• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Procedure
• Ensure suitable assessors
• Establish and plan the assessment methods
• Provide clear and accurate information to learners and employers of apprentices and trainees
• Handle Requests for Recognition of Prior Learning 
• Handle requests for reasonable adjustments and special consideration
• Extensions
• Conduct assessment
• Mark and Result
• Address complaints and appeals
• Ensure continuous quality improvement of assessment
• Retain assessment records
• Section 4 - Responsibility and Accountability
• Section 5 - Overarching Policy
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Procedure describes the processes associated with assessment of VET, Foundation and Senior Secondary programs undertaken by and on behalf of Melbourne Polytechnic (onshore and offshore) and assigns responsibility for their effective implementation.

Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to all learners, staff, contractors and third parties associated with assessment (including Recognition of Prior Learning) of VET, Foundation and Senior Secondary programs being undertaken by or on behalf of Melbourne Polytechnic.

(3) This Procedure does not apply to Institute Accredited Courses (IACs) or Higher Education programs.

Section 3 - Procedure

Ensure suitable assessors

(4) Verify qualification and educational/vocational competency requirements:

1. Assessors must meet the qualification, registration and educational/vocational competency requirements of all regulatory, accreditation, registration and/or funding organisations relevant to the units/modules they are assessing;
2. At minimum, all assessors must meet the requirements outlined in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2025, focus areas 3.2 and 3.3;
3. Some courses/units/modules may have additional qualification, registration, license or competency requirements;
4. Education Managers must ensure that the assessor requirements for all units/modules in their area of responsibility are as outlined in the Teaching Staff Qualifications (VET and Foundation) Policy
5. in particular:
   1. assessor qualifications must be current and Vocational Competency Matrix relevant to the units/modules they are assessing
   2. it must be completed prior to assigning them to assess particular units and when adding them to the Training and Assessment Strategy
   3. it must be in place when entering any third-party agreements using internal or external assessors
   4. all assessor credentials and related documents must be stored in the approved platform/system.

(5) People and Culture must:

1. Retain evidence of qualifications and competencies of individual assessors as per the Teaching Staff Qualifications (VET and Foundation) Policy

Establish and plan the assessment methods

(6) Develop a training and assessment strategy:

1. Education Managers must ensure a training and assessment strategy is developed, quality reviewed and approved prior to delivery and assessment in line with the Training and Assessment Strategy Review (VET and Foundation) Procedure;
2. Where possible, this strategy must indicate more than one different method of assessment for each unit/module;
3. The strategy must produce assessment evidence as outlined in the principles of assessment and rules of evidence in Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2025. The Training and Assessment Strategy must clearly outline the assessment method(s) applied to each unit/module within the program;
4. The training and assessment strategy must be documented on the current Melbourne Polytechnic Training and Assessment Strategy template;
5. For senior secondary programs, this strategy must also comply with Victorian Registration and Quality Authority (VRQA) and Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) requirements and the Guidelines for Non-School Senior Secondary Providers Education Providers.

(7) Develop and maintain assessment tools:

1. The design and development of assessment tools must align with the Course Design and Development (VET) Procedure and the Course Design and Development (VET, Foundation and IACs) Policy.
2. All assessment tools must be reviewed prior to delivery in line with the principles of assessment and rules of evidence under Standard 1.3. Outcomes of this review must inform any necessary updates before use.
3. For the ongoing maintenance of assessment tools and to inform the ongoing review, maintenance, and improvement of assessment tools, educators must use:
   1. feedback from students,
   2. validation outcomes,
   3. input from employers of apprentices and trainees,
   4. feedback from industry representatives, and the broader community,
   5. recommendations following an academic integrity breach indicating the tool is compromised.
4. Educators and Education Managers are required to capture updates to assessment tools in the VET and Foundation course management online library. They must:  
   1. ensure assessment tasks are aligned to the outcomes of the unit/module;
   2. Include mapping that shows all unit/module outcomes are assessed by the combination of tasks;
   3. Have clear instructions for learners and assessors on the task to be undertaken and the standard required to achieve a satisfactory result;
   4. Have marking guides with sample answers/clear criteria for satisfactory completion
   5. Align with the unit and course assessment strategy outlined in the training and assessment strategy, including potential impacts for any clustered units
   6. allow for the method of assessment to remain within the principles of assessment, rules of evidence and the inclusive participation of all learners where possible including checks that all instructions are presented in plain English and are accessible and understandable to all learners, including those with language, literacy, numeracy (LLN) or additional learning support needs

