Video lets a learner show a practical skill without an assessor standing beside them. It can save travel, capture a task in a real workplace and give the assessor something to review more than once. It also brings questions about when it is enough on its own, who appears in the recording and where the file is kept. When recorded video may not be enough ASQA's Assessment Practice Guide, written against the 2025 Standards for RTOs, lists as a known risk using recorded video as the basis for assessment judgements in place of live video technology where direct observation is required. Where a unit or the assessment conditions call for direct observation, plan for the assessor to watch the task live, in person or by video call, rather than relying on a recording made earlier. The same guide suggests combining recordings with other evidence, such as assessor questioning, workplace documents or supervisor observations. A short recording on its own rarely shows sufficient evidence for a whole unit. 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. Consent and privacy ASQA's guide says that where recordings involve real clients, patients or other people, providers should protect privacy and dignity by getting informed consent, explaining how the recording will be used and stored, limiting access and storing records securely. It suggests simulations or case studies where privacy risks cannot be managed. Privacy obligations depend on the organisation. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner publishes the Australian Privacy Principles and guidance on which organisations they cover. Check your RTO's own privacy policy and, if unsure, get advice rather than assuming. Points to plan for: consent from the learner and from anyone else who appears the employer's permission to record on their site what happens if someone in the shot withdraws consent tasks that should not be filmed at all, such as personal care or confidential client information Authenticity The assessor needs to be confident the person in the video is the learner and the work is their own. Simple steps help: the learner states their name and the task at the start, the recording is continuous, and the assessor follows up with questions about what was done and why. Edited clips make authenticity harder to judge, so say in the instructions whether editing is allowed. Practical instructions for learners Good instructions save resubmissions. Tell learners: what must be visible in the frame, such as hands, equipment or the finished product how long the recording should be and whether it can be paused the file format and how to upload it how to label the file what to do if the upload fails Storage and records Decide where recordings will be stored, who can view them, how long they are kept and how they are deleted. Large files fill shared drives quickly, so plan this before the first submission. In the assessment tool A tool that allows video evidence should say which tasks can be recorded, which need live observation, what the assessor looks for in the recording and which follow-up questions to ask. You can browse assessment kits and adapt the instructions to your own delivery and privacy arrangements.
