Every course makes demands on reading, writing, speaking, listening and working with numbers. Many now add digital tasks such as logging into a learning platform or submitting work online. A learner who is skilled in their trade can still struggle if those demands are higher than their current skills. Finding that out before enrolment gives both the learner and the RTO a chance to plan. Why the check matters ASQA's Training Support Practice Guide, written against the 2025 Standards for RTOs, lists language, literacy and numeracy support among the training support services an RTO may make available. It names not conducting pre-enrolment checks to understand individual learner needs as a known risk. A check is how an RTO finds out what support a learner might need and whether the course is a sensible choice for them now. ASQA's practice guides are written for RTOs that ASQA regulates. RTOs regulated by VRQA in Victoria or TAC in Western Australia should also check their own regulator's requirements. A common reference point The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), published by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, describes performance in five core skills: learning, reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy. It describes each across five levels of performance. Many check tools report results against the ACSF, which gives trainers a shared way to talk about where a learner is and what a course will ask of them. What a good check covers The course's real demands. Tasks should reflect the reading, writing and maths the course and the job require, not a general school style test. Each core skill. Reading a workplace document, writing a short message or report, following spoken instructions, and working with measurements, money or time as the industry needs. Digital tasks. Where the course is delivered online, simple tasks such as opening a file, typing a response or uploading a photo show whether the learner can manage the platform. Clear marking. A guide that tells the person marking the check what each level of response looks like, so results are consistent. Respectful design. Plain instructions, adult content and an explanation of why the check is being done and how the results will be used. When gaps show up A gap is not a reason in itself to turn someone away. Options include: adding language, literacy or numeracy support alongside the course adjusting how training is delivered, such as extra time, spoken instructions or worked examples suggesting a foundation skills course first recommending a different qualification level that better suits the learner now Record the result, the decision and the support offered, and tell the learner what support is available and how to access it. Using the results in training The check is most useful when trainers see it. A trainer who knows a learner reads slowly can give documents ahead of a session. One who knows a learner is new to online platforms can walk them through the first upload. Results can also show whether learner guides and assessment instructions are pitched at the right reading level for the group. Choosing a check tool Look for a tool matched to the qualification and its level, with a marking guide, clear instructions for the person running it, and editable files so you can add your own context. You can browse LLND kits by qualification and read each product page for what is included.
