RPL for Certificate III in Joinery

Certificate III in Joinery takes 29 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 CPC31920 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 29 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 CPC31920. 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 CPC31920 involves →

The 29 units you complete, chosen from these 46

You do not do all 46. Certificate III in Joinery is 18 core units, which everyone does, plus 11 chosen from the 28 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: 30 of them have a prerequisite unit, so the order you gather evidence in matters.

Core units — everyone does these

• CPCCCA2002 — Use carpentry tools and equipment
• CPCCCA2011 — Handle carpentry materials
• CPCCCA3010 — Install windows and doors
• CPCCCM2006 — Apply basic levelling procedures
• CPCCCM2012 — Work safely at heights
• CPCCCM3004 — Identify and apply information in construction plans, drawings and specifications
• CPCCJN2003 — Package manufactured products for transport
• CPCCJN3002 — Use computer-controlled machinery
• CPCCJN3004 — Manufacture and assemble joinery components
• CPCCJN3100 — Process materials to produce components using static machines
• CPCCJS3002 — Manufacture stair components for straight flighted stairs
• 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
• CPCCOM3001 — Perform construction calculations to determine carpentry material requirements
• MSFFM3011 — Measure and draw site layout for manufactured furniture products

Electives — you choose from these

• CPCCCA3001 — Carry out general demolition of minor building structures
• CPCCCA3003 — Install flooring systems
• CPCCCA3004 — Construct and erect wall frames
• CPCCCA3006 — Erect roof trusses
• CPCCCA3011 — Refurbish timber sashes to window frames
• CPCCCA3012 — Frame and fit wet area fixtures
• CPCCCA3014 — Construct and install bulkheads
• CPCCCA3016 — Construct, assemble and install timber external stairs
• CPCCCA3024 — Install lining, panelling and moulding
• CPCCCA3026 — Assemble partitions
• CPCCCM3005 — Calculate costs of construction work
• CPCCJN2001 — Assemble components
• CPCCJN3003 — Manufacture components for doors, windows and frames
• CPCCJN3005 — Cut and install glass
• CPCCJS3003 — Assemble and install stairs
• CPCCJS3004 — Manufacture and install continuous handrailing and special stair components
• CPCCJS3005 — Manufacture stair components for curved and geometric stairs
• CPCCJS3006 — Construct, assemble and install composite external stairs
• CPCCJS3011 — Design and set out stairs
• CPCCPD3021 — Prepare existing coated surface for painting
• CPCCSH2003 — Apply and install sealant and sealant devices
• CPCCWHS2001 — Apply WHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry
• CPCSHP3001 — Fabricate shopfitting components using CNC machines
• CPCSHP3005 — Apply and trim decorative additions to shopfittings and components
• CPCSHP3006 — Prepare shopfittings and surfaces and apply liquid finishes
• CPCWHS3001 — Identify construction work hazards and select risk control strategies
• MSFFM3009 — Produce manual and computer-aided production drawings
• MSFFM3020 — Fabricate synthetic solid surface products

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 CPC31920 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.