RAFFLES UNIVERSITY
APEL
CENTRE
ACCREDITATION OF PRIOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (APEL)
In 2024, Raffles University established the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) Centre to support continuous professional development. This initiative addresses the escalating need for lifelong learning in an evolving job market by providing a structured pathway for adult learners to gain formal recognition for their prior experiential learning. The APEL Centre allows professionals to convert their work experience or informal learning into academic credits, bridging the gap between practical experience and formal education.
The establishment of the APEL Centre aligns with Raffles University’s goal towards FutureU through continuous professional development. Through this initiative, Raffles University reaffirms its dedication to fostering an inclusive and flexible educational environment.
CONTACT
APEL CENTRE
Ms Low See Mei
Head of Apel Centre
Email: ApelCentre@raffles-university.edu.my
APEL. A
APEL for Access (APEL.A) offers an alternative pathway for individuals to have their work experience or informal learning recognised as a substitute for the traditional entry requirements for pursuing tertiary education.
Admission Process
- Complete APEL. A assessments conducted by the APEL Centre
- Apply for a programme through Apel.A Certification
- Eligibility to apply for admission into a programme of study using the APEL.A or APEL.M does not guarantee admission to the programme of study.
- Applicants must comply with the admission criteria stipulated below for entry via the APEL.A or APEL.
APEL. A Criteria
- Applicable to local and international applicants
- Must meet the minimum age requirements
- Must fulfil the minimum formal qualifications
- Must have prior experiential learning
T7 Masters Programme
(by Coursework, Mixed Mode and Research)
- At least 30 years of age in the year of application.
- Possess at least an STPM/Diploma/equivalent qualification** (or those with higher qualifications, e.g., Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma
- Possess relevant work experience
Pass the APEL A assessment for Master’s Level
- Master of Education
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Design
- Master of Computer Science
Assessment Weightage:
| Assessment Instrument / Level | APEL T-7 Master’s Level | APEL T-7 Master’s Level |
| Coursework or Mixed mode | Fully Research-based | |
| Aptitude Test | 40% | – |
| Portfolio | 40% | 50% |
| Interview | 20% | 20% |
| Research Intent + Presentation | – | 30% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
Assessment Fee:
APEL.A T7: RM560
The duration of the Aptitude Test is two and a half (2.5) hours.
Structure of Assessment
| Components | Test Content | Structure of Assessment |
| Bahasa Malaysia Language* | – Reading & comprehension – Vocabulary – Grammar & tenses – Error correction – Spelling | Part A: 13 Objective Questions Part B: 1 Structured Question |
English Language
| – Reading & comprehension – Vocabulary – Grammar & tenses – Error correction – Spelling | Part A: 12 Objective Questions Part B: 1 Structured Question |
| Numerical Literacy | – Basic descriptive statistics – Basic numeracy – Basic algebra – Problem-solving | Part A: 25 Objective Questions Part B: 1 Structured Question |
| General Knowledge**, Critical Thinking and Digital Literacy | – General knowledge: current issues, digital literacy, and information sourcing – Critical thinking: logic reasoning, classification skills and pattern recognition | Part A: 25 Objective Questions Part B: 2 Structured Questions |
* / ** For international applicants, expatriates, and their family members:
- The Bahasa Malaysia Language component will not be tested. The number of questions omitted under the Bahasa Malaysia Language component will be added to the English Language component.
- Under General Knowledge, the section on current issues will focus on issues in the global context.
| No. | Entry Requirements | Documents |
| 1 | A Malaysian citizen / an expatriate working in Malaysia / an expatriate’s family members. | A certified copy** of MyKad or A certified copy** of the passport |
| 2 | At least 30 years of age in the year of application. | |
| 3 | Possess at least STPM/Diploma/equivalent qualifications*** | Copies of relevant academic certificates along with certified transcripts ** |
| 4 | Possess relevant work experience* | |
T6 Bachelor’s Degree Programme
- At least 21 years of age in the year of application.
- Possess relevant work experience.
- Pass the APEL.A assessment for Bachelor’s degree level.