Provide clear and accurate information to learners and employers of apprentices and trainees

(8) Educators must provide learners with an accurate and current unit/module outline in the first week of delivery which includes the:

1. Details of the unit/module, including learning outcomes and performance criteria;
2. Assessment requirements, including number and type of assessment tasks;
3. Delivery and assessment schedule for that specific iteration of delivery;
4. Number of attempts allowed for each assessment task (to be determined by the Program Area based on resources and unit/module end date, and allowing for reasonable adjustments, extensions and special considerations);
5. Resources/materials required;
6. Process for requesting alternative arrangements for assessments;
7. Content written on the Melbourne Polytechnic Unit Outline Template.

(9) Assessors and educators must provide learners with sufficient assessment information in the assessment tool:

1. Prior to commencement of each assessment task
2. Including clear, comprehensive and learner/cohort customised instructions on the task to be undertaken, with any specific assessment conditions, such as timeframes, location, permitted resources, equipment or materials, and whether the assessment is individual or group based
3. Outlining the assessment criteria or marking rubric, outlining how performance will be measured and the standard required for satisfactory completion
4. Which is reviewed for any reasonable adjustments to be made where appropriate to ensure equitable access

(10) Provide information to employers of apprentices and trainees:

1. Education Managers must comply with the ATTP Delivery Procedure to ensure employers are aware of their obligations regarding workplace confirmation of performance as part of the assessment process when signing the Training Plan.

Handle Requests for Recognition of Prior Learning 

(11) All formal applications for Recognition of Prior Learning will be submitted on a Skills and Learning Recognition Application Form via the Skills and Learning Recognition Student portal webpage. 

(12) The applicant must provide suitable evidence to support applications for RPL. That evidence must be able to be authenticated. This includes a combination of units, where an analysis by the teaching department determines that a together the studies that have been undertaken, meet the requirements of the requested unit.

(13) The teaching department will, within 5 business days of receiving the application from the student, will determine the authenticity of the evidence provided (unless a written extension with reasons is provided to the applicant). This will be done by undertaking one of the following and recording the details on the Skills and Learning Recognition Application Form: 

1. viewing the USI record 
2. viewing the My eQuals record 
3. viewing Melbourne Polytechnic’s internal records 
4. obtaining verification from the RTO or AQF documentation issuing organisation. 

(14) As the evidence provided for RPL may vary, what is considered suitable and how it will need to be authenticated will be discussed with the applicant during the application and assessment process. Any qualifications presented as part of the RPL process will need to be authenticated by similar processes as those outlined in paragraph 12, or by contacting the issuing individual/organisation. 

(15) Where authenticity is unable to be determined, the applicant will be notified and invited to provide additional evidence and/or assist in determining authenticity. 

(16) Where authenticity is unable to be determined within reasonable timelines, recognition of prior learning skills and learning recognition will not be granted. 

(17) Melbourne Polytechnic will grant RPL where the applicant is enrolled in the unit and assessed as competent based on evidence demonstrating they have developed competency through formal, informal and/or non- formal learning, including training, workplace experience and/or life experience. This may require teaching departments to map complex information to the requested unit outcomes, conducting competency conversations and interviews, ‘challenge’ or skills tests which may be practical or theoretical in nature, in order there can be assurance RPL assessment is conducted with the same rigour and integrity as the course assessment system for students undertaking the unit.

(18) Flowcharts summarising the process from the applicant’s and the teaching department’s perspectives are provided at Appendix B (RPL Flowchart – Applicant’s Perspective) and Appendix C (RPL Flowchart – Teaching Department perspective). 

(19) A table detailing the application and assessment process is provided in Appendix D. 

(20) The timeline for processing and assessing RPL applications will be agreed between the Education Managers or their delegate and the applicant at the RPL Initial Conversation stage of the process. This agreement may be modified as the assessment process progresses. Assessment must be completed by the end date of the unit. 

Handle requests for reasonable adjustments and special consideration

(21) Assessors and educators conducting assessment must comply with the Supporting Students with Disabilities Policy to ensure learners with a disability, long-term medical condition or other exceptional circumstance that may impact on their ability to perform in or undertake an assessment may request an alternative arrangement for their assessment.

