Frequently asked questions and answers about the 2025 Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) (the Standards) that came into effect on 1 July 2025.
On this page:
Why were the 2015 Standards for RTOs revised?
The Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 were in place for almost 10 years. Reviews of, and feedback from, the vocational education and training (VET) sector identified a need to better support high quality training and assessment across the sector. Stakeholder feedback also identified that the 2015 Standards were complex, difficult to navigate and saw a strong focus on administrative processes. They comprised a mix of macro and micro, compliance and input focused requirements, which did not clearly link to quality VET or contribute to outcomes for students and employers.
Why are the Outcome Standards, Compliance Standards and the Credential Policy separate documents?
DEWR heard from stakeholders across the VET sector that the mix of quality-oriented and compliance-focused requirements in the 2015 Standards for RTOs drove an undue focus on prescriptive compliance at the expense of good organisational practices that deliver quality outcomes.
The 2025 Standards for RTOs were designed to ensure a strong focus on learner outcomes. This has been achieved by removing the compliance and administrative requirements from the Outcome Standards and placing them in the Compliance Standards and Credential Policy.
What is the difference between the policy documents of the Outcome Standards, Compliance Standards, and Credential Policy, and the legislative instruments?
ASQA-regulated RTOs must meet and will be regulated against the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Outcome Standards for Registered Training Organisations) Instrument 2025 and the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Compliance Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations and Fit and Proper Person Requirements) Instrument 2025 available on the Federal Register of Legislation, and Credential Policy available on the National Training Register (TGA).
The policy documents provide the 2025 Standards in an accessible format and do not impose legal obligations.
Do the Standards apply to all registered training organisations (RTOs)?
All RTOs regulated by the National VET Regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), are required to meet the 2025 Standards for RTOs. Requirements for RTOs regulated by the Training Accreditation Council in Western Australia (TAC WA) are set out in the WA Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 and the Vocational Education and Training (General) Regulations 2009 (Regulations).
For RTOs regulated by the TAC WA and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, please refer to your regulator for more information.
How is the Credential Policy different to Schedule 1 in the 2015 Standards?
The Credential Policy largely reflects previous credential requirements from the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015.
In addition to reflecting existing requirements, the following further changes were included in the Credential Policy:
- Enabling individuals who hold the 2010 version of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) to deliver training and assessment without needing to hold the two additional units of competency in addressing adult language, literacy and numeracy skills and designing and developing assessment tools.
- Expanding the term ‘diploma or higher-level qualification in adult education’ to ‘diploma or higher-level qualification in adult education or vocational education and training’, and inclusion of a definition to provide greater clarity and address existing confusion around this term identified in consultation feedback. This will help clarify that persons with vocational education and training qualifications can deliver training and assessment.
How do the 2025 Standards retain protections to ensure that training and assessment is only delivered by people with the right credentials?
The Credential Policy sets out the credential requirements for people delivering training and assessment and undertaking validation of assessment. RTOs are responsible for ensuring training and assessment are delivered in line with the Credential Policy. The Credential Policy seeks to ensure that only appropriately credentialled people, with current skills and knowledge in training and assessment, deliver training and assessment. This helps to uphold the quality of VET and ensure the integrity and validity of assessment.
Standard 3.3 also requires all trainers and assessors to have industry competencies, skills and knowledge that are relevant to, and at least to the level of, the training product being delivered and/or assessed.
Will individuals who hold the 2010 version of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) be able to deliver training and assessment without obtaining additional units of competency?
Yes, individuals who hold the 2010 version of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) will be able to deliver training and assessment without needing to hold the 2 additional units of competency in addressing adult language, literacy and numeracy skills and designing and developing assessment tools.
This change is designed to alleviate VET workforce pressures and to align with the latest Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122), given that the updated versions of the additional units are no longer core units in the qualification.
To ensure currency of skills and quality training for those with the older qualification, the revised Standards will still require all trainers and assessors to undertake professional development to ensure current skills and knowledge in training and assessment, and to hold relevant industry competencies, skills and knowledge.
Where is “industry expert” defined?
The use of industry experts is outlined in Outcome Standard 3.3 which provides that training and assessment is delivered by people with current industry skills and knowledge relevant to training product. The RTO is required to demonstrate that where an expert is engaged to support trainers and assessors, this is based on a specific need for expertise related to the training product or VET student cohort, and there is a system for ensuring:
- the expert has relevant industry competencies, skills and knowledge and specialised industry or subject matter expertise
- the expert works under the direction of a person with the credentials specified in the Credential Policy and, where the expert is involved in the assessment judgement, they work alongside the trainer or assessor to conduct the assessment
- sufficient oversight of the expert to ensure the quality of the training and assessment.
