Frequently Asked Questions

Accredited Training

How does online training work?

Online training allows you to complete training at your own pace and at a time which suits you. Courses are made up of Units of Competency. You might be completing an entire course, or just one or two Units of Competency.

The Units of Competency are broken into sections to allow you to focus on one area of learning at a time, and to provide flexibility in completion of the course. Each section has information you must read, and at the end of each section there are questions you must answer. They may be multiple choice or written answers.

What is Nationally Accredited Training?

A National Training Package is a consistent and reliable set of nationally endorsed standards and qualifications for recognising and assessing people’s skills. A Training Package describes what skills and knowledge a person needs to perform effectively in the workplace without prescribing how they should be trained. Training Package qualifications are recognised throughout Australia regardless of where or how the qualification was gained.

What does competency based training mean?

Under the Competency Based Training system, individuals are assessed as Competent or Not Yet Competent. It is not a graded system as in schools or Higher Education, but is based on the achievement of competence in the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to be demonstrated in the workplace. More information is provided in the Student Handbook.

What are prerequisites?

Sometimes to complete a Unit of Competency, you must have already completed prior training. These are known as prerequisites. Details on any prerequisites for courses are outlined in the Course Information.

How long does the certification last?

Certifications last usually for the period of two training package upgrades, however, in the case of courses such as Occupational Health and Safety official organisations recommend training be refreshed every 12 months to maintain currency and top of mind understanding.

Conducting Online Training

How long does each unit of competency take?

Units of Competency are broken into sections which usually take between 20 and 40 minutes each. The total time required will depend on the number of sections. The Course information will provide you with a high end indication of how long a Unit of Competency will take. We usually provide an estimate of how long most participants take to complete the Unit of Competency. You should take your time to ensure you understand the information which is being provided and assessed.

What happens if I get interrupted while doing my training?

Units of Competency are broken into sections which you review a section at a time and answer questions at the end. You must complete each section in one sitting, so try to allow at least 20 to 40 minutes to complete each section in an environment where you know you will not be interrupted and can focus on your study. If you end a session prior to completing and submitting the questions, you will need to repeat the section.

How am I assessed as being Competent or Not Yet Competent?

There are two assessment types:

Multiple choice: Questions where you select the most correct answer from a number of selections

Integrated Assessment: This assessment may provide real life scenarios or ask you to interpret a scenario based on what you have learned in the training. You will effectively be putting what you have learned into practice. This assessment will generally involve a written response.

How many questions can I get wrong?

In the case of multiple choice questions if answers to any of the questions are incorrect the first time this question will be reset and you will have another opportunity to answer each set of questions again. If your answer/s are incorrect this time a prompt will be sent to contact the support desk and your questions will be reset. Please note resetting generally will only take place during office hours 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday so you may need to wait for your training to be reset. All the information required to answer the questions correctly is provided in the course, please revise the course material before attempting to answer the questions again. The number of times you answer questions incorrectly is taken into consideration by a qualified assessor when determining your competency. Contact us via email if you are having difficulty with understanding any of the course content when you go back to review the course material. The set up of the answers will be adjusted on each occasion that you get multiple choice question incorrect and need to try again.

The other type of assessment is an integrated assessment which will require you to prepare information in a written format. This must be submitted and is assessed by a qualified person to a set benchmark. If you have concerns regarding preparing written materials please contact us.

If your integrated assessment does not meet the required benchmark the first time etrainu will provide you with some feedback and you will be provided with another opportunity to submit your integrated assessment. If your response does not meet the benchmark on the second occasion you may be found to be Not-Yet Competent and may be required to start the training again, including purchasing a new course. If you do not answer all the questions correctly you may still be found to be competent, but it will be up to the assessor to gauge your level of understanding and whether you are Competent.

Can I fail course?

You don’t “fail” a course in competency based training, you are found to be Not Yet Competent. If you are having problems understanding aspects of the course or have Language Literacy and Numeracy or other barriers which are making completing the course difficult, then you should contact us.

You will be provided with feedback verbally or in writing regarding what areas you need to address to become Competent.

Will I have to redo the course if I am found to be Not Yet Competent?

Yes you will and you will generally have to pay to do the course again. You are provided with opportunities to reference the course content while completing the assessments and online support also is provided by etrainu if you are having difficulties. Our online trainers and assessors are here to help you, so please utilise their assistance in helping you with anything you don't understand along the way. You should ensure you fully understand the course content prior to completion of the assessments. Refer to the FAQ “How many questions can I get wrong?”

If you do not answer all the questions correctly you may still be found to be competent, but it will be up to the assessor to gauge your level of understanding and whether you are Competent.

What if I have problems with reading and writing?

etrainu provides support for participants who require assistance with Language Literacy and/or Numeracy. Simply email us at etrainu Support for assistance. You are still able to complete the course online, but we will talk through how we can assist and support you in doing so. Refer to the Student Handbook for more information.

Where can I find further information?

The student handbook contains a range of information about training with etrainu and also other useful websites. You do not have to commence your training to review the Participant Handbook. If you have enrolled and have your access code you can log in now and review the information in the Participant Handbook.

Technical Questions

What operating system and set up do I need to run etrainu?

Any operating system is suitable to use with etrainu. etrainu supports major browsers, but cannot guarantee the presentation of the site in all situations.