(22) Alternative arrangements must uphold the integrity of the assessment and may include

1. Reasonable adjustments, such as modifying the method, format or conditions of conducting the assessment (e.g. alternative formats, extra time, assistive technologies, alternative venues);
2. Assessment extensions, usually up to 10 days, where justified by personal, medical, or compassionate grounds;
3. Special consideration, applied in situations where unexpected short-term circumstances may have affected a learner’s performance during or immediately prior to the assessment;

(23) Educators are to assess which reasonable adjustment requests can be accommodated locally within the Program Area whilst maintaining the integrity of the assessment, with more significant adjustments requiring alternative arrangements.

(24) All requests must be:

1. Learner-initiated, submitted in advance where possible or as soon as practicable;
2. Supported by appropriate evidence (e.g. health practitioner documentation, support plans, or statutory declarations);
3. Assessed on a case-by-case basis, ensuring the adjustment is appropriate, reasonable, and does not compromise the assessment's validity or competency requirements

(25) The process for determining and applying reasonable adjustment must be:

1. Collaborative, involving the learner, assessor, and relevant support services.
2. Documented, with records maintained of the adjustment applied, decision-making process, and relevant consultation.
3. Inclusive and respectful, protecting learner privacy and avoiding any disadvantage or discrimination

(26) Any staff member receiving a request from a learner regarding an alternative arrangement should refer the learner to the Guidelines for Learners Requesting Reasonable Adjustment, Extension and/or Special Consideration for Assessment Learners must be supported to understand their assessment options outlined in the guidelines. Further information from a staff perspective is provided in Appendix A, Flowcharts 1, 2 and 3.

(27) In all cases, the standard required to achieve a satisfactory result for the assessment must remain the same to ensure consistency and fairness in assessment decisions.

(28) In all cases, decisions must align with the Supporting Students with Disabilities Policy including the principles of fairness, equity and consistency.

(29) VCE VM Students who have prolonged absent due to illness, personal hardship, or other approved special circumstances may also be eligible for special provision in relation to missed assessments. VCE VM students wishing to access special provisions:

1. The student must provide appropriate documentation (e.g. medical certificate, statutory declaration, or support letter)
2. The VCE VM Education Manager will assess the request in consultation with relevant teaching staff.
3. Where approved, students may be offered:
   1. Alternative assessment arrangements (e.g. rescheduled task, modified format).
   2. Extension of time to complete required work.
   3. Adjusted learning plans to support continued progress.

Extensions

(30) Students can request extensions for up to 10 working days through their educator/Program Area. Student welfare and support should be a key considerations in approving extension.

(31) Requests can be directly made or using the student-facing extension request form available via the Student Portal.  When a student completes the form, their request will be logged into the central register and email notifications with basic details of the request will be sent to the relevant Melbourne Polytechnic program area.

(32) Requests for extensions greater than 10 days are treated as a special consideration request.

(33) Staff must access the register via the VET and Foundation portal site.

Conduct assessment

(34) Adherence to assessment tools and instructions

1. Assessors must implement assessments as designed and validated (i.e. use approved tasks, conditions, and marking guides)

(35) Verbal/oral questioning evidence requirements

1. Where assessment involves verbal or oral questioning, assessors must ensure that sufficient evidence of the learner’s response is captured and stored. This may include paraphrasing or summarising the response in writing, using audio or video recordings (where consented and appropriate). The recorded evidence must demonstrate that the learner has provided a correct and complete response aligned to the unit requirements or not.

(36) Reasonable adjustment application

1. Assessors must apply approved reasonable adjustments fairly and consistently as outlined in the Guidelines for Foundation and VET Learners: How to Seek Reasonable Adjustments, Extensions and/or Special Consideration for Assessment, and document how they were implemented in the SMS/LMS against the unit delivery
2. Decisions for VCE VM learners will align with VCAA guidelines on Special Provision and be documented in the student’s learning record.

