Audit Preparation
- Are you ready for your RTO audit
- ASQA audits and getting ready!
- 2025 has provided us with more insight into the RTO audit approach of ASQA's audit team. 38 RTOs had their registration cancelled by ASQA in 2025, and a further 96 RTOs have been stopped from taking new students until the end of their registration period! This comes on the back of a trend over the last few years that has seen RTOs in the media for all the wrong reasons, with the issues emerging around VET Fee Help and the delivery of adequate services.
- The 2025 Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) commenced on the 1st of July 2025
- There are three major components to the 2025 Standards for RTOs:
- Outcome Standards (legislation):
- Outcome focused requirements that support the delivery of nationally consistent and high-quality training that leads to quality outcomes for students, industry, employers and the Australian community.
- Compliance requirements (legislation):
- Administrative requirements (including the Fit and Proper Person Requirements and NRT Logo Conditions of Use Policy) that support integrity in the VET sector.
- Credential Policy (TGA):
- An enforceable policy that operates alongside the Standards and outlines the credentials required for delivering training and assessments and undertaking validation of assessments.
- Are RTOs being set up to fail.
- What this means to the RTO is that if they get the submission wrong, your Audit charges can blow out to $25,000-$30,000
- So know your standards, request further information from the audit team during opening and closing meetings. Follow up on those meetings with emails directly to the audit lead with a request for clarification and detailing your points in writing.
- Seek advice from a credible consultant. Major topics raised by ASQA
- ASQA's auditor team have identified a range of issues with providers, including:
- a lack of information provided to students about courses or providing inaccurate marketing and recruitment information to prospective learners
- poor training and assessment strategies and practices
- insufficient trainers, assessors, facilities and equipment
- a lack of information provided to students about courses or providing inaccurate marketing and recruitment information to prospective learners
- non-compliance with licensing requirements
- did not provide an appropriate amount of training or implement an assessment process to ensure learners had the skills needed
- inappropriately enrolled learners into qualifications
- did not determine or provide support services to learners, or monitor their progress, to enable them to complete study
- issued certification while providing insufficient assessment to students
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The issues above relate to the key phases of the student experience around which the new audit model is organised.ASQA developed and tested a new approach to audit with an increased focus on the student experience and the practices of RTOs. This approach is now be fully implemented as of the 1st of July 2025.
It focuses on five key RTO activities or phases:
- marketing and recruitment
- enrolment process
- student support and progression
- training and assessment
- student completion
What does this mean for your RTO?An RTO’s viability is at increased risk if you don’t have access to student experience data and proactive resolution processes. RTOs need to review and refine their business practices to ensure they have evidence:
- Their marketing practices are delivering factual information. Potential students must be able to make informed decisions about what training and benefits the course will provide, and ultimately, whether the course is suitable for them. Their students have the existing skills, knowledge and experience required to successfully undertake the course
- they provide appropriate support services to their students so they are optimally positioned to undertake and complete the course. The appointed trainers and assessors are appropriately qualified to deliver the training and conduct the assessments
- The amount of training delivered to students and the manner in which the training is delivered are consistent with the requirements for the accreditation being offered
- They are awarding AQF certificates only to students who have met the course or Training Package requirements
- Our audit team have experienced a significant increase in RTOs coming to us to utilise the following features to help them manage their end to end student engagement:
- in-depth agent agreements (CRICOS RTO's)
- integrated website and student management system
- pre-enrolment surveys
- early-course and completion surveys, tracking of student engagement, real time, auto generated reports on student progress, continuous improvement issues register populated automatically from survey thresholds and complaints and appeals lodged by students
- content experts/trainer matrix/systematic management of trainer PD
- records of site visits, classroom attendance, e-learning engagement, assessment attempts and completions
- assessment evidence, completion evidence, enforced packaging rules
ASQA's audit rectification process can be a difficult and a time consuming process. This process can often end up costing an RTO thousands of dollars and lost business time.
Let our team provide your RTO with an internal health check review to give you a head start before you have to go down the recitation path
Let our team provide your RTO with an internal health check review to give you a head start before you have to go down the recitation path