Are qualified secondary school teachers required to deliver training under direction?
Under Section 1A of the Credential Policy, to deliver training and assessment, including making assessment judgements, an individual with a secondary teaching qualification must also hold one of the following credentials to deliver training and assessment without direction:
- TAESS00011 Assessor Skill Set, or
- TAESS00019 Assessor Skill Set or its successor, or
- TAESS00024 VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set or its successor.
Under Section 1D of the Credential Policy, a person who holds a secondary teaching qualification must deliver training and conduct assessment under direction.
Why have some skill sets from the Training and Education (TAE) Training Package not been included in the Credential Policy, to enable delivery of training under supervision?
The early changes to the 2015 Standards that commenced in March 2024 enabled the use of a range of new and updated skill sets for delivery training under supervision. The Credential Policy builds on these earlier amendments to the 2015 Standards, which reflect the skill sets within the TAE Training Package that were designed to enable delivery of training and assessment. Skill sets that were designed for trainers and assessors to upskill, but not enable people to deliver training or conduct assessment in their own right, have not been included.
What constitutes ‘actively working towards’ a specified training and assessment credential?
‘Actively working towards’ means an individual is enrolled in, has commenced, and is making satisfactory progress towards completing within two years of commencement, the credential. This will allow for RTOs to engage would-be trainers and assessors to learn on the job undertaking training and contributing to assessment, whilst ensuring that the training and assessment is the subject of appropriate oversight and supervision from a fully qualified trainer and assessor.
Satisfactory progress would need to be determined on an individual basis, but would involve checking in to ensure the individual is on track to complete within two years of commencement, and any identified issues with the individual’s progress are addressed.
The intention is to prevent cases where an individual is perpetually working towards a credential without making any progress.
What level of supervision is required for people actively working towards a credential?
The RTO will need to determine an appropriate level of supervision and any conditions or restrictions considered necessary based on the individual and where they are up to, noting the level of supervision is likely to evolve as the individual progresses. The RTO will also need to ensure that trainers providing supervision monitor and are accountable for the training and assessment undertaken by the person under their supervision.
Do individuals have to be currently registered as a secondary school teacher to deliver training and assessment?
Individuals with a qualification that enables registration as a secondary school teacher do not need to be currently registered as a teacher, they only need to meet the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in at least one state or territory.
Do individuals need to meet the academic requirements for secondary teacher registration in the state or territory in which they live or work?
The qualification would need to enable the individual to satisfy the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in accordance with the registration requirements in at least one state or territory – this does not necessarily need to be the state or territory in which the individual currently lives or delivers training, recognising that many RTOs operate across multiple jurisdictions.
How current must the teaching qualification be?
As long as an individual satisfies the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in at least one state or territory, this will be considered satisfactory for the purposes of the Standards.
How are we ensuring people with education degrees understand training packages and VET delivery?
To be eligible to train and assess independently, individuals with a secondary teaching qualification must also hold either the Assessor Skill Set or the VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set. Both contain units on assessing competence, participating in assessment validation, and using nationally recognised training products to meet vocational training needs. These skill sets bridge the gap with the necessary VET knowledge, as tested with VET regulators and other stakeholders. Providers will still ultimately be responsible for ensuring that people delivering training and assessment have current knowledge and skills in vocational teaching and learning.
For those with a secondary teaching qualification only, they will need to work under the supervision of a fully qualified trainer and assessor who monitors and is accountable for the quality of training and assessment they are involved in.
How can RTOs evidence that trainers and assessors with eligible teaching degrees meet the academic requirements for teacher registration?
RTOs are not expected to contact teacher registration bodies to obtain evidence or to confirm an individual’s eligibility to satisfy the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher. For RTO verification practices for compliance, please refer to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) website.
Do the changes enable individuals with overseas teaching qualifications to deliver training and assessment?
No. Due to the requirement that the credential be issued by a higher education provider as defined in Section 16-1 of the Higher Education Support Act, individuals who hold overseas qualifications are not able to deliver training and assessment with their teaching qualification.
What changes have been made to arrangements for transition of superseded training products?
Changes have been made regarding the transition of training products that have been superseded. The requirements to transition existing students within 12 months has been removed. Instead, RTOs are required to transfer students into the replacement training product in a timely manner. This recognises that the appropriate transition time will vary for different training products, including those of different durations. It is also designed to minimise disruption for students and reduce administrative burden on RTOs (including to reduce the number of requests that need to be made for extensions to the transition period).