Certification

Adoption of the SCORM Specification increases the interoperability and reusability of systems and content. ADL supports SCORM adoption on a variety of levels. The highest achievable level is that of SCORM Certification, which is a verification of compliance by an independent 3rd party. Having this validation gives consumers of distributed learning content and systems confidence in using products that implement the SCORM specification. All Certiftication is done through the Wisconsin Testing Organization . Currently, only SCORM Version 1.2 and SCORM 2004 3rd Edition are supported through Certification. SCORM 2004 4th Edition Certification is just around the corner.
Please explore the rest of the tabs to find out more information about SCORM Certification and Adoption.
**As a temporary fix to the SCORM Certified Products and SCORM Adopter forms and searchable databases, ADL has posted locked spreadsheets of the data until the forms return. Click the “Resources” tab to access these resources.
Research Summary
SCORM Certification Explained
Certification Is
- Independent 3rd party testing
- Provides consumers of distributed learning content and systems with the assurance that certified products have successfully implemented ADL SCORM specifications
Certification Is Not
- An endorsement by the ADL Initiative
- A guarantee that a product has been tested for defects in functionality
- A guarantee that the product’s content is instructionally sound
- The same as being a SCORM Adopter
The Wisconsin Testing Organization is the only current ADL Certification Testing Center.
Certification Vs. Compliance and Adoption
Many products claim to be SCORM-certified, a SCORM adopter, or SCORM conformant. Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) has specific terms and criteria regarding each of these levels of conformance:
SCORM Conformance – the only criteria for claiming SCORM conformance (to a specific version of SCORM, i.e. SCORM version 1.2) is to pass the corresponding test within the ADL Conformance Test Suite of the corresponding SCORM version. The Conformance Test Suite is a free download from ADLnet.gov. This test is done on the honor system and requires no ADL involvement.
SCORM Adopter – the next level up from being SCORM conformance is for a product to be a SCORM adopter. A product must be SCORM conformant before it can be considered to be a SCORM adopter. The logs that result from a passing test in the ADL Conformance Test Suite are submitted to ADL (see the SCORM Adopters page for more information) and if found to be correct, the product is labeled as a SCORM adopter in the SCORM Adopter Product List (for a particular version of SCORM).
SCORM Certification – The final level of SCORM conformance is SCORM certification. Certified products are those products that have been tested by ADL Certification Testing Centers to meet the requirements as described by the corresponding version of the SCORM Conformance requirements document and verified by the Conformance Test Suite (see the SCORM Certification page for more information). Once this process is completed, the product is SCORM Certified and is added to the SCORM Certified Product List. The product is also then compliant to SCORM Certification.
**As a temporary fix to the SCORM Certified Products and SCORM Adopter forms and searchable databases, ADL has posted locked spreadsheets of the data until the forms return. Click the “Resources” tab to access these resources.
Products that wish to become SCORM Adopters should start by Contacting Us.
Please go to the
Wisconsin Testing Center Website for all other materials related to SCORM Certification. Please do not distribute these spreadsheets if you download them. We will have the forms online soon.
Conformance? Compliance? What is the difference?
Conformance is the following of a functional requirement. The SCORM is a set of functional requirements, so if a product adheres to these requirements, it is conformant. Compliance is the following of a directive, law, or procedure. DoDI 1322.26 is a directive, so an organziation may comply with that directive. Certification is a procedure, a product would be compliant if Certified.
My SCORM Certified LMS is not running SCORM Certified content, what is the problem?
SCORM Certification only speaks to the compliance of the product to the SCORM Specification. There are areas outside the scope of SCORM that can impact whether or not a system and content can work together.
My organization wants to become a SCORM Certification Testing Center, can we?
As part of the SCORM 2004 4th Edition Certification Program, new SCORM Certification Testing Centers are welcomed. Please check back for updates on