Assessing Prior Learning Overview

This Quick Start Kit is designed to provide helpful templates, resources, and content to support members who are responsible for, involved in, or conduct prior learning assessment. This could be admissions staff, faculty, program staff, or advisors, among other roles and departments. Included in this Quick Start Kit are jobaids, toolkits, videos, research, articles, and additional resources to help members be more effective, impactful, and successful in their efforts.

Toolkits

• CAEL's 10 Standards for Assessing Learning Toolkit
• Portfolio Resources List

Job Aids

• Undergraduate Portfolio Assessment Rubric
• Faculty Assessor Guidelines
• Portfolio Process & Technology
• CAEL's 10 Standards for Assessing Learning Job Aid
• CPL Process Map

Webinars & Professional Development

Professional Development: Assessing Prior Learning

• Workshop: Demystifying Portfolios in your CPL Offerings

• Webinar: Scaling Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Through State and System Policies

• Webinar: Portfolio Assessment Ask Me Anything

• Webinar: The PLA Boost

Research & Articles

• Accreditor Policies of Credit for Prior Learning (2025)
• Credit for Prior Learning Policies: A Database of Findings from the ACE-CAEL 50-State Analysis (2024)
• The PLA Boost Report (2020)
• The PLA Boost Equity Paradox Report (2021)
• The PLA Boost Fact Sheet (2020)

Additional Resources

CAEL helps postsecondary institutions and training providers offer a holistic learning experience for adult learners. This includes aligning curricula to positive labor market outcomes in growth industries, assessment and recognition of prior learning and coursework that develop college-level competencies, developing industry partnerships, and more. Visit our website to learn more, or reach out to our Partnerships team to chat!