# Qualiopi Indicator 8: A Practical Guide to Learner Positioning Understand the scope of Qualiopi indicator 8 in France and use a trainer-led review to connect entry information with practical course adaptations. - Canonical URL: https://www.harmate.com/en/blog/qualiopi-and-diagnostic-assessment-from-administrative-burden-to-strategic-asset - Author: Harmate Team - Published: 2025-12-08 - Updated: 2026-10-19T22:58:31.341118+00:00 - Language: en ## Content # Qualiopi Indicator 8: A Practical Guide to Learner Positioning Qualiopi is France’s national quality certification for organizations delivering covered professional-development services. If you train outside France, the term may be unfamiliar; the process below concerns the French framework, not a general international accreditation rule. For training providers, indicator 8 addresses the procedures used to position learners and assess prior learning at the start of a service. The French Ministry of Labour’s [current Qualiopi reading guide](https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/referentiel-national-qualite-guide-de-lecture-qualiopi) lists its expected level and examples of evidence. The guide page currently links the January 2024 version, updated to account for subcontracting. Read the applicable indicator and audit context directly: this article is a practical explanation, not an audit opinion. ## What the entry assessment is for An entry assessment helps a trainer understand the starting point relevant to the planned course. It can draw on different information suited to the audience and service: prerequisites, a short task, prior experience, a learner’s stated objectives, or a conversation. A questionnaire is one possible method, not an automatic requirement or proof that a procedure is effective. Keep the distinction clear: - **Positioning:** gather relevant information about starting points and prior learning. - **Pedagogical response:** decide whether the course needs an adaptation and record what was actually changed. - **Evidence:** retain appropriate records under the provider’s own process and applicable rules. The goal is a traceable connection between what was learned at entry and the training choices that followed. A response sheet by itself does not show that an adaptation took place. ## A small example: an introductory spreadsheet course Suppose a course is designed for beginners, but participants report different levels of experience. Before the session, the trainer asks each person to complete a short formula task and name one task they hope to perform at work. The trainer reviews the task answers against the course objectives. If several learners already use the core formulas, the trainer might prepare an optional challenge. If some participants have not used a spreadsheet before, the trainer might add a guided first exercise. These are teaching choices based on the course and the evidence collected; they are not predictions about a learner’s motivation or likelihood of completing the course. A simple review note can capture: the information considered, the relevant course objective, the adaptation selected, and when the trainer will check whether it helped. If no change is needed, record the reason in the provider’s normal process rather than implying that every answer must trigger a different pathway. ## Ask questions that support a decision Before sending a questionnaire, decide what the trainer could do differently with the answers. Prefer a small set of questions tied to the learning activity: 1. Which task do you need to perform after this course? 2. What have you already tried that is related to it? 3. Which step would you like to practise first? Make the questions understandable, relevant, and proportionate. Explain how answers will be used, avoid collecting personal information that the trainer does not need, and provide another way to share context when the format creates a barrier. For a short entry form, see the [training placement questionnaire guide](/en/blog/training-placement-questionnaire-how-to-keep-it-short-without-losing-quality). It focuses on keeping the questions useful without turning the form into a broad profile. ## Review evidence before drawing conclusions Declared experience and a short task can inform a teaching decision, but each has limits. A learner may misunderstand a question, have had little chance to practise, or know a task in a different context. Compare information with the course objective and give the learner a way to clarify it. Do not use the answers to label people, infer a personality, or flag someone as likely to drop out. A trainer can ask a direct follow-up when a stated need appears outside the planned course or when a prerequisite is unclear. That conversation is a human review of a specific training question, not an automated risk score. ## Handling existing response files If a provider already has structured feedback, review the columns and source context before using it. Harmate’s [Response Import & Connectors workflow](/en/product/response-import) publicly describes bringing CSV, JSON, or XLSX responses into Harmate and reviewing their structure before analysis. Any imported data still needs a human decision about whether it is relevant to the course and appropriate for the planned use. A grouping proposal, when useful to an activity, is a separate optional choice. Harmate’s [automatic grouping page](/en/product/automatic-grouping) describes proposals based on defined criteria that trainers can adjust. Grouping does not establish compliance with Qualiopi or replace the trainer’s judgement about an individual learner’s needs. ## Close the loop After the session begins, check whether the adjustment was useful: could learners practise the intended task, and what remains difficult? Record a concrete observation and decide whether to keep, change, or remove the adaptation for the next session. This keeps entry assessment connected to teaching rather than treating the form as an end in itself. For Qualiopi questions, use the Ministry’s current guide and your certification context; for course design, use the learner evidence you can explain and review.