The most reliable way to apply recognition of prior learning (RPL) is to calculate the reduction once, in the same system that holds the learner’s record, and let that calculation update everything it affects. Aptem Apprentice does this through its RPL calculator, a Process Automation Tracker. A member of staff enters the off-the-job training (OTJT) hours removed because of prior learning, the calculator works out the effect on hours and price, shows what the planned duration means for the apprentice week to week, and, once approved, updates the learner’s ILR automatically.

Key points

• The RPL calculator in Aptem Apprentice is a Process Automation Tracker that applies a recognition of prior learning reduction to an apprentice’s off-the-job training hours, price and planned duration.
• Staff enter the hours removed because of prior learning, and the calculator suggests a revised training price based on 50% of the prior learning percentage, in line with the 2026 to 2027 funding rules.
• Before approval, staff can see what the revised plan means in off-the-job training hours per week and as a share of the apprentice’s working week.
• When the change is processed, Aptem updates the ILR in one step, including the price reduction record, the revised training price and the planned end date.
• Every RPL change goes through permission-based approval and leaves a full audit trail, and the calculator does not replace the initial assessment or change what the funding rules require.

Addressing the challenge of recognising prior learning

Recognising prior learning is the right thing for apprentices: they should not repeat training in knowledge, skills and behaviours they already have. The administration around it is less simple. Once the initial assessment is done, someone has to turn the outcome into a percentage of off-the-job training hours, work out the price reduction, decide whether the planned end date should change, and then record each of those figures correctly.

In many providers, that work happens in a spreadsheet and is then keyed into the ILR by hand. Each figure is entered separately: the revised training price, the hours removed, the remaining planned hours and the planned end date. The more places a figure has to be typed, the more chances there are for it to be wrong, and the harder it is to show later how a reduction was reached and who agreed it.

There is also a planning question that a spreadsheet does not answer. A shorter practical period with fewer hours still has to be something the apprentice can realistically complete alongside their job.

What the 2026 to 2027 funding rules ask for on RPL

The apprenticeship funding rules for 2026 to 2027 are specific about RPL. Providers must review an apprentice’s prior learning and experience, and funds must not be used to pay for training the apprentice does not need. Where content is removed from the training plan, it must be shown as a volume of off-the-job training hours, and the reduction in hours must translate to a reduction in price.

The rules set out how that price reduction is worked out. The provider calculates the prior learning as a percentage of the off-the-job training hours, then reduces the total price by at least 50% of that percentage. If an apprentice has 30% prior learning, for example, the price falls by at least 15%. The rules also set minimums that still apply after RPL: a practical period of at least eight months and at least 187 hours of off-the-job training.

In practice, providers need a calculation that follows the rules, a planned duration that is realistic for the apprentice, and an ILR that reflects both, with a clear record of how each decision was made.

How Aptem’s RPL calculator addresses the challenge

Aptem treats an RPL reduction as a single, approved process rather than a set of separate edits. The RPL calculator brings the calculation, the duration decision, the approval and the ILR update into one workflow, so the figures agreed are the figures recorded.

How the RPL calculator works out hours and price

Staff enter the volume of off-the-job training hours removed because of prior learning. The calculator shows the remaining planned hours and the reduction as a percentage of the original planned hours. It then suggests a revised training price, calculated on the basis of 50% of that percentage, with an option to work from the funding band maximum for the standard instead of the original price. The suggested figures are a starting point; staff review them before the tracker moves on.

Checking the revised duration is realistic

In the ILR, off-the-job training hours, duration and price are recorded as separate data points, so a reduction in hours does not automatically mean a shorter programme. The calculator reflects this. Staff choose whether to use a suggested end date, enter their own date, or leave the planned end date unchanged.

To help with that choice, the calculator shows the apprentice’s contracted weekly working hours. When a date is chosen, it shows how many off-the-job training hours a week the plan will mean, and what share of the apprentice’s working week that represents. This gives staff a quick check on whether the revised programme is realistic before it is approved, rather than finding out once delivery is under way.

How the RPL calculator updates the ILR

Once processed, the calculator updates the learner’s record in one step. It records the remaining planned off-the-job training hours and the hours removed because of prior learning, creates the price reduction record against the programme aim, updates the total training price, and updates the planned end date and any affected component aim dates. Staff do not need to add the price reduction record by hand afterwards, which removes one of the most common places for an RPL figure to go astray.

Approval and audit trail for RPL changes

RPL changes go through the same permission-based approval as other Process Automation Trackers. One user can pre-authorise a request and a second, senior user processes it, so no single person can change a learner’s price and hours unchecked. Every step is recorded, giving a clear audit trail of who did what and when.

