What is advanced standing?

Advanced standing is an assessment process used to recognise the skills and knowledge you have acquired, either through study or life/work experience, by matching it with the content of units within your course.

If you've already successfully completed any of the units in the course in which you are enrolling, or their equivalent, you may be eligible for advanced standing.

How to apply for advanced standing

Please apply for advanced standing with your course application, so we can process your application before census date. To apply for advanced standing, you need to complete, (Higher Education) Application for advanced standing.

Closing dates and submissions details 

Final lodgement dates for advance standing are four weeks before the applicable census date to be considered. Advanced standing applications received after the due date may not be processed until the next available semester. The credit you receive will be towards a specific Chisholm course. If you want to transfer to a different course you need to apply to transfer your course and to have your advanced standing reassessed.

Supporting evidence and documentation

Your application will be assessed based on the evidence you provide. Each piece of evidence should be clearly identified and numbered as an attachment, then listed on the first page of the application form.

You will need to provide:

  • certified copies of academic transcripts and qualifications
  • explanation of what the results mean (usually with the transcript)
  • unit(s) of study/syllabus information from the relevant course guide
  • detailed subject descriptions and related information such as assessment tasks from your past tertiary studies

Please do not send original documents. However, you may be asked to show the original documents to us at a later stage. Refer to the advanced standing applicant checklist (page five of the application form) for the documentation required. 

If your academic records are from overseas or a private university, certified copies must be provided from the appropriate government body/professional association recognised in Australia (or an equivalent authority for students studying at an offshore site). Documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by an English translation. The translator must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) or an equivalent body for offshore students.

Please note: We may contact your former institution(s) and/or current/former employer(s) for further information and/or clarification of your claim for advanced standing.

Application outcomes and notification 

You’ll be notified of the outcome of your application via email. Current students must check their Chisholm student email.  While waiting for your advanced standing outcome, you must continue to attend classes for all of your subjects. If your application for advanced standing is approved, the effective date will be the application date. In most situations, we will assess your application within:

  • 10 working days for formal learning applications
  • 20 working days for non-formal and informal learning applications.

The credit you receive will be towards a specific Chisholm course. If you want to transfer to a different course you need to apply to transfer your course and to have your advanced standing reassessed.

International students

If you are granted advanced standing and your study load falls below the standard full-time study load as a result, you must contact Chisholm International to confirm that your visa status is not put at risk by the granting of advanced standing.

How much credit you can expect

The application of advanced standing is consistent with the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework for the award of a qualification. The amount of credit you receive depends on:

  • the level of tertiary study you have previously completed
  • how many units you completed
  • the similarity or relevance of your previous tertiary study to your Chisholm course