How Many Years of Experience Do You Need for APEL.Q?
If you have worked in your field for 10, 15 or 20 years, the first question is which qualification you are seeking. Under Malaysia’s Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Award of Academic Qualifications (APEL.Q), the standard experience threshold varies by qualification level. The assessment then looks at what you learned through that experience.
Check the minimum for your qualification level
The Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA, n.d.-b) publishes the standard minimums for each qualification level. The work must be in the relevant field and at an appropriate level for the qualification (MQA, 2020).
| MQF level | Qualification | Standard minimum relevant work experience |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Certificate | 5 years |
| 4 | Diploma | 10 years |
| 5 | Advanced Diploma | 12 years |
| 6 | Bachelor’s degree | 15 years |
| 7 | Master’s degree | 20 years |
| 8 | Doctoral degree | 25 years |
MQA (2024) sets age 18 as the starting point for counting work experience. Where an applicant has fewer years but can demonstrate exceptional prior experiential learning, the institution’s highest academic body, such as its senate, may consider the case individually (MQA, 2020).
Look at what you learned during those years
Two applicants may have worked in the same field for 20 years. One may have deepened their expertise in a specialist role. The other may have learned to lead teams and take responsibility for increasingly complex projects. Each can show what they learned by describing the work they did, the decisions they made and the capabilities they developed.
APEL.Q assessors consider learning gained through formal education, organised learning outside formal education and everyday experience. They assess that learning against the outcomes of the specific programme for which the qualification is sought (MQA, 2020).
Give assessors evidence they can verify
Cedefop’s (2023) European guidelines describe four stages in validating prior learning, from identifying and documenting it to assessing and certifying it. For an APEL.Q portfolio, start with a programme learning outcome and identify an experience that demonstrates the relevant capability. Choose a document that helps an assessor verify what you did and what you learned.
Work experience → learning and capability → supporting evidence → programme learning outcome
Suppose a programme outcome involves designing workplace training. If you trained a team to use a new quality control process, a training plan and a follow-up review could show how you identified learning needs, designed the training and checked progress. Explain your contribution to each document and how it supports the outcome.
Work products, project reports, organisational records and training certificates can all be useful where they substantiate your claim and meet the institution’s requirements.
Understand what the experience threshold means
For example, 20 years of relevant work at the appropriate level meets the standard experience requirement for a master’s qualification. The institution checks eligibility for the particular programme. If the applicant proceeds, the portfolio forms part of the formal assessment, which determines whether the learning demonstrated meets the programme outcomes (MQA, 2020).
Higher education providers need MQA approval to conduct APEL.Q assessments and follow the agency’s assessment guidance (MQA, n.d.-a).
How Swiss Academic Support helps
Swiss Academic Support (SAS) helps applicants review their work history against the initial requirements, identify relevant learning and organise evidence in the format the institution requests. The review can help you see which outcomes your evidence already supports and where you need a clearer explanation or further documentation.
Applicants provide their own evidence and account of their learning. The approved institution makes the formal assessment decision.
References
Cedefop. (2023). European guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning (3rd ed.). Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2801/389827.
Malaysian Qualifications Agency. (2020). Guidelines to good practices: Accreditation of prior experiential learning for award of academic qualifications (APEL.Q). MQA guidelines (PDF).
Malaysian Qualifications Agency. (2024). Penetapan umur minimum bagi tujuan pengiraan pengalaman bekerja oleh Pusat Penilaian APEL (PPA) [Minimum age for calculating work experience at APEL assessment centres] (Notice No. 4/2024). MQA notice (PDF).
Malaysian Qualifications Agency. (n.d.-a). APEL.Q frequently asked questions. MQA FAQ.
Malaysian Qualifications Agency. (n.d.-b). Polisi umum [APEL.Q general policies]. MQA general policies.
