RPL for Certificate III in Surveying and Spatial Information Services

Certificate III in Surveying and Spatial Information Services takes 11 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 CPP30226 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 11 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 CPP30226. 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 CPP30226 involves →

The 11 units you complete, chosen from these 16

You do not do all 16. Certificate III in Surveying and Spatial Information Services is 6 core units, which everyone does, plus 5 chosen from the 10 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.

Core units — everyone does these

• CPCWHS1001 — Prepare to work safely in the construction industry
• CPPSSI3011 — Produce basic maps
• CPPSSI3015 — Collect basic surveying data
• CPPSSI3019 — Produce basic plans of surveys
• CPPSSI3020 — Perform simple surveying and spatial computations
• ICTICT214 — Operate application software packages

Electives — you choose from these

• AHCECR307 — Read and interpret maps
• BSBTEC302 — Design and produce spreadsheets
• BSBWHS211 — Contribute to the health and safety of self and others
• CPPSSI3016 — Provide field support services for surveying and spatial projects
• CPPSSI3021 — Visually interpret image data
• CPPSSI4022 — Store and retrieve spatial data
• CPPSSI4030 — Operate surveying equipment
• CPPSSI4039 — Design and produce maps
• HLTAID011 — Provide First Aid
• MEM30012 — Apply mathematical techniques in a manufacturing engineering or related environment

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 Cleaning Operations (CPP30321, 14 units)
• Certificate III in Fire Protection Inspection and Testing (CPP30821, 16 units)
• Certificate III in Investigative Services (CPP30619, 16 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 CPP30226 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.