Policy Acknowledgment vs. SCORM Training: When to Use Each

Not every compliance requirement needs an interactive, 45-minute e-learning course. Sometimes, a simple document and a signature is all you need. Here's how to choose the right format for your next training rollout.

The core difference

When you assign compliance training, you are generally doing one of two things: asking employees to agree to a set of rules (passive), or teaching them a skill they must demonstrate (active).

• Policy Acknowledgment (Passive): You provide a document (PDF, link) and the employee signs a digital statement saying "I have read and understood this policy."
• SCORM Training (Active): You provide an interactive course. The employee must navigate slides, watch videos, and pass a quiz to prove they absorbed the material. (Learn more about SCORM)

When to use Policy Acknowledgment

Use a simple document sign-off when the primary goal is establishing a paper trail that the employee was informed of the rules.

Common use cases:

• Employee Handbook updates
• Code of Conduct agreements
• Remote Work or Equipment policies
• Data Privacy notices (like GDPR statements for internal staff)

Why it's better here: It respects your employees' time. Reading a 3-page policy takes five minutes. Forcing them to click through a poorly-built 30-slide presentation that just reads the policy aloud is frustrating and doesn't improve compliance.

When to use SCORM Training

Use interactive SCORM courses when the requirement involves nuance, scenario-based judgment, or a legal mandate that requires demonstrating competence via a quiz.

Common use cases:

• Harassment Prevention (often legally required to be interactive depending on your state)
• Cybersecurity & Phishing awareness (where identifying threats requires practice)
• OSHA or physical safety protocols
• Complex regulatory training (HIPAA, FINRA, SOC2)

Why it's better here: A PDF isn't enough to teach someone how to spot a sophisticated phishing email or navigate a hostile work environment scenario. SCORM allows you to build scenarios, test knowledge, and track exactly how long the employee spent in the material.

What auditors look for

In the event of an audit or legal dispute, your records need to defend your organization.

• For a policy, the auditor wants to see the exact version of the document the employee saw, the date they signed it, and a cryptographic or undeniably tied digital signature.
• For a course, the auditor wants the completion date, the time spent (some states require exactly 2 hours for harassment training), and often the passing quiz score.

See: What records to keep for employee compliance training.

Can you use both?

Absolutely. The most mature compliance programs use a mix of both.

For example, a new hire might complete a 45-minute interactive SCORM course on Harassment Prevention, and then separately sign a 1-page PDF acknowledging the company's specific reporting procedures.

Build your program in Ethica
Ethica supports both formats natively. You can upload a SCORM package for your heavy training, upload a PDF policy for simple sign-offs, and assign them both to your team from the same dashboard. Start your free trial today.