(37) Assessment conditions

1. All assessments must be conducted under the conditions specified in unit being assessed and the task (e.g. supervised, time-bound, closed/open book) to maintain integrity and fairness

(38) Promote academic integrity – declarations of authenticity:

1. Learners must attach a declaration confirming the authenticity of their work when submitting any assessment;
2. Assessors must advise learners of the requirements to include a declaration confirming the authenticity of their work when submitting any assessment and ensure the appropriate mechanism for making such a declaration is available to the learner:
   1. For written assessments, this will be incorporated into the assessment tool;
   2. For assessments submitted through Moodle, the system will generate a declaration as part of the assessment submission;
   3. For all other assessments, the assessor will need to advise the learner how the declaration is to be made.
   4. To ensure integrity and authenticity of VCE VM student work completed outside scheduled class time, the following procedures will apply:
      1. Students must submit drafts, planning documents, or progress logs where applicable.
      2. Educators may conduct verification interviews to discuss the work and confirm understanding.
      3. Where appropriate, students may be asked to complete a short reflective statement or present their work orally.
      4. Work submitted without sufficient evidence of authentication may be subject to review or resubmission.
3. The authentication of VCE VM submitted assessment work completed out of class supervision, will align with the MP Assessment Policy and Procedure including the principals of authenticity.
4. These measures for VCE VM are in place to uphold VCAA assessment principles and ensure fairness across all students.

(39) Use of digital platforms

1. Where assessments are conducted digitally, MP must ensure the platform supports secure, authentic assessment and adheres to assessment conditions

(40) Respond to suspicions of academic misconduct:

1. If any staff member suspects a learner of misconduct in relation to assessment (e.g. deliberate plagiarism, collusion, the use of generative artificial intelligence text against instructions or cheating) they must address the matter under the Student Discipline Policy.

(41) Undertake moderation:

1. Even where the curriculum or course requirements do not stipulate moderation is required, it remains best practice for graded assessments where practicable, and particularly where multiple assessors are used.
2. The Department Manager or Education Manager should organise assessors to meet either virtually or in person to discuss the marking guide, undertake benchmarking using sample responses and/or conduct the moderation of submitted assessments. This should occur prior to the results being finalised

(42) Provide feedback and advice regarding assessment:

1. Educators must provide feedback regularly to learners throughout the teaching and learning cycle to support their learning progress;
2. Assessors must complete the assessment process using the criterion-based marking guide and/or rubric previously provided to learners and provide feedback within 10 working days of the assessment task being submitted;
3. This feedback must be provided in writing and include information on opportunities for re-assessment;
4. Educators or Program Area representatives must liaise regularly with employers of apprentices and trainees to provide feedback on how their apprentice/trainee is progressing with their Training Plan, as outlined in the ATTP Delivery Procedure.

Mark and Result

(43) Prior to delivery:

1. Department Managers and Education Managers must ensure all assessors understand their obligations to securely record all assessment task results and how this is to be done;
2. Melbourne Polytechnic staff responsible for managing contractors and third parties undertaking assessment must obtain written confirmation from them regarding an agreed system for recording results, and the process and timeline for transmitting results to Melbourne Polytechnic. In the case of offshore partners, the Offshore Partner Manual must be followed.

(44) Understand assessment of competency-based units/modules, including for apprentices/trainees:

1. Individual assessment tasks in competency-based units are to be assessed as satisfactory/unsatisfactory;
2. To be assessed as competent in a competency-based unit/module a learner must satisfactorily complete all assessment tasks;
3. For apprentices and trainees, refer to the  ATTP Delivery Procedure for any assessments identified in the training plan requiring confirmation from the employer that the apprentice/trainee has met the requirements of competency in the workplace.

(45) Obtain approval for, and grade, specified diploma/advanced diploma competency-based units:

1. Department Managers must submit a request for grading to the Course Advisory Committee in writing that is accompanied by justification and supporting evidence for the need for grading. Approval must be obtained prior to course commencement;
2. Assessors must indicate that the learner was assessed as competent before grading is applied.

(46) Enter results:

1. Assessors or educators must record results for each assessment task progressively throughout delivery of the unit/module

(47) For competency-based units:

