ACS Skills Assessment 2026: RPL vs Qualification Pathways (and How the 'Deduction' Really Works)

IMPORTANT

10-Second Self-Check: Before reading further, answer these three questions:

Do you have a recognised tertiary qualification?
Does it contain enough ICT units to be assessed as an ICT Major or Minor?
Is your work experience closely related to your nominated ANZSCO occupation?

Your answers determine your pathway-but only ACS can make the final assessment after formal application.

What ACS Actually Decides (and What It Doesn't)

The ACS assesses whether your qualifications and work experience meet Australian standards for your nominated ICT occupation. However, ACS does not decide your migration points-that's the Department of Home Affairs' role.

What ACS determines:

Whether you are suitable for your nominated occupation
Your Skill Level Requirement Met Date (the date from which your experience counts as "skilled")
Whether your qualification is an ICT Major, ICT Minor, or Non-ICT

Understanding the Two Main ACS Pathways

Pathway	Best For	Fee (Nov 2025)	Processing
General Skills	Applicants with recognised ICT qualifications	$1,498 AUD	4-6 weeks
RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)	Applicants without formal ICT qualifications	$625 AUD	4-6 weeks

NOTE

Fees increased by 3.3% effective 3 November 2025. The "last 10 years" experience window is measured back from your ACS submission date, not from today.

General Skills Pathway: The Qualification Route

If your degree contains ICT content, the General Skills pathway assesses both your qualification and experience. ACS classifies degrees as:

ICT Major - At least 33% computing content (Bachelor+) or 50% (Diploma)
ICT Minor - At least 2/3 of Major requirements (~22% for Bachelor)
Closely Related - At least 65% of your ICT content aligns with your nominated occupation

Experience Requirements for General Skills

Qualification Level	Closely Related?	Experience Requirement
Bachelor+ with ICT Major	Yes	2 years (last 10) OR 4 years (anytime)
Bachelor+ with ICT Major	No	4 years (anytime)
Bachelor+ with ICT Minor	Yes	5 years (last 10) OR 6 years (anytime)
Bachelor+ with ICT Minor	No	6 years (anytime)
Diploma with ICT Major	Yes	5 years (last 10) OR 6 years (anytime)
Diploma with ICT Major	No	6 years (anytime)

RPL Pathway: When You Don't Have an ICT Degree

The RPL pathway is mandatory for applicants whose qualifications have insufficient ICT content. ACS explicitly states that RPL does not assess tertiary qualifications-it evaluates your practical experience instead.

RPL Eligibility and Experience Requirements

Your Qualification	Experience Requirement
Non-ICT Diploma or higher	6 years of relevant IT experience
No tertiary qualification	8 years of relevant IT experience

Additional RPL requirements:

Most recent work experience must be active or within the last 2 years
Two detailed project reports (one from last 2 years, one from last 4 years)
Two forms of professional currency evidence (vendor certifications, conference attendance, GitHub activity)

WARNING

RPL project reports are the most common failure point. Generic descriptions or AI-generated content will result in rejection. Each report must map your skills to the ACS Core Body of Knowledge with specific technical details.

The "Deduction of Years" Explained: Skill Level Requirement Met Date

This is the most misunderstood concept in ACS assessment. What applicants call a "deduction" is actually the calculation of your Skill Level Requirement Met Date-the date from which ACS considers your employment to be "skilled."

The principle: ACS views the experience required to meet suitability criteria as a "learning period." Only experience after this period counts as skilled employment for migration purposes.

How the Met Date is Calculated

Your Skill Level Requirement Met Date is the later of:

Your qualification completion date, AND
The date you complete the required years of work experience

Worked Example (ICT Major, Closely Related):

Degree completed: 31 January 2018
Work experience: 1 February 2018 onwards (continuous)
Requirement: 2 years
Met Date calculation: 31 January 2018 + 2 years = 31 January 2020
Only experience after 31 January 2020 counts as skilled employment

Real Case Studies: Understanding the Impact

Case Study 1: The Engineering Convert (RPL Pathway)

Profile: Sarah holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (2014). She has worked as a Software Developer since January 2015 (11 years by 2026).

Assessment:

Degree contains only 2 IT units out of 32 (6.25%) → Non-ICT
Pathway: RPL (mandatory)
Experience requirement: 6 years

Met Date Calculation:

Start Date	+ Required Years	= Met Date
Jan 2015	+ 6 years	Jan 2021

Result:

Total experience: 11 years
Skilled employment (post-Met Date): 5 years (Jan 2021 - Jan 2026)
Points claimable: 10 points (5-8 years overseas employment)

Sarah "loses" 6 years of her career for points purposes, despite having 11 years of actual experience.

