What is SCORM?

SCORM is the technical standard that makes compliance training content portable. Instead of being locked into one vendor's format, a SCORM package works inside any platform that supports the standard — including Ethica.

The one-sentence version

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a set of technical specifications that define how e-learning content and delivery platforms communicate with each other.

In practical terms: if your training content is packaged as SCORM, you can upload it to any compatible platform and it will track whether employees completed it, how long they spent, and what score they achieved — without any custom development.

Where SCORM came from

SCORM was developed in the late 1990s by the U.S. Department of Defense's Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) initiative. The military needed a way to create training content once and run it across many different systems. The standard they produced became the most widely adopted format in corporate training worldwide.

What a SCORM package actually is

A SCORM package is a ZIP file. Inside that ZIP, you'll find:

• imsmanifest.xml — the "table of contents" that tells the delivery platform what's in the package and how to launch it
• HTML, JavaScript, and CSS files — the actual course content, which runs in a web browser
• Media assets — images, audio, video used in the course

Your employees never see the ZIP file. The delivery platform (like Ethica) extracts it, serves the HTML content in a browser, and handles communication between the course and the platform.

How SCORM tracks learner progress

SCORM packages communicate with the delivery platform using a standardized data model. When an employee completes a module or answers a quiz question, the course sends data back to the platform using fields like:

• cmi.completion_status — whether the learner completed the course
• cmi.score.raw — their score on a quiz
• cmi.session_time — how long they spent in the course
• cmi.suspend_data — a bookmark so they can resume where they left off

This is what allows compliance platforms to show you a completion report — the course itself is reporting back as the employee works through it.

SCORM versions: 1.2 and 2004

There are two versions of SCORM you'll commonly encounter: SCORM 1.2 (released in 2001) and SCORM 2004 (released in 2004, with several editions). Understanding the difference matters when you export your course from an authoring tool.

The short version: SCORM 2004 is recommended for modern training. It offers more detailed tracking, higher data limits (crucial for longer courses), and handles completion paths cleanly. SCORM 1.2 remains widely supported but is an older format. See our detailed comparison: SCORM 1.2 vs SCORM 2004.

What you need to deliver SCORM training

Two things:

1. An authoring tool to create and export the SCORM package — Articulate Storyline, Articulate Rise, iSpring, and Adobe Captivate are the most common
2. A delivery platform to host the package and send it to your team — traditional options are LMS platforms like Cornerstone or Workday Learning; lighter-weight options like Ethica deliver training directly to employees via email

Is SCORM right for your organization?

SCORM is a good fit if:

• You already have training content built in an authoring tool
• Your training vendor provides SCORM packages
• You need to track completion and quiz scores

You may not need SCORM if:

• Your requirement is a policy read-and-acknowledge (a PDF + digital sign-off is simpler)
• You're sharing static documents or videos without interactive quizzes

Ethica supports both SCORM packages and policy acknowledgments — so you can mix and match depending on the requirement.