Which RPL calculator applies to which learners

The RPL calculator applies to learners whose programme starts on or after 1 August 2026, in line with the 2026 to 2027 ILR. Earlier calculators remain available for learners who started under previous rules, so providers can apply the right method to each group without changing records that are already in place.

“I am very impressed by the visibility of learner progress and management data that Aptem offers… Efficiency-driving features such as built-in automation, tools for recognition of prior learning, ILR submission functionality, and more, will set us up internally for growth.”

Amanda Kennedy, Director of Apprenticeships, TACK TMI

How Process Automation Trackers handle other learner changes

The RPL calculator is one of a set of Process Automation Trackers in Aptem Apprentice. Each one turns a common learner change into a workflow that captures the request, applies the right approvals and updates the platform and the ILR when the change is processed. They cover changes such as:

• Change of name and change of address.
• Break in Learning and return to learning.
• Withdrawal from learning.
• Change of employer and change of programme.
• Changes in working conditions, such as working hours or job title.
• Additional Learning Support (ALS).
• Successful completion of a component aim.

For compliance and MIS teams, the value is consistency. Changes follow the same route every time, only users with the right roles can approve them, and each one leaves an audit trail. Providers choose which Trackers to switch on, and one-stage or two-stage approval fits how much oversight each process needs.

Trackers rely on correct information being entered. They prevent obvious errors, such as an invalid date, but they support a provider’s judgement rather than replace it. The RPL calculator supports a provider’s RPL process. It does not replace the initial assessment or change what the funding rules require.

See how Aptem handles RPL and learner changes

If your team is calculating RPL reductions in spreadsheets and keying the results into the ILR by hand, book a demo to see how Aptem Apprentice brings the calculation, approval and ILR update into one workflow.

Aptem customers can find set-up and how-to guidance in the Aptem Help Centre, in the RPL Calculator (2026) article and the introduction to Trackers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the RPL calculator in Aptem Apprentice?

The RPL calculator is a Process Automation Tracker in Aptem Apprentice that applies a recognition of prior learning (RPL) reduction to an apprentice’s programme. Staff enter the off-the-job training hours removed because of prior learning. The calculator works out the effect on hours and price, helps staff decide on the planned duration and, once approved, updates the learner’s ILR.

How is the price reduction for recognition of prior learning calculated?

Under the apprenticeship funding rules for 2026 to 2027, the provider calculates prior learning as a percentage of the off-the-job training hours and reduces the total price by at least 50% of that percentage. The Aptem RPL calculator suggests a revised training price on this basis, working from either the original price or the funding band maximum for the standard, for staff to review.

Which ILR records does the RPL calculator update?

When the tracker is processed, it records the remaining planned off-the-job training hours and the hours removed because of prior learning, creates a price reduction record against the programme aim, updates the total training price, and updates the planned end date and any affected component aim dates. The price reduction record does not need to be added by hand.

Does the RPL calculator check whether the revised programme is realistic?

It gives staff the information to check. The calculator shows the apprentice’s contracted weekly working hours and, once an end date is chosen, the off-the-job training hours a week the plan will mean and the share of the working week that represents. The figures are for guidance. Providers remain responsible for confirming the programme meets the funding rules, including the minimum practical period of eight months and minimum of 187 off-the-job training hours.

Does an RPL reduction have to shorten the apprenticeship?

Not necessarily. Off-the-job training hours, duration and price are recorded separately in the ILR. In the RPL calculator, staff can use a suggested end date, enter their own date, or leave the planned end date unchanged.

Which learners can the RPL calculator be used for?

The RPL calculator applies to learners with a programme start date on or after 1 August 2026. Learners who started earlier use the earlier RPL calculators in Aptem. As with the earlier versions, it is not available for programmes with a Break in Learning, a withdrawal and restart, or a change of employer.

Who can approve an RPL reduction in Aptem?

RPL reductions use permission-based approval. A user with the pre-authorise role can approve the request, and a user with the process role then processes it, which applies the changes to the learner’s record. Every step is recorded in the audit trail.

What other learner changes can Trackers automate?

Process Automation Trackers in Aptem Apprentice cover changes including change of name or address, Break in Learning, return to learning, withdrawal, change of employer, change of programme, changes in working conditions, Additional Learning Support and completion of a component aim. Each captures the request, applies approvals and updates the platform and the ILR when processed.

Does the RPL calculator change the apprenticeship funding rules?

No. The RPL calculator supports a provider’s RPL process and makes the resulting records more consistent. It does not replace the initial assessment or change what the funding rules require.

Where can Aptem customers find help with the RPL calculator?

Aptem customers can find set-up and how-to guidance in the Aptem Help Centre, in the RPL Calculator (2026) article and the introduction to Trackers.