Case Study 2: The Business/IS Hybrid (General Skills)

Profile: James holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Information Systems) completed in 2018. His degree contains 8 IT units out of 24 (33%). He has worked as an ICT Business Analyst since January 2019 (7 years).

Assessment:

IT content: 33% → ICT Major
Units are in Database, Systems Analysis, e-Commerce → Closely Related to ICT Business Analyst
Pathway: General Skills
Experience requirement: 2 years

Met Date Calculation:

Start Date	+ Required Years	= Met Date
Jan 2019	+ 2 years	Jan 2021

Result:

Total experience: 7 years
Skilled employment (post-Met Date): 5 years (Jan 2021 - Jan 2026)
Points claimable: 10 points (5-8 years overseas employment)

James saves 4 years compared to the RPL pathway because his degree qualifies as ICT Major.

Case Study 3: The Self-Taught Expert with Certification

Profile: Michael has no degree but 10 years of experience as a Network Engineer. He holds a Cisco CCIE certification.

Without CCIE:

Qualification: None → 8-year requirement
Met Date: Start + 8 years
Skilled employment: 2 years
Points: 0 points (minimum 3 years required)

With CCIE (assessed as AQF Diploma equivalent):

Qualification: Diploma-equivalent → 5-year requirement
Met Date: Start + 5 years
Skilled employment: 5 years
Points: 10 points (5-8 years)

TIP

Vendor Certification Strategy: For applicants without degrees, obtaining a high-level certification (AWS Professional, Cisco CCNP/CCIE, Microsoft Expert) before applying can reduce the deduction from 8 years to 5-6 years-a significant difference for points.

Pathway Selection: Strategic Decision Matrix

Your Situation	Recommended Pathway	Rationale
Non-IT degree with IT electives (>22% IT content)	General Skills	May qualify as ICT Minor; similar deduction to RPL but avoids project reports
Non-IT degree with <22% IT content	RPL	General Skills will reject; RPL is mandatory
No degree + 6-7 years experience	Wait	Need 8 years minimum for RPL
No degree + vendor certification + 6 years	RPL	Certification may reduce requirement to 5-6 years
8+ years experience, non-IT degree	RPL	Sufficient experience to have skilled years post-deduction

Documentation Requirements

General Skills Must-Haves

Certified qualification transcripts and certificates
Employment reference letters (dates, duties, hours, location, signatory contact)
Payment evidence (tax records, bank statements, payslips)

RPL Must-Haves

Two project reports: One from last 2 years, one from last 4 years
Professional currency evidence: At least two forms (vendor certs, GitHub, conferences)
Employment reference letters with detailed duty descriptions
Statutory declarations only as last resort (company closed)

CAUTION

No amendments after submission. You cannot upload additional documents once your application is lodged. Ensure everything is complete before submitting.

Processing Times and Validity

Item	Timeframe
Standard processing	4-6 weeks (if decision-ready)
Holiday shutdown delays	Add 3-4 weeks (mid-Dec to early Jan)
Priority processing	10-15 business days (additional fee)
Assessment validity	24 months from outcome date
Appeal Level 1 fee	$516 AUD
Appeal Level 2 fee	$620 AUD

IMPORTANT

Your assessment expires after 24 months. If you don't lodge your visa within this window, you must reapply and pay the full fee again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can ACS tell me if I'll pass before I apply? No. ACS cannot provide pre-assessment advice due to the complexity of individual cases.

Can I add more experience after I submit? No. Include everything you want assessed at submission time.

Do I need an English test for ACS? No. English testing is a Department of Home Affairs requirement, not ACS.

Does ACS decide my migration points? No. ACS determines your suitability and Met Date. The Department of Home Affairs calculates your actual points.

What if my company has closed down? You may submit a statutory declaration from a former colleague, but this is a last resort. You must explain why a standard reference cannot be obtained and provide supporting evidence (contracts, termination letters).

How First Migration Can Help

Choosing the wrong pathway or miscalculating your Met Date can cost you years of claimable experience. At First Migration Service Centre, our registered migration agents specialise in skilled visa applications and can help you:

Analyse your transcript for ICT Major/Minor potential
Calculate your likely Met Date before you apply
Prepare compliant employment references and RPL project reports
Develop a strategic timeline using our points calculator

Ready to take the next step? We invite you to submit a free visa assessment so we can understand your situation and provide tailored advice.