RPL for Certificate III in Painting and Decorating

Certificate III in Painting and Decorating 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 CPC30620 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 CPC30620. 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 CPC30620 involves →

The 29 units you complete, chosen from these 34

You do not do all 34. Certificate III in Painting and Decorating is 26 core units, which everyone does, plus 3 chosen from the 8 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: 24 of them have a prerequisite unit, so the order you gather evidence in matters.

Core units — everyone does these

• CPCCCM2008 — Erect and dismantle restricted height scaffolding
• CPCCCM2012 — Work safely at heights
• CPCCCM3001 — Operate elevated work platforms up to 11 metres
• CPCCCM3005 — Calculate costs of construction work
• 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
• CPCCPB3026 — Erect and maintain trestle and plank systems
• CPCCPD2011 — Handle and store painting and decorating materials
• CPCCPD2012 — Use painting and decorating tools and equipment
• CPCCPD2013 — Remove and replace doors and door and window components
• CPCCPD3021 — Prepare existing coated surface for painting
• CPCCPD3022 — Apply paint by brush and roller
• CPCCPD3023 — Apply texture coat paint finishes by brush, roller and spray
• CPCCPD3024 — Apply paint by spray
• CPCCPD3025 — Match specific paint colours
• CPCCPD3026 — Apply stains and clear timber finishes
• CPCCPD3027 — Remove and apply wallpaper
• CPCCPD3028 — Apply decorative paint finishes
• CPCCPD3030 — Apply protective paint coating systems
• CPCCPD3031 — Work safely with lead-painted surfaces in the painting industry
• CPCCPD3035 — Prepare uncoated surfaces for painting
• CPCCPD3036 — Work safely to encapsulate non-friable asbestos in the painting industry
• CPCCWHS2001 — Apply WHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry

Electives — you choose from these

• BSBESB301 — Investigate business opportunities
• BSBESB303 — Organise finances for new business ventures
• CPCCPD3029 — Remove graffiti and apply anti-graffiti coatings
• CPCCPD3032 — Apply advanced wall coverings
• CPCCPD3033 — Apply intumescent coatings
• CPCCPD3034 — Apply advanced decorative paint finishes
• CPCCSP3003 — Apply trowelled texture coat finishes
• MSFID4016 — Design colour schemes for interior and exterior spaces

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 Rigging (CPC30720, 19 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 CPC30620 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.