About RAC

Recognition of Acquired Competencies (RAC) is a service that allows individuals to gain academic credit for skills and knowledge they have acquired through past personal or workplace experience. Our department offers RAC services for several Attestation d’études collégiales (AEC) and Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) programs, both of which are recognized by the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur. RAC services are most often provided online and on an evening and weekend format to make them easily accessible.

Please note that, although our staff is bilingual and can assist you in the official language of your choice, all our RAC programs are offered in English.

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The RAC Process

1. Attend the Info Session

If you believe that you have skills and knowledge that are comparable to those listed in the competencies of one of the programs for which RAC services are offered at Champlain, please sign-up for an info-session to find out if RAC is the right option for you.

In our sign-up form, you may also choose to request a personalized assessment of your CV. One of our RAC advisors will then help you determine if the RAC process is right for you.

2. Apply to be Admitted to the College

After attending the info session, you will need to officially register as a candidate with the College and bring the necessary documents for your admission to the RAC process. A list of required documents is available on each service’s page, in the “Preparing your Application” section.

Important: To ensure the confidentiality of your documents, we strongly recommend that they are either sent to us by mail, uploaded via Omnivox, or dropped off in person. E-mail is an insecure medium that should NOT be used for sensitive documents. Should you use e-mail or another medium that hasn’t been mentioned here, you are taking responsibility for the risks introduced.

3. Apply to be Admitted to the RAC Process

Once admitted to the College, a RAC Advisor will review your file and analyze all your documents. If your experience is considered sufficient, your application for RAC will be accepted. Afterwards, you will be contacted by a RAC Advisor who will request that you complete the self-assessment forms.

4. Attend a Validation Interview

Once you have completed the self-assessment forms, a content specialist will review your forms. Afterwards, you will be asked to attend a validation interview during which the content specialist will review the self-assessment forms with you. During this interview, the specialist will make recommendations for each competency (ex: evaluation, partial training, attend a complete course).

5. Evaluation

For your evaluations, you will be required to provide proof of your skills and knowledge (certificates, job description, employer letter, video, etc.) for each program competency. You will also need to complete evaluation activities or participate in an interview to earn recognition for the competencies. In preparation for evaluations, you will have the option to:

  • Attend one of our seminars on a specific topic;
  • Consult our free online resources;
  • Attend group activities;
  • Receive one-on-one training from one of our experts (in cases of re-evaluation).

You will also have access to the College’s RAC website and to availability time of a content specialist. Upon request, you may also receive small group or individual training.

6. Graduation

Once you have successfully completed all of the evaluations, you will receive your AEC or DEC.

FAQs

How many years of work experience do I need to be admitted?

There is no set number of years of experience required to be admitted to the RAC process. What counts is what you know, not how you’ve acquired it nor how long it took you to acquire it. When considering an application, we analyze your overall experience: we consider any significant experience you may have had in the field, your education and training, and your life experience.

Does my volunteer work count as work experience?

Yes.

For the RAC process, it is not important where or how you’ve acquired your competencies: work experience, volunteer work, self-study, non-formal training, mentorship, volunteer activities and hobbies are all considered as long as you can prove that you have performed them.

Do I need a high school degree to be admitted to the RAC process?

No.

Some people who have not completed high school may be admissible to the RAC process. If you have not completed high school, but have significant experience in a field of study linked to one of our AECs or DECs, contact one of our advisors to see if you could be eligible for the RAC process.

Do I need to have an evaluation comparative from the MIDI (Ministre de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion) in order to be admissible to RAC?

No.

A RAC Advisor will analyze your file and let you know whether your evaluation comparative will be required or not.