Frequently Asked Questions

CAL has over 15 years of experience in adult learning and has delivered programs for thousands of adults. We know everyone is different. Different learning styles, levels of education, behaviours, perceptions and prior knowledge.

5 Ways CAL leads you to succeed in your career, your way

You will soar with our commitment to 1 on 1 coaching

At CAL you are not just a student number, you are a person. You can contact us when you need to and always receive the support you need. All our facilitators and coaches have global knowledge, real world experience and skills to assist you achieve your goals. If you do the work, we can ensure your success.

When you accelerate your learning, you accelerate your earning

If you are eligible for RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning), we will help you collect the evidence you have earned with your experience. Plus an optimised intensive study mode means you can potentially complete your course in six months or less.

CAL is where future industry experts go to learn

CAL understands adult learners have demanding jobs, varying lifestyles and limited spare time. Assessments are streamlined and paced out evenly so you can progress naturally through the course. You also have access to other like-minded adult learners to share experiences and tips on how to fit study around a busy lifestyle.

We give a ‘hoot’

We take pride in producing informative and interactive, online video tutorials that appeal to all learning styles. Our facilitators ‘talk’ to you and walk you through the program. You will not find boring click through slideshows that leave the actual ‘how to’ to your imagination.

We’re who you trust

For quality and current content, career advice, wide elective choices, relevant results and a respected qualification that adds value to your CV.

Complete one of CAL’s Nationally Recognised Qualifications

You will receive a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment (SOA) acknowledging the completion of any nationally recognised units of competency, and upon successful completion of the program, a qualification testamur and record or results.

Each of our programs offers different tutorials and outcomes, you will also receive:

• A Nationally Recognised Diploma or Certificate IV
• Pathways to higher learning opportunities
• Recognition of Prior Learning for the skills you have already demonstrated
• Intensive, personalised coaching from leading Australian learning consultants
• Free access to webinars, tip sheets, and articles to keep you up to date with the latest strategies
• Discounts on other CAL programs and products

Study in your own time with 100% Online Courses

We now offer all of our Diploma and Certificate IV programs online exclusively so we can fit in with your schedule – whatever that may be.
Our course content is delivered through immersive and engaging pre-recorded videos created by industry experts. These are available for you to access at any time you need, without the need for scheduled lessons that you need to work around to attend.
Our generous 24-month initial enrolment period means that the whole online program can be taken at your own time, pace and convenience. The program includes unlimited access to regular feedback and personal assistance from our trained coaches and support teams.

You will need regular access to a laptop or desktop computer with the following:

• An adequate and reliable internet connection,
• At least the equivalent of Microsoft Office or Office for Mac, with word-processing capabilities and spreadsheets,
• A PDF Reader installed,
• Full permissions to install and access third-party software as required.

You will also need regular access to a laptop, desktop computer or device with an adequate camera to undertake video calls for assessments as required.

Typically, we recommend using a laptop or desktop computer with the latest version of Chrome. Please check to ensure your device/s align with the system requirements for our major services:

• Brightspace D2L – Our Learning Management System (LMS) platform
• Zoom – Our video call platform
• Respondus – Our quiz assessment platform
• Vidyard – Our video embedding platform

Study in a timeframe that works for you

This really depends on your other commitments, your prior work experience, and the access you have to documentation that can validate your experience.

The volume of learning is defined by ASQA as a dimension of the complexity of a qualification. As Diploma and Certificate IV qualifications are competency-based, the number of learning hours a student must undertake to satisfy requirements for their qualification will also depend on a learner’s pre-existing skills and knowledge. As an example, for learners studying a Diploma qualification with no work experience, skills or knowledge, the volume of learning outlined by ASQA is usually between 1200 – 1400 hours. You can find more on the volume of learning in ASQA’s Users’ Guide to the Standards for RTOs 2015.

For highly experienced students with extensive RPL opportunities, formalising prior industry experience with a Certificate IV or Diploma program can be completed in a fraction of the time it would take to study the whole course from start to finish.
For full-time study, most students can complete their qualification in around 12 months, while students who need to schedule study around their work and family commitments will usually take up to 12-24 months to achieve their qualification.

Fortunately, we understand that sometimes life just gets in the way, so we do have a 24-month period allocated for you to complete your qualification with us, with options for deferral and extra support available to find a solution that works for you.

We provide you with a guide to the study hours nominated by the Government for each unit so you can see what impacts your course will have on your schedule and study arrangements.
We have 15 years of experience in assisting adults to achieve credible learning pathways. The best approach is to email or call us and talk to a CAL learning coach about your work history, situation and how we can make the course work for you.

No cut-off dates, limited intakes or strict timeframes

We do not have any restricting intake periods so you can start your online Diploma or Certificate IV at any time of the year.

Dedicated After-hours Coaching support

Our coaches work late on selected nights of every week so we are happy to book in after-hours calls without hesitation. We also have lots of interstate students so our Melbourne-based coaches are conscious of accounting for time differences.

We support you if you’re not working

No, at CAL we don’t believe you should be put at a disadvantage because you’re not currently working. After all, your course is designed to help you work in the fields you’re passionate about. Talk to your coach about accessing our handy case studies that you can use for your assessment instead of using your workplace as a base.

We specialise in adult education

We will support you through every step of your course.
You will receive thorough feedback for every unit that you submit but if you’re nervous prior to assessment submission then send a draft to your coach who will have a look and give you valuable feedback within a week. We aim to give you everything you need to get qualified and do what you’re passionate about.

We’ll help you succeed in your coursework

There is no big red F at CAL. You will receive either a ‘competent’ or ‘pending’ result. ‘If the result is pending you are given thorough feedback and guidance as to what is missing or what needs extra work. Then you can review and resubmit to achieve the ‘competent’ result. We allow two resubmission attempts without cost or time restrictions so you can take your time to get it right.’

Our team is dedicated to helping our students succeed with tailored learning plans and regular check-ins to keep you on track.

Each of our students receives an individual learning plan and the reason they are ‘individual’ is because they are flexible and designed to fit into your life.

We understand ‘life’ can sometimes get in the way of study, so if it isn’t working anymore, we will revisit your learning plan and amend it if necessary. There is no need for you to rush and sacrifice your learning just for the sake of due dates, that’s not our philosophy – we want you to get the most out of your learning and if that takes a bit longer, so be it!

CAL helps you excel in your career

In addition to unlimited access to our industry expert coaches and dedicated support through every step of your course, we also want to get you ready to advance in your career or help break into your industry. Our extra mentor services include:

Advanced Career Planning Advice

Advanced Job Ready Resume Advice

Access to over 50 hours of elective tutorials

Our students are extremely satisfied with their experiences

In a 2012 survey of 150 of our Diploma graduates:

100% said CAL met or exceeded their expectations

97% responded that CAL’s courses offer value for money

83% would recommend CAL courses to others

You can read our student case studies here.