- Bachelor of Information Systems (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence
- Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) in Data Science
- Bachelor of Information Technology (Honours)
- Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours)
- Bachelor of Business (Accountancy)(Honours)
- Bachelor of Supply Chain Management (Honours)
- Bachelor of Graphic Design (Honours)
- Bachelor of Multimedia Design (Honours)
- Bachelor of Fashion Design (Honours)
- Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
Assessment Weightage:
| Assessment Instrument / Level | APEL T-6 Bachelor’s Degree |
| Aptitude Test | 30% |
| Portfolio | 70% |
| Interview | – |
| Research Intent + Presentation | – |
| Total | 100% |
Assessment Fee:
T6: RM370
| Components | Test Content | Structure of Assessment |
| Bahasa Malaysia Language* | – Reading & comprehension – Vocabulary – Grammar & tenses – Error correction – Spelling | 10 MCQ questions |
| English Language | – Reading & comprehension – Vocabulary – Grammar & tenses – Error correction – Spelling | 10 MCQ questions |
| Numerical Literacy | – Basic descriptive statistics – Basic numeracy – Basic algebra – Problem-solving | 10 MCQ questions |
| General Knowledge**, Critical Thinking and Digital Literacy | – General knowledge: current issues, digital literacy, and information sourcing – Critical thinking: logic reasoning, classification skills and pattern recognition | 10 MCQ questions |
- The Bahasa Malaysia Language component will not be tested. The number of questions omitted under the Bahasa Malaysia Language component will be added to the English Language component.
- Under General Knowledge, the section on current issues will focus on issues in the global context.
| No. | Entry Requirements | Documents |
| 1 | A Malaysian citizen / an expatriate working in Malaysia / an expatriate’s family members. | A certified copy of MyKad** or A certified copy of the passport** |
| 2 | At least 21 years of age in the year of application. | |
| 3 | Possess relevant work experience* | |
T4 Diploma Programme
- At least 20 years of age in the year of application.
- Possess relevant work experience.
- Pass the APEL.A assessment for Diploma level.
- Diploma in Information Technology
- Diploma in Digital Game Art
- Diploma in Fashion Design
- Diploma in Visual Communication
- Diploma in Interior Design
- Diploma in Business Studies
- Diploma in Human Resource Management
- Diploma in Psychology
| Assessment Instrument / Level | APEL.A T-4 Diploma Level |
| Aptitude Test | 100% |
| Portfolio | / |
| Interview | – |
| Research Intent + Presentation | – |
| Total | 100% |
The Aptitude Test will take two (2) hours
Structure of Assessment
| Components | Test Content | Structure of Assessment |
| Bahasa Malaysia Language* | – Reading & comprehension – Vocabulary – Grammar & tenses – Error correction – Spelling | 10 MCQ questions |
| English Language | – Reading & comprehension – Vocabulary – Grammar & tenses – Error correction – Spelling | 10 MCQ questions |
| Numerical Literacy | – Basic descriptive statistics – Basic numeracy – Basic algebra – Problem-solving | 10 MCQ questions |
| General Knowledge**, Critical Thinking and Digital Literacy | – General knowledge: current issues, digital literacy, and information sourcing – Critical thinking: logic reasoning, classification skills and pattern recognition | 10 MCQ questions |
* / ** For international applicants, expatriates, and their family members:
- The Bahasa Malaysia Language component will not be tested. The number of questions omitted under the Bahasa Malaysia Language component will be added to the English Language component.
- Under General Knowledge, the section on current issues will focus on issues in the global context.
| No. | Entry Requirements | Documents |
| 1 | A Malaysian citizen / an expatriate working in Malaysia / an expatriate’s family members. | A certified copy** of MyKad or A certified copy** of the passport |
| 2 | At least 20 years of age in the year of application. | |
| 3 | Possess relevant work experience* | |
Note: APEL A entry requirements of each level follow Guideline to Good Practices: Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Access (APEL.A) and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Micro-credentials (APEL.M), First Edition 2023, MQA
* For the APEL.A T-4, T6, and T-7, the number of years of work experience is not stipulated and may vary.
