Validation of prior learning (VPL) is available across all sectors of education and training in Norway. Central education authorities and social partners have significantly contributed to the development of VPL, which began as a project from 1999 to 2002.

The Norwegian concept of prior learning (‘realkompetanse’) encompasses all formal, non-formal, and informal learning. This includes the totality of skills and knowledge individuals acquire through the education system, paid and unpaid work, organizational involvement, family life, and societal participation. National curricula from primary and secondary education, as well as study plans from vocational colleges and higher education institutions, serve as criteria for validation. Certification from VPL can lead to reduced study time within formal education or be used in the workforce as proof of formal competence. Adults entitled to primary or upper secondary education and training also have the right to VPL and a certificate of competence.

VPL in primary and upper secondary education, including vocational training (VET), is regulated by the Education Act (Section 18-8). The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training oversees laws and regulations related to VPL in primary and upper secondary education. In tertiary vocational education, validation for admission was introduced in the Act on Vocational Colleges in 2003, with the possibility of exemptions from parts of programs based on validation added in 2013.

Since 2001, adults lacking formal qualifications can have their prior learning assessed for admission to higher education. Higher education institutions are also authorized to grant exemptions from parts of study programs based on prior learning assessments.

VPL has been a political priority in Norway for many years. As part of the Competence Reform (1998–2003), skills centres for formal adult education were established in municipalities and counties to assess and document formal, non-formal, and informal skills using national curricula as validation criteria. These assessments combine dialogue-based methods with portfolio assessment, self-assessment, and possibly vocational testing. The Norwegian qualifications framework for lifelong learning (‘NKR’), established in 2011 and referenced to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in 2014, describes qualifications from the formal education system. By emphasizing learning outcomes, the framework supports the recognition of prior learning and credit transfer arrangements. While VPL does not directly place a person’s skills acquired through work or other activities into the Norwegian qualifications framework, it may do so indirectly as part of the requirements for obtaining a qualification within the education system.