The current ‘Working with Animals’ online module has been replaced with a new online education program published by the Australia and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animal in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) and endorsed by the UWA Animal Ethics Committees.

UWA requires successful completion of ComPass Animal Welfare Training - Phase 1 including a final quiz as a mandatory requirement prior to:

  • submitting a new application for Permission to Work with Animals (PWA)
  • submitting for renewal of Permission to Work with Animals.
  • Attending the Program for Animal Welfare, Ethics and Science (PAWES).

After successfully completing the final quiz with a pass mark of 80%, a completion certificate will be automatically generated. Email this certificate to UWA Animal Ethics Office ([email protected]). Please include 'Compass Completion' and your name in the email subject line.

Accessing ComPass Animal Welfare Training - Phase 1

Compass ANZCCART Competency Passport

This free online course covers all aspects of the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals in Research and Teaching, 8th Edition 2013 and the New Zealand Guide and includes important information about welfare issues relating to animal use in research and teaching, fulfilling the basic education requirements of researchers and teachers using animals.

Phase 1: Core Mandated Training Modules

  • Consists of 7 core modules and a final quiz.
  • Ethics, animal use and the legislation
  • The animal ethics committee and what they want
  • Research project and teaching activity planning
  • Animal wellbeing and the 3Rs
  • Unexpected adverse events and what to do
  • Are my animals well?
  • The end-of-life humane methods of killing
  • Final quiz

Course instructions

  • The course link (below) will take you to a landing page, containing a photograph of a fox.
  • Click on Enrol to initiate your registration and fill in the registration details. 
  • An email will be sent to you with access to the course, hosted by University of Adelaide on its Canvas Catalog learning management system.
  • You will see your name in the top right corner. Click on your name and select Canvas – this will take you to the Canvas Catalog course front page. 
  • Open the Course (click on the text below the fox image) in the Canvas system and you will find the list of Core modules.
  • Each module has to be opened and completed before you can progress to the next module and ultimately to the final quiz.
  • At the end of each module, you will need to press exit (button in the top right corner of the page).
  • Close the window and then click on the next module.
  • Repeat until you finish the 7 content modules and the final quiz.
  • After successfully completing the quiz with a pass mark of 80%, you will automatically generate a certificate proving that you have completed. Email this to the Animal Ethics Office ([email protected]) with ‘Compass Completion’ and your name in the email in the subject line.
  • Completion of the course should take about three to four hours.
  • ANZCCART Privacy Policy 

For additional help read ‘How to enrol in ComPass -Phase 1’