1. Assessment tasks must be marked as satisfactorily competent/not yet competent (Moodle) or satisfactory/not satisfactory. Learners who satisfactorily complete all assessment tasks in a unit/module are to be resulted as competent for that unit/module
   1. Units/modules may only be graded if prior approval has been granted by the VFAB
2. For onshore learners, assessment outcomes with feedback should be made available to learners within 10 working days of submission. For offshore learners this may be extended, as agreed.
3. If the unit/module has particular licensing requirements (e.g. construction induction training, high risk work training and intensive block delivery), results should be entered onto the student management system (Strata)– on the same day of the assessment if on campus or within 5 working days if off campus
4. If a unit result has been determined following the results of assessment completion, the assessor or educator must enter an overall result for the unit using the result codes shown in Appendix B into Melbourne Polytechnic’s Student Management System (Strata) within 10 working days of the unit end date. This incudes for each unit in a clustered assessment strategy that the unit result is to be entered within 10 working days of the unit end date (not the cluster end date).
5. Results for all units/modules ending in a particular calendar year must be entered prior to the Institute holiday close period for that year, irrespective of unit end date;
6. For all senior secondary units (both VET and Curriculum units), educators and Education Managers must ensure results are submitted to Victorian Assessment Software System (VASS) by the date required to allow timely entry onto the VCAA’s VASS system. See appendix C for specific instructions for VCE VM results from other RTOs.
7. International Partners and the Melbourne Polytechnic International Office must follow the Offshore Partner Manual;
8. Department Managers responsible for onshore contractors/third parties must ensure that all assessment results are recorded and entered onto Strata in a timely manner as per the requirements above.

(48) Monitor results entry:

1. Education Managers must review any outstanding results monthly and ensure any missing results are entered into Strata immediately.

(49) Respond to requests for re-assessment and disputes of results:

1. Following the review of the assessment feedback, learners who remain concerned about the outcome of an assessment task can request their results be revisited in ‘re-assessment’.
2. Onshore learner requests must be made in writing to the Education Managers within five working days of receiving the result or feedback. The learner should explain why they believe the result is incorrect or unfair. The Education Manager will review the request and arrange for the assessment task to be re-assessed by either the original assessor or another qualified assessor.
3. Offshore learners will be offered an opportunity to request a resit in a dedicated window at the end of the unit delivery.
4. The Education Managers will inform the learner of the outcome in writing within ten working days of receiving the request.
5. If a learner gives a written or verbal response that doesn’t exactly match the wording in the marking guide and the result was ‘NYS’ (not yet satisfactory), assessors must use their professional judgement to decide if the response still meets the unit requirements. Where there is uncertainty, the Education Managers must arrange for moderation. This will require another qualified assessor review the decision to make sure it is fair, accurate, and consistent with the expected outcome
6. If a learner disagrees with their final result for a unit following a re-assessment process, they may progress a complaint or appeal (see below).

(50) Amend results if required:

1. If a result needs to be amended after it has been entered into the Strata, the teaching department must follow the Amendment to Student Enrolment Record on SMS (VET) Procedure
2. If a result needs to be amended after it has been entered onto VASS, the educator must notify the relevant Education Manager who will follow the procedures outlined by the VCAA and VASS.

(51) Release results to learners:

1. Academic Registry must ensure results are released to learners on a publicised date.

Address complaints and appeals

(52) Learners who have a concern relating to assessment should in the first instance be advised to raise the issue with their educator/Education Manager.

(53) Learners who are dissatisfied with the assessment process or outcome of an assessment decision following a re-assessment process should be directed to the Student Complaints and Appeals Policy.

(54) In responding to learner complaints pertaining to assessment practices, support should be offered to learners who may be unable to navigate this process independently for reasons such as low level language, literacy or digital skills or learners living with a disability including temporary medical or mental health conditions. Referrals to relevant Melbourne Polytechnic student services may also offered for advocacy assistance. Melbourne Polytechnic staff responding to assessment outcome concerns being expressed by learners should remain sensitive to the potential significant ramifications for learners such as employment, effects on mutual obligation payments, fees to re-enol, cultural shame, domestic violence, mental wellbeing and so on.

Ensure continuous quality improvement of assessment

(55) Throughout the lifecycle of an assessment tool, Melbourne Polytechnic educational staff are required to apply continuous improvement principles to the quality improvement of an assessment tool. This continuous improvement may arise through a range of routine or unplanned activities.

(56) VET training product validation:

1. VET training products need to be validated at a minimum every 5 years and in some cases more frequently. These requirements are outlined in the Assessment Validation (VET and Foundation) Policy and Procedure.
2. Education Managers must ensure VET courses/units are validated according to the Validation Schedule for their area.

