RPL for Certificate III in Cleaning Operations

Certificate III in Cleaning Operations takes 14 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 CPP30321 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 14 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 CPP30321. 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 CPP30321 involves →

The 14 units you complete, chosen from these 36

You do not do all 36. Certificate III in Cleaning Operations is 5 core units, which everyone does, plus 9 chosen from the 31 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

• BSBOPS201 — Work effectively in business environments
• BSBOPS304 — Deliver and monitor a service to customers
• BSBWHS211 — Contribute to the health and safety of self and others
• BSBWHS332X — Apply infection prevention and control procedures to own work activities
• CPPCLO3100 — Maintain cleaning storage areas

Electives — you choose from these

• BSBESB405 — Manage compliance for small businesses
• BSBWHS308 — Participate in WHS hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control processes
• BSBWHS331 — Participate in identifying and controlling hazardous chemicals
• BSBXTW301 — Work in a team
• CHCDIV001 — Work with diverse people
• CPCCCM2012 — Work safely at heights
• CPCCWHS2001 — Apply WHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry
• CPPCLO3101 — Clean carpeted floors
• CPPCLO3102 — Clean hard floors
• CPPCLO3103 — Clean and maintain amenities
• CPPCLO3104 — Clean high-touch surfaces
• CPPCLO3105 — Clean glass surfaces
• CPPCLO3106 — Pressure wash and clean surfaces
• CPPCLO3107 — Clean external surfaces
• CPPCLO3108 — Clean window coverings
• CPPCLO3109 — Clean fabric upholstery
• CPPCLO3110 — Treat carpet stains
• CPPCLO3111 — Clean rooms, furniture and fittings
• CPPCLO3112 — Clean walls, ceilings and fittings
• CPPCLO3113 — Clean food-handling areas and equipment
• CPPCLO3114 — Clean specialised clean-room environments
• CPPCLO3115 — Clean industrial machinery
• CPPCLO4104 — Restore water-damaged structures and contents
• CPPCLO4110 — Perform restorative carpet cleaning
• CPPCLO4111 — Strip and seal hard floors
• HLTAID011 — Provide First Aid
• HLTINFCOV001 — Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures
• SIRXCEG008 — Manage disrespectful, aggressive or abusive customers
• SITHACS003 — Prepare rooms for guests
• SITHKOP001 — Clean kitchen premises and equipment
• SITXFSA001 — Use hygienic practices for food safety

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 Fire Protection Inspection and Testing (CPP30821, 16 units)
• Certificate III in Investigative Services (CPP30619, 16 units)
• Certificate III in Surveying and Spatial Information Services (CPP30226, 11 units)
• Certificate III in Swimming Pool and Spa Service (CPP31218, 18 units)
• Certificate III in Urban Pest Management (CPP30119, 10 units)
• Certificate III in Waste Management (CPP30719, 12 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 CPP30321 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.