Work and Life Experience

Who should use this pathway?

You might consider this pathway if:

• You are not eligible to apply with any other qualification.
• Your previous grades may not be competitive enough to receive an offer for your preferred course.

Each institution decides which combination of pathways – including personal competencies statement, or work and life experience – is acceptable for their courses. The criteria can also vary between different courses at the same institution, so it’s important to check the requirements for each course you’re interested in.
 

If you are thinking about submitting a personal competencies statement or details of your work experience, make sure you check:

• Whether you are eligible to use work and life experience.
• Whether your preferred course(s) offer places through this pathway.
• What combination of selection criteria applies for your preferred course(s).

Eligibility to use work and life experience

Your eligibility to apply using work or life experience depends on a few factors:

Age

• For entry to an undergraduate course starting in Semester 1, you must be at least 18 years old before 1 February in the year of entry.
• For entry to a course starting in mid-year or a later teaching period, you must be at least 18 years old before 1 July in the year of entry.

Previous higher education study

If you have previously studied at a higher education level, your eligibility will also depend on:

• How much higher education study you have completed.
• When you last studied at a higher education level.

Use Course Search to check the specific eligibility requirements for the course(s) you are interested in.
 

Selection ranks for work and life experience

Your selection rank for a course depends on the combination of criteria used and the weightings assigned to each, which is determined by our institutions.

If you submit a personal competencies statement or details of your work experience, these cannot lower your STAT rank – they can only improve it.
 

Personal competencies statement

A personal competencies statement is a short written statement that supports your application to a course. In it, you must address the specific criteria to demonstrate how your life experiences have helped you develop the skills and abilities needed to succeed in tertiary study. SATAC will assess your statement according to guidelines provided by the participating institutions.

Keep in mind that only some courses consider personal competencies statements as part of their selection process.
 

Employment experience

When you apply online, you may have the option to include information about your paid employment experience. You do not need to list every job you’ve held – only the roles you want SATAC to consider in support of your application.

Keep in mind that only some courses consider employment experience as part of their selection criteria.