(57) Senior secondary program quality assurance:

1. The Education Managers responsible for senior secondary programs must ensure senior secondary program educators participate the VCAA’s annual Quality Assurance Process.
2. Senior secondary program educators must actively participate in this process each year as requested by the Education Manager

(58) Other quality reviews of assessment tools and processes:

1. Education Managers must arrange reviews of assessment tools and processes when there is evidence of risk or concern. This may include poor learner performance or completion outcomes, complaints, feedback from students or staff, internal or external quality reviews, or concerns about how assessment tools are being applied in practice.
2. Reviews should investigate whether:
   1. Unit outlines are current and accurate.
   2. Assessment tools remain relevant, aligned with unit requirements, and compliant with training package rules.
   3. Assessment instructions and marking criteria are clear and consistently understood by both learners and assessors.
   4. Benchmark answers or performance evidence guidance are being correctly interpreted and applied, and assessor judgements reflect the required standard.
   5. Feedback from learners, assessors, and employers is considered, particularly where it highlights issues with assessment clarity, relevance, or consistency.
   6. Any recommendations from previous validation or quality reviews have been actioned.
3. Education Managers responsible for assessments delivered through third parties must coordinate regular reviews to ensure quality and compliance. This can be done by program areas sampling completed assessments for validation or through other arrangements outlined in the third party agreement.

Retain assessment records

(59) Education Managers must ensure all relevant assessment records are retained as required by the Records Management Policy.

(60) People and Culture must maintain individual records for all assessors that include relevant qualifications and information on educational and vocational competencies as outlined in the relevant Melbourne Polytechnic Recruitment and Selection Procedure.

Section 4 - Responsibility and Accountability

(61) Learners will:

1. Submit declarations of authenticity when submitting assessments;
2. Submit requests for reasonable adjustment, extension to due date and special consideration as outlined in the Guidelines for Learners Requesting Reasonable Adjustment, Extension and/or Special Consideration for Assessment.
3. Applying for RPL using the approved form (see appendix B) to their Teaching department

(62) All staff will:

1. Contribute to continuous quality improvement in their areas of operation and expertise;
2. Advise learners with concerns regarding their assessment to review their feedback in the first instance to their educator/course coordinator and if they wish to proceed for re-assessment or appeal to write to their Education Manager in writing within 5 working days or otherwise follow the Student Complaints and Appeals Policy;
3. Address suspicions of academic misconduct under the Student Discipline Policy.

(63) Directors Foundation and VET are accountable for:

1. Ensuring the Assessment (VET and Foundation) Policy and Procedure are followed across all offerings.

(64) The Director International Academic Operations is responsible for:

1. Ensuring all contracts with international partners clearly outline Melbourne Polytechnic’s requirements for quality assessment as outlined in this Procedure;
2. Ensuring all international programs and international partners follow the Assessment (VET and Foundation) Policy and Procedure;
3. Ensure off-shore partners follow the Offshore Entering Results Procedure.

(65) Educators/Lead Educator will:

1. Contribute to the development of training and assessment strategies;
2. Maintain assessment tools, develop and maintain unit/module outlines, assessment task instructions and marking criteria/marking rubrics;
3. Provide information to learners and employers of apprentices and trainees;
4. Provide timely and meaningful feedback throughout the learning program;
5. Handle requests for reasonable adjustments and extensions to due dates for assessment;
6. Enter unit/module results directly into the SMS (Strata) or provide to the Education Manager via a method previously agreed in writing;
7. Respond to concerns regarding assessment raised by learners
8. Educators may also be required to conduct assessments including RPL assessments.
9. contribute to the professional conversations required to analyse the performance of these tools, suggest improvements and assist with the re-development or implementation of changes, utilising their subject matter and teaching knowledge.

(66) Assessors will:

1. Conduct assessment as outlined in the approved assessment tools and apply any approved reasonable adjustment, special consideration, or extension arrangements
2. Provide written feedback to learners within 10 working days of each submission or resubmission. Feedback must:
   1. Confirm the outcome of each assessment task,
   2. Identify any gaps in performance where competency was not achieved, and
   3. Provide clear guidance on what is required for resubmission, if applicable
3. For tasks requiring resubmission, assessors must review the resubmitted work and provide additional feedback that confirms whether competency has been achieved or outlines any remaining gaps
4. Provide feedback that is respectful, constructive, and aligned to the unit’s performance criteria, supporting the learner to understand their progress and improve performance where required
5. Record results for each assessment task accurately and in accordance with agreed procedures set by the Education Manager
6. Maintain competency and currency as required for the units being delivered
7. Conduct and assess RPL in a manner that is valid, reliable, flexible and fair ensuring the evidence assessed as satisfactory is valid, sufficient, current and authentic 

