Assessment & Support
Explore the following to learn more.
PLAR Candidates
What PLAR Candidates Must Demonstrate? They need to show what they know and can do from work and life experience, and this learning must match college‑level outcomes.
Who Evaluates PLAR? College faculty subject‑matter experts assess the learning and determine any credit awarded. The form should be submitted after it is signed by the Associate Dean/Dean.
Best Candidates for PLAR People with substantial, relevant experience such as:
- Mature or non‑traditional learners
- Employment experience
- Military service
- Volunteer work
- Training or independent study
Successful Candidates Tend to Be:
- Self‑directed
- Motivated
- Able to work independently
Program Admission You don’t need to be accepted into a program to have your learning assessed. Completing PLAR does not guarantee program admission.
How Candidates Are Assessed The assessment method is determined by the Program Coordinator and/or Faculty after an initial meeting.
Challenge Process Examples Candidates may be evaluated through:
- Written or oral exams
- Essays, reports, research papers, journals, logs, or diaries
- Interviews or role‑plays
- Projects, assignments, or case studies
- Demonstrations of skills or performance
Portfolio Assessment:
- A structured collection of evidence that documents, evaluates, and verifies a learner’s prior learning in relation to educational goals.
- Candidates must demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes for the relevant course or program.
PLAR Student Advisement
- PLAR may impact OSAP eligibility if it reduces a student’s course load.
- PLAR can affect overall program completion timelines.
- All prerequisites must be met before challenging a course.
- PLAR fees are listed under “Other Fees.”
- Unsuccessful PLAR attempts do not appear as failures on transcripts. Students may:
- Register for the course
- Repeat the PLAR after one calendar year
- Appeal through the Academic Dispute Resolution process
- Students must complete the PLAR process within the semester it begins, or within the timeline set by the Faculty Assessor.
- Students currently enrolled in a course may challenge it only if they gained the required knowledge and skills before enrolling.
- PLAR credits are awarded and recorded the same way as credits earned through regular coursework.
- Students cannot initiate PLAR for courses they audited within the last 10 months or for previously failed courses without approval from the Program Coordinator and Dean.
- Candidates must show they gained the required knowledge, skills, and attitudes through non–post-secondary experiences. Reviewing the course outline before meeting with faculty is recommended.