82% pass RPL exams

The recognition of prior learning (rpl) assessment exercise results were announced by the insurance sector education and training authority ceo, nelius volschenk a short while ago.

'This is an abridged version of the statement.'

There was an overall pass rate of 82%, while more than 1 500 candidates excelled on their assessments and scored distinctions.

The pass percentages across the various sub-categories were as follows:

Interestingly, an analysis of the results as per age-categories reveals a pattern which indicates that older candidates out-performed their younger counterparts. This is a normal pattern considering that this was an RPL experience where experiential knowledge was a key aspect. These results are tabulated as follows:

Background:
There were three rounds of national road-shows that were spearheaded by INSETA’s FAIS Project Office, of which two were done in partnership with the Financial Services Board, and took the message of compliance to all parts of the country and more than 8 000 people attended these road-shows.

In addition INSETA initiated the compilation of a Qualifications Matrix that enabled the industry to determine the status of all historical and current formal qualifications available to industry practitioners and to create an equivalence map between these qualifications and the unit standards that have been generated for the insurance sector.

As a consequence 132 qualifications that relate to the insurance industry were mapped to unit standards and published as a matrix. More significantly, this matrix enabled thousands of industry practitioners to realise that they satisfied the academic requirements for licensing and registration.

The equivalence map was submitted to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), for its consideration of the process, and the fairness of the equivalence map. Once this had happened the equivalence map was released.

To assist those in our industry to acquire the entry-level requirements of 12 or 30 credits needed for licensing by 30 September 2004, INSETA embarked on the Recognition of Prior Learning national assessment campaign.

As an RPL exercise, and bearing in mind the scope of the project, this was arguably a world-first for the insurance sector.

However, approximately 11000 financial advisers responded to the assessment exercise.

This, coupled with the fact that nearly 90 000 hits were registered on the INSETA website during January this year, are clear indicators that the industry is definitely gearing itself for compliance. While INSETA took the lead in this initiative, the industry as a whole must salute itself for supporting our drive.

INSETA has received a great deal of feedback from the industry and candidates who attempted the assessment and we welcome this, especially feedback that is constructive, as this will help us improve on the second assessment scheduled for 17-20 May 2004.

An oft-mentioned criticism was that some of the questions in the assessment exercise had no direct relevance to the candidates and the line of work they perform.

To briefly respond to this, it must be remembered that the cluster of unit standards being assessed had to satisfy the requirements of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) as laid down by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). It is pleasing to note that INSETA has achieved what was laid down by SAQA, especially with regard to the issue of Recognition of Prior Learning.

As required by workplace-based qualifications that test RPL, questions had to relate to the knowledge, skills, ethics, application and analytical abilities of candidates. Unit standards that lent themselves to a multiple-choice assessment format were also prioritised.

With the assessment being a pioneering initiative for the industry, a starting base had to be established. The questions, therefore, tapped into the broad generic framework within which all financial advisers operate.

Against this background, it must also be remembered that the unit standards as well as the assessment tools were designed by industry subject-matter experts in the form of the Insurance Institute of South Africa and sanctioned by INSETA.

Furthermore, the standards of the papers set for all sub-categories were quality assured by INSETA’s Quality Assurance division through a rigorous moderating process prior to writing, as well as during the grading of candidates’ responses. Prior to the printing of the papers the assessment tool was also submitted to SAQA, and once this process was completed, the papers were prepared for printing and writing.

INSETA would like to take this opportunity to encourage all financial advisers who did not register the first time round, or those who would like to improve upon their current results to visit the INSETA website (www.inseta.org.za) and ensure that they are registered for the May assessment exercise.

The deadline for registrations is 7 April 2004 – both for current UNISA students and for first-time registrations.

To re-iterate, the purpose of this assessment would either be to enable financial advisers to acquire the entry-level credits and/or to accumulate 12 or 30 credits towards the total of 30 or 60 they would require in the next 2-3 years.