(67) Education Managers will:

1. Ensure all assessors are qualified, current and competent;
2. Develop training and assessment strategies;
3. Develop Training Plans with employers of apprentices and trainees;
4. Consider where graded assessment events best practice is appropriate to organise moderation activities and facilitate they occur
5. Arrange regular continuous improvement activities, including reviewing assessment strategies and tools, and conducting validation, and course reviews;
6. Establish a secure system for recording assessment results and ensure assessors understand their obligations in relation to recording these results;
7. Consider requests for re-assessment, arrange re-assessments and advise learners of outcomes;
8. Consider requests for special consideration and advise learners of outcomes;
9. Ensure assessment records are retained as required in the Records Management Policy
10. Ensure systems are in place to carry out and capture continuous improvement from a range of activities.
11. In relation to RPL:
    1. respond promptly to queries and applications from prospective and enrolling students regarding recognition of prior learning applications submitted to the department
    2. assign and support Educators to process Recognition of Prior Learning applications that are qualified to under the Teaching Staff Qualifications (VET and Foundation) Policy. 
    3. Appoint and support assessors to review, develop and/or implement suitable RPL assessment tools to meet the needs of each application, complete assessments in a timely manner, document decisions and advise applicants of outcomes within required timeline 
    4. Enter the RPL results into the student management system
    5. Direct students to the appeals policy and procedure to address requests for re-assessment
    6. contribute to quality assurance and continuous improvement processes 
    7. ensure all records regarding skills and learning recognition applications and assessments are maintained securely as per the Records Management Policy 

(68) Department Managers will:

1. Obtain written confirmation from contractors and third parties undertaking assessment on behalf of Melbourne Polytechnic regarding an agreed system for recording and transmitting results to Melbourne Polytechnic in a timely manner;
2. Submit requests for units/modules they wish to be graded, to the VFAB in writing as outlined in the Curriculum Development and Design Procedures
3. Conduct regular quality reviews of the assessment practices of all programs undertaking assessment, including contractors and third parties;
4. ensure there are systems in place to capture those discussions such as a continuous improvement register and not limited to the procedures outlined below

(69) The Curriculum Unit is responsible for:

1. leading assessment design and development across VET and Foundation Directorates as outlined in the Course Design and Development (VET) Procedure;
2. Working collaboratively with program areas to develop quality assessment tools for identified and approved course design and development projects;
3. Provide guidance to the Program Areas when making changes to existing curriculum for VET and Foundation Courses.

(70) The Professional Teaching Practice Unit is responsible for:

1. Providing professional learning to build staff capability and expertise in implementing quality assessment, continuous improvement and reflective teaching practices, which include the use of assessment tools.

(71) People and Culture will:

1. Adhere with the relevant Melbourne Polytechnic credentialing policy and procedures including the retention and maintenance of relevant individual records for all assessors.

(72) Academic Registry will:

1. Adhere to the recording of academic results (VET) and associated procedures ensuring results are released to learners on a publicised date.

(73) Student Equity and Access Service (SEAS) will:

1. Adhere with the Supporting Students with Disabilities Policy and related procedures to work collaboratively with learners living with a disability and long-term medical conditions, and consult with their educators to develop and implement reasonable adjustments for assessment.

Section 5 - Overarching Policy

(74) Assessment (VET and Foundation) Policy 

(75) For all other related Melbourne Polytechnic policies, procedures, templates, legislation, regulation and supporting documents, refer to the Associated Information tab of this Procedure.

Section 6 - Definitions

(76) For the purpose of this Procedure the following definitions apply:

