In this article, the author presents an assortment of approaches--building blocks--commonly used in Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) practices (this list is certainly not comprehensive): (1) course matching (comparing course requirements to a student's prior learning experiences); (2) student's ability to articulate learning gained from experiences; (3) academic acculturation (student's ability to exercise college level critical thinking and writing conventions); (4) PLA as a bridge between experience and academic learning; (5) PLA as a learning process (as opposed to mere assessment process); and (6) evaluators as translators of student's experiences into academic credits. If viewed individually, each approach seems to provide a solid foundation for PLA practices. Yet, if one considers these approaches interactively, as constituent cooperative pieces of one process, one will encounter a number of incompatible, even conflicting, combinations. Some of the combinations that may result are presented. (Contains 1 footnote.)