A plain-English guide for L&D and compliance teams
SCORM vs xAPI, without the jargon
If you run compliance or corporate training, you'll hit two words fast: SCORM and xAPI. Here's what they actually mean for your reporting.
SCORM (1.2 / 2004)
The long-standing standard. It tracks completion, pass/fail and a score inside an LMS. It's well-supported by authoring tools (Articulate, Rise) and is usually enough for straightforward "did they finish and pass?" compliance.
xAPI (Tin Can)
The newer standard. It tracks granular statements — "learner X answered scenario Y", "watched video to 80%" — and can record learning that happens outside a traditional LMS, into a Learning Record Store (LRS). Better when you need detailed evidence or blended/off-platform learning.
Which should you use?
- Completion + score is enough: SCORM is simpler and cheaper to run.
- You need detailed evidence or off-LMS tracking: xAPI + an LRS.
- Not sure: author in a tool that can export both, and decide at reporting time.
We implement both — see SCORM / xAPI / Articulate integration and our Compliance LMS work, or get a free LMS audit.
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