1. Academic Integrity: Educators, assessors and learners acting with honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility;
2. AQF: Australian Qualifications Framework. AQF levels are an indication of the relative complexity and/or depth of achievement and the autonomy required to demonstrate that achievement. AQF level 1 has the lowest complexity and AQF level 10 has the highest complexity.
3. Artificial intelligence (AI): An AI system is a machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit
   objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. Different AI systems vary in their levels of autonomy and adaptiveness after deployment.
4. Assessment: The process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether unit/module requirements been achieved;
5. Assessment strategies: The approach of, and method adopted by, an RTO with respect to assessment design to enable learners to meet the requirements of the training package or training product
6. Assessment Tool: The full set of assessment documents for a unit/module, including the assessment tasks, mapping, instructions for learners and assessors, and marking guides;
7. Assessor: A person who assesses whether the learner has met the requirements of the assessment task and/or unit/module;
8. Authentic evidence: The assessment evidence is the learner’s own work;
9. Cheating: Behaviour by a learner, or another person on behalf of a learner, to provide that learner or group of learners with an academic advantage, such as completing work on behalf of a learner, copying another person’s work or paying another person to prepare an assignment;
10. Collusion: An agreement between a learner and another person to act together secretly or without permission to achieve an unfair advantage, such as sharing answers with others or working together on an assignment that is supposed to be completed individually;
11. Competency: The consistent application of knowledge and skill to the standard of performance required. It embodies the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge to new situations and environments;
12. Current evidence: The assessment evidence is from the present or very recent past.
13. Extension: Additional time granted to complete an assessment;
14. Fair assessment: The individual learner’s needs are considered in the assessment process;
15. Flexible assessment: Assessment is flexible to the learner by reflecting the learner’s needs; assessing competencies held by the learner no matter how or where they have been acquired; drawing from a range of assessment methods; and using those that are appropriate to the context, the unit/module, the associated assessment requirements and the individual;
16. Generative AI (GenAI): GenAI is a subset of Artificial intelligence (AI), that is capable of
    generating new content such as text, code, images, video, audio or other outputs, in response to a submitted prompt or query, by learning from a large reference database of examples. AI is a computer system or algorithm that has the ability to imitate intelligent human behaviour;
17. Moderation: A quality control process aimed at ensuring assessment judgements are being consistently applied when more than one assessor is involved in assessing the same task across a cohort of learners. It is generally conducted before finalising learner results;
18. Plagiarism: The use of all or part of another person or entity’s work without appropriate acknowledgment of the author or source;
19. Re-assessment: To review a piece of work and confirm or amend the result. This may arise where a learner believes the assessment result is inappropriate or unfair. It may also occur where there are circumstances identified or additional information provided that affected a learners’ performance in the assessment;
20. Reasonable adjustment: A measure or action taken to assist a learner with disability take part in their education on the same basis as their peers without disability. Reasonable adjustments may include but are not limited to note taking support, extra time or extensions and alternative assessment tasks;
21. Reliable assessment: Evidence presented for assessment is consistently interpreted and assessment results are comparable irrespective of the assessor conducting the assessment;
22. Senior secondary programs: Year 11 and 12 courses of study accredited by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority;
23. Special Consideration: Consideration provided to a learner who has provided independently verifiable evidence having been hampered by illness or other cause during the teaching period or assessment that has affected their capacity to prepare, present or perform any component of an assessment;
24. Student Management System (SMS): Melbourne Polytechnic’s student management system used to store and manage student records (e.g. Strata).
25. Third party: Any person or organisation that has a formal agreement with a training provider to deliver services on their behalf. This does not include the provider’s own staff (employees), experts hired by the provider (such as consultants), or government departments and agencies that refer students without receiving any payment.  Services include training and assessment, support for training, and activities related to student recruitment such as marketing, enrolments, student induction, and collecting student fees. Support for training does not include services such as counselling, mediation, or IT help.
26. Sufficient evidence: The quality, quantity and relevance of the assessment evidence enables a judgement to be made about whether the learner has met the requirements;
27. Unit Outline: Details delivery and assessment requirements for the unit/module;
28. Valid assessment: The assessment decision is justified based on the evidence of performance. This requires assessment against the unit/module outcomes, assessment of knowledge integrated with practical application, evidence that shows the learner could demonstrate their knowledge and skills in other similar situations, and that the judgement is based on evidence that is aligned to the unit/module assessment requirements;
29. Valid evidence: The evidence presented assures the assessor that the learner has the skills, knowledge and attributes as described in the unit/module and associated assessment requirements;
30. Validation: A quality review of the assessment process for VET accredited training products. It involves checking that the assessment tool produces valid, reliable, sufficient, current and authentic evidence to enable reasonable judgements to be made as to whether the requirements of training product are met. It includes reviewing a statistically valid sample of the assessments and making and implementing recommendations for future improvements;
31. VASS: Victorian Assessment Software System. System used by Victorian Government to securely record results of senior secondary students undertaking VCE and VCAL.