SCORM 1.2 vs SCORM 2004
The practical differences between SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004, and how to decide which version to export for your LMS.
Should I export my course as SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004?
Use the version your LMS recommends. If it accepts both and you're unsure, SCORM 1.2 is the most widely supported and works for most courses. Choose SCORM 2004 when you need completion and pass/fail reported separately, or when learners need to resume long courses with a lot of saved progress.
What is SCORM?
SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a set of technical standards that lets e-learning content run inside a learning management system (LMS) and report back to it. A SCORM package is a ZIP file containing the course and a manifest that tells the LMS how to launch it. Once it's running, the course sends data such as progress, completion, score and time spent to the LMS.
The two versions in common use are SCORM 1.2, released in 2001, and SCORM 2004, which was published in several editions. The 3rd Edition (2006) and 4th Edition (2009) are the ones most LMSs support today.
What's the difference between SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004?
| Area | SCORM 1.2 | SCORM 2004 (3rd and 4th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Completion and pass/fail | One combined status field. A course reports a single value: passed, failed, completed, incomplete, browsed or not attempted. | Two separate fields. Completion status (completed, incomplete) and success status (passed, failed) are reported independently. |
| Saved progress (suspend data) | Up to 4,096 characters | Up to 64,000 characters |
| Scores | Raw score, with optional minimum and maximum | Raw score plus a scaled score between -1 and 1 |
| Sequencing and navigation | Not included. The LMS controls the order content is launched in. | Optional rules that control the order learners move through content, and what they must complete before moving on |
| LMS support | Supported by almost every LMS | Supported by most modern LMSs, sometimes for specific editions only |
Why does separate completion and success status matter?
With SCORM 1.2, a learner who reaches the end of a course but fails the quiz has to be reported as either "completed" or "failed", because there's only one field. SCORM 2004 can report both: the course was completed, and the quiz was failed. If your LMS reports on completion and assessment results separately, for example for compliance training, SCORM 2004 gives a more accurate record.
Why does suspend data size matter?
Suspend data is where a course stores what a learner has done so they can pick up where they left off. On long courses with many screens or questions, the 4,096 character limit in SCORM 1.2 can fill up, and some progress may not be saved. SCORM 2004 has far more room.
How do I choose a version?
- Check your LMS first. Most LMSs document which SCORM versions and editions they support, and some recommend one. That recommendation is the most reliable guide.
- Choose SCORM 1.2 when you need the widest compatibility, when you're sending a package to an LMS you don't control, or when the course is short.
- Choose SCORM 2004 when you need completion and pass/fail reported separately, when the course is long enough that saved progress matters, or when your LMS asks for it.
- Test before you roll out. Upload the package, take the course as a learner, and confirm the LMS records the completion and score you expect.
How do I export a SCORM package from Coassemble?
Coassemble exports courses as SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004.
- Open the Share dialog from a course card or the top of the course editor.
- Select the Export SCORM tab.
- Choose the format: SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004.
- Choose the type. Dynamic is the standard option.
- Set where the package is allowed to run, then select Export SCORM file to download the ZIP and upload it to your LMS.
A dynamic package keeps a live connection to Coassemble, so edits you publish in Coassemble reach learners in your LMS without re-exporting or re-uploading. Quiz results roll up to the course level and are reported to the LMS as a success status.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch versions after uploading a package to my LMS?
Yes, but it's a new package. Export the course again in the other version and replace the package in your LMS. Learner records from the old package usually stay attached to it in the LMS, so check how your LMS handles replacing content before you switch a course people are part way through.
Is SCORM 2004 always better than SCORM 1.2?
No. SCORM 2004 reports more detail and saves more progress, but SCORM 1.2 is supported more widely and is simpler for an LMS to handle. For a short course in an LMS that supports both, either works.
Can I upload SCORM 2004 packages to Coassemble?
Yes. You can upload SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 (3rd and 4th Edition) packages to Coassemble, either to host them as they are or to convert them into editable courses. Packages that use SCORM 2004 sequencing rules, such as activity trees, rollup rules or global objectives, are rejected at upload with the reason given rather than played incorrectly.