Recognized Prior Learning

Discover how your prior learning can earn you college credits with our PLAR process, which recognizes knowledge and skills gained through work, volunteering, and life experiences.

Get college credits for your life experiences through our Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process. Learn how to identify, articulate, and demonstrate your past learning, and compare it to college credit courses. Contact us to start the PLAR process today.

Get credit for work experience.

PLAR is a mechanism to offer credits for significant and relevant learning acquired through work, volunteering and other life experiences that are not recognized through formal transfer credit mechanisms.

More PLAR Information:


What is PLAR?

PLAR is a process that uses a variety of tools to help learners reflect on, identify, articulate, and demonstrate past experience, and compare this learning to college credit courses.  Prior learning can be acquired through work, volunteering and other life experiences that are not recognized through formal transfer credit mechanisms.

VIEW (PLAR) Operating Practices

What PLAR is Not:

  • A Transfer Credit – for more information regarding Transfer Credits from another college or university, visit our Transfer Credit page for details.
  • Credit for experience only (the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired through that experience must be demonstrated).
  • A way to get a credit without having to take a course (e.g. no experience or learning)

How much PLAR is allowed?

Candidates are permitted to obtain a maximum of 75% of credits in a program through Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition and/or Transfer Credits for non-degree programs and 50% of the required credits for degree programs. The remaining credits of a program must be completed under the direct supervision of Confederation College faculty.

Who decides whether a course is available for PLAR?

The Associate Dean/Dean, working in conjunction with Program Coordinators and faculty, make decisions regarding course availability. 

How to Apply for PLAR:

Students interested in Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition at Confederation College should contact the appropriate Academic School to secure a copy of the course outline.

The student should review the outline to determine whether or not to proceed with PLAR.

Information on cost for PLAR is available here under 'Other Fees'.