What type of Validation does your RTO need to complete?
- Specialised VET Services
- Jan 12, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 29
29.7.25 - Updated to align with the 2025 Standards for RTOs
Validation can be confusing - not least because the term is used in different ways in Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET), and because there are a number of different types of validation activities that may be carried out by an RTO.
Here is some clarity on some of the differences.
Pre-use (pre-implementation) validation / Assessment review
Quality Assurance process
Before use
Answers the questions:
Will this assessment tool collect all evidence required?
Is this tool suitable for use?
Will this assessment tool do as it says it will?
This is an analysis of the materials before they are put into use, and is carried out to verify or confirm requirements will be fulfilled.
Pre-use validation might include a validation of mapping to confirm coverage against the unit evidence requirements, and a validation of the assessment tool, which is a check that tool is fit-for-purpose, including factors such as:
The instruments have been written to collect the right type of evidence as required by the training package/unit of competency
Alignment with the principles of assessment
Clear instructions for users are included
Validation of the assessment tool also confirms that the assessment tool has been designed to allow for the provision of sufficient evidence that is valid, reliable, authentic, and current.
Validation of the mapping document - when done well - shows what gaps (if any) exist in the assessment tool compared to what evidence it should be collecting to meet unit requirements. It also confirms the accuracy of the mapping document as a mechanism to evidence how the assessment tool collects required evidence. That is, which questions/tasks in the assessment collect evidence against which parts of the unit. An accurate and precise mapping document is the foundation for quality assessment.
It has long-been a best-practice activity to validate materials before use to confirm they are fit-for-purpose; this is now a mandatory requirement under Outcome Standard 1.3.
It has also been included as a requirement in the unit of competency TAEASS413 - Participate in assessment validation.
Review check in on tools in use
Quality Check process
Tools are already in use
Typically as part of an internal audit or health check on the RTO's assessment system
Answers the questions:
Is this assessment tool working as anticipated?
Is it doing as it said it would?
Do we need to make any adjustments?
The validation process at this stage would typically take place on materials already in the system. It would be looking to confirm the same things as a pre-use validation activity as well as confirming that assessments are fulfilling requirements.
This type of validation is not mandated by the 2025 Standards for RTOs but could be considered a best-practice monitoring activity for RTOs to complete as part of their risk-management regime.
Validation of assessment judgements (Post-use validation)
Quality Review process
Occurs after use
Includes validation of the RTO's assessment system
Answers the questions:
Did this tool allow for consistent, valid judgements to be made on assessment evidence?
Did the RTO's assessment system allow for consistent, reliable use of the tool?
This validation activity of the assessment judgements made using the assessment tools is the formal process as required by the 2025 Standards for RTOs at Outcome Standard 1.5. This a quality review process that every RTO must undertake.
The aim of this type of validation is to confirm that your RTO's assessment system can consistently produce valid assessment judgments.
It is conducted after assessment is complete - hence post-use validation of assessment tools.
Within this process, validators are to consider the validity of both assessment practices and assessment judgements (how the assessment has been conducted/the assessment system and how the assessments have been marked). It is the latter which can be confused with moderation - more on that below.
In a post-use validation, checks are done on the assessment tools to confirm they have produced valid, reliable, sufficient, current and authentic evidence—evidence that has allowed an RTO to make reasonable judgements about whether training product requirements have been met. Hence, it makes sense to have tools validated at pre-use stage and/or in an assessment review activity to catch any issues before getting to last validation stage.
The Standards also require the following when it comes to validation of assessment judgements:
A process in place (a validation plan) for regular validation of training products on an RTO's scope of registration
A plan which covers specific quantities over set time-frames (five-year cycle to validate all training products on an RTO's scope)
Allowance with the plan to validate more regularly when the RTO becomes aware of risks, any changes to the training product and/or based on stakeholder feedback
Details within the plan as to what will be validated when, and by who, and how any actions will be recorded and acted upon
Sampling methodology is to be used when determining the evidence to be reviewed
Specific considerations for validation TAE training products that allow assessment judgements to be made, i.e.:
once the first cohort of students have completed
by an independent validator
Validation must only be undertaken by those people with the credentials as specified in the Credential Policy and who meet the conditions in Outcome Standard 1.5.2e and 1.5.2f
Improvements to be documented and acted upon - including any identified rectification requirements (again, here is a good point for why pre-use validation is so valuable)
RTOs must comply with all requirements associated with validation of assessment judgements.