** The documents must be certified true copies by an officer recognised by Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), as listed in the “Certification of Documents”
** For International Qualifications Equivalency, learners may refer to the document entitled “The List of Entry Qualifications for International Student” on the MQA website https://www.mqa.gov.my/pv4/nilai_taraf.cfm
Certification must be performed by an officer recognised MQA:
- Grade A Government Officer (Pegawai Kerajaan Kumpulan A)
- Principal / Headmaster (Pengetua / Guru Besar / Guru Penolong Kanan)
- Member of Parliament (Ahli Parlimen)
- District Officer / Village Head (Pegawai Daerah / Ketua Kampung)
- Pengerusi JKKK – Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung
- Ketua Kaum / Ketua Anak Negeri
- Commissioner for Oaths (Pesuruhjaya Sumpah)
The certifying officer must include their official stamp, which must display their
- name
- designation
- workplace address
For applicants whose qualifications have not been previously evaluated and approved by the MQA/National Accreditation Board/relevant Ministry, RU will notify them that the qualifications are not accepted for further assessment.
Applicants may appeal for screening by the MQA with a service charge of RM100. The appeal must include the notification document from the RU APEL Centre and certified copies of the following documents:
- Copy of MyKad;
ii. Copy of Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)/Diploma;
iii. Copy of full Diploma transcript; and
iv. Resume (curriculum vitae).
MQA will notify the appeal application decision via email to the APEL candidates who applied and RU APEL Centre. The application procedures and the APEL Screening Meeting Schedule can be referred to on the MQA portal https://www2.mqa.gov.my/portalapela/en/appeal.cfm.
If the applicant’s appeal is accepted by MQA, the RU APEL Centre will arrange for the candidate to take the Aptitude Test and submit a Portfolio for assessment.
APEL. A PROCESS
1
CHOOSE A RU PROGRAMME
2
SELF-ASSESSMENT
3
APPLY IN MQA PORTAL
4
APPLY IN RU APEL CENTRE
5
ASSESSMENT PHASE
6
POST-ASSESSMENT
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
APEL.A is suitable for applicants who wish to pursue a tertiary education qualification but do not meet the traditional entry requirements. This includes individuals who have gained knowledge through informal learning or possess relevant work experience in the industry.
The validity period of an APEL.A Certificate is five years from the date the APEL.A assessment results are released.
No, all fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Applicants can apply for the Diploma (T4), Bachelor’s Degree (T6), and Master’s (T7) programs at Raffles University via APEL.A, except for the Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours).
Given that the APEL.A assessment may take as long as two (2) to four (4) months, applicants are advised to apply for APEL.A certification six (6) months prior to the date of admission into Raffles University.
Applicants are required to submit a brief research intent outlining the information as indicated in the below prior to the presentation / demonstration. The items required of research intent are:
- Institution identified to undertake the research
- Potential supervisor consulted for the research studies (name and related information of the supervisor)
- Title of research
- Introduction / Research background
- Provide an introduction encompassing the context, establish the relevance of the proposal and provide a discussion of the important studies and theories or frameworks related to the research problem.
- Briefly provide the research scope, justification, and objectives of the research.
- Research problem
- Identify the research problem and its significance in contribution to addressing an existing knowledge gap in the field/making a novel contribution to the said discipline.
- Literature review
- Provide a critical summary of published research literature relevant to the topic under consideration for research. Its purpose is to create familiarity with current thinking and research on a particular topic and may justify future research into a previously overlooked or understudied area.
- Research plan/methodology
- Outline the following in brief:
- Methods used to gather the data.
- Theories and techniques used to analyse the data.
- Overall research plan from conceptualisation to the writing of thesis/dissertation.
- Outline the following in brief:
- Applicants are entitled to appeal the decisions regarding their APEL.A assessment results in a fair and just manner by submitting an official appeal within one (1) week from the date the results are officially announced based on the required workflow.
- A different assessor will be assigned to evaluate the appeal. Applicants will be notified of the appeal outcomes, and the decision is final.
- Applicants who fail the Aptitude Test may retake it up to two (2) times. If they fail on the second attempt, they must wait at least three (3) months before attempting it a third time.
- Applicants who fail the Portfolio Assessment can submit a revised portfolio for reassessment. Applicants who fail the Interview Assessment can undergo another interview by submitting a revised portfolio.
However, the portfolio resubmission and repeat interview can only occur at least six (6) months after the date of notification of the APEL.A result from the APEL Centre. - Applicants must complete and submit the APEL.A Appeal / Resit or Resubmission Form to the APEL Centre. There will be fees charged for appeals.
