Seven Myths About CPL: Debunking Common Misconceptions

Credit for prior learning (CPL) is an umbrella term for various ways that colleges and universities use to evaluate learning acquired outside of a formal college classroom and award students credit for those experiences. Students earning CPL can save time and money when completing degrees, credentials, or other postsecondary goals because it reduces the “seat time” required to finish a program. 

There are many approaches to CPL. It actually encompasses a lot of methodologies, many of which you may already be familiar with! For example, standardized exams (like CLEP or DSST) are the most straightforward. Academically vetted crosswalks to industry certification and testing and military training also offer proactive transparency into what can be a complex and sometimes confusing process.

Portfolio reviews represent a different, less structured approach. They offer advantages such as flexibility and customization that accommodate individual experience and are more inclusive of unique competencies. However, portfolio reviews impart a greater sense of subjectivity to CPL and require more time and effort from students and assessors. 

CAEL has advocated for CPL in all of its forms since the mid-1970s. Over the years we’ve helped convert many skeptics. Today, more than 80% of U.S. and Canadian institutions offer one or more pathways to earn CPL, according to a survey AACRAO completed in partnership with CAEL. But there is still plenty of room for growth. Despite its many benefits, only about one in 10 adult college students participate in CPL. 

Most people would probably agree that saving college students time and money is a worthy cause. But it’s not unusual for some people, especially those new to the CPL concept, to have questions. Even some students might wonder whether receiving credit for learning experiences outside of college is too good to be true.

CAEL and other research over the past several decades have gone a long way in improving awareness about CPL and its benefits. But even today, we encounter concerns and sometimes even resistance. In this blog, we address some of these concerns, along with some other common misperceptions about CPL to help separate “myth from reality.

Myth #1: Students receive CPL just for life experience.

Fact: Students receive CPL for college-level learning, not for experience. When CPL is done according to accepted quality standards, such as CAEL’s Ten Standards for Assessing Learning, it includes evidence of learning directly aligned with the academic course it is applied to. Students must demonstrate they have this knowledge to the satisfaction of subject matter experts via assessments. For example, evidence can be provided through an exam. Alternatively, in the case of portfolio assessment, evidence of learning can come from work artifacts, research or reports, interviews, skills demonstrations, professional development or training and education documents, and professional certifications. A resume may supplement additional evidence of learning but should never be a primary source for the purposes of awarding CPL credit. 

Fact: College-level learning happens in places other than the college classroom, and has long been recognized as such (Advanced Placement and dual enrollment programs are common examples of this). It is important, though, that assessment of college-level learning, and the awarding of credit for that learning, be based on criteria defined by the postsecondary institution and its accreditors.  The assessment of college-level learning for CPL credit must only be carried out by appropriate subject matter experts. These criteria are also described in Assessing Learning Standards 3 and 4.

Myth #3: CPL threatens institutional revenue, displacing faculty and staff. 

Fact: CPL should be seen as part of a student’s overall academic experience. It creates functional bridges between education, employment, and other valuable experiences that can support deeper learning, while expanding access pathways to new and returning adult learners. Moreover, even as CPL saves adult learners time and money, it also boosts completion rates. Improved student persistence and completion yields revenue benefits to the institution: CPL students, on average, earn 17 more credits through tuition-based coursework, compared to non-CPL students.  That is 17 more credit hours, taught by faculty, and generating revenue for the institution, not including the potential recruitment benefits. Additionally, CPL can serve as an important marketing tool to recruit additional experienced learners. 

And faculty and staff are the foundation of the CPL process! They develop curricula, guide students, and assess outcomes. CPL enhances, rather than replaces, the faculty role.

Myth #4: A student could earn CPL credit for a subject without understanding the theory behind it. Theory is what distinguishes college level learning. 

Fact: An important part of the student’s task in developing a prior learning portfolio is connecting the learning to the theoretical underpinnings of a particular discipline. They must then also tie that theory to practice and application. This is what makes portfolio assessment a good fit for awarding college credit for subjects that do not lend themselves as well to standardized exams. 

Myth #5: Regional accrediting bodies do not allow for the use of CPL.

Fact: All seven formerly regional accrediting bodies allow for CPL credits explicitly. CPL policies vary significantly among accreditors. To help sort them out, CAEL offers a report summarizing them. It is also important to remember that, as noted above, more than 80% of institutions in the United States offer some form of CPL. That means one or more avenues to CPL are available to learners at thousands of accredited institutions and specialized accredited programs throughout the country. 

Myth #6: CPL credits will be wasted time and effort if students transfer to other institutions and they are not accepted.

Fact: This may indeed be a challenge for many students. First, it is important to quantify the issue.  How many of your adult learners who may earn CPL credits are likely to transfer at all?  And to which institutions does that population often transfer and what are those policies?  The problem may be smaller than you imagine and can be addressed with proper advisement.  However, even if these concerns remain, CAEL is seeing progress in institutional, system, and state policies. The Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit, published by AACRAO, CHEA, and ACE in 2021 urges postsecondary institutions to include CPL in their overall transfer policies. A recent study by CAEL and ACE, along with an interactive online policy inventory, identified states and systems with policies that are starting to address CPL in transfer. CAEL has formed a community of practice devoted to credit mobility and has experience with public, private, two-year, and four-year institutions that inform best practices and recommendations for navigating system changes and policy change around CPL.

Myth #7: Portfolios and Challenge Exams Need to Be 'A' Level Work, and All Prior Learning Must Match 100% of the Learning Outcomes for a Course

Fact: Most portfolios and exams are graded as credit/no credit or pass/fail, with a minimum of around 70% (a "C" average) for a credit recommendation. Students are expected to demonstrate learning, not perfection.  Remember, students enrolled in traditional classes do not need an “A” to pass the class and get credit. Writing should be appropriate for the level of the course. A novice student's portfolio will naturally differ from that of an advanced student.  This 70% rule is also often applied to other assessment methods involving matching learning outcomes, such as credit for military occupations and trainings.

CAEL CPL Resources

CAEL members can access a trove of CPL-supporting materials at the CAEL Member Hub. They include toolkits, job aids, and webinars. 

CAEL’s instructor-led training (discounted for members) and microcourses (free to members) also cover numerous CPL-dedicated subjects.

CAEL offers a tandem of technology solutions that help institutions streamline and grow CPL programs. Designed to work together, Credit Predictor Standard, a member benefit, and Credit Predictor Pro, available as an upgrade, cover critical steps of the CPL process, from outreach and lead generation through assessment and awarding credits.

A free CPL resource kit is available to anyone at cael.org. 

Not yet a CAEL member? Join today.