standards to the construction process for Class 2 to 9 Type C buildings

Electives — you choose from these

• BSBESB402 — Establish legal and risk management requirements of new business ventures
• BSBESB406 — Establish operational strategies and procedures for new business ventures
• BSBESB407 — Manage finances for new business ventures
• BSBLDR413 — Lead effective workplace relationships
• BSBPEF501 — Manage personal and professional development
• BSBPMG422 — Apply project quality management techniques
• BSBPMG426 — Apply project risk management techniques
• BSBPMG430 — Undertake project work
• BSBWRT411 — Write complex documents
• CPCBIM4001 — Plan to comply with BIM requirements for construction work
• CPCBIM4002 — Use BIM processes to carry out construction work
• CPCBIM4003 — Contribute to BIM deliverables for construction work
• CPCCBC4003 — Select, prepare and administer a construction contract
• CPCCBC4004 — Identify and produce estimated costs for building and construction projects
• CPCCBC4005 — Produce labour and material schedules for ordering
• CPCCBC4006 — Select, procure and store construction materials for building and construction projects
• CPCCBC4013 — Prepare and evaluate tender documentation
• CPCCBC4015 — Prepare specifications for all construction works
• CPCCBC4017 — Arrange resources and prepare for the building and construction project
• CPCCBC4019 — Apply sustainable building design principles to water management systems
• CPCCBC4020 — Build thermally efficient and sustainable structures
• CPCCBC4022 — Supervise tilt-up work
• CPCCBC4024 — Resolve business disputes
• CPCCBC4026 — Arrange building applications and approvals
• CPCCBC4028 — Prepare design brief for construction works
• CPCCBC4052 — Lead and manage teams in the building and construction industry
• CPCCBC5019 — Manage building and construction business finances
• CPCCCO4001 — Supervise concreting work
• CPCPRE4001 — Inspect the erection of prefabricated concrete elements
• CPCSUS4001 — Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices
• CPCSUS4002 — Use building science principles to construct energy efficient buildings
• CPCSUS4003 — Maximise energy efficiency through applied trade skills

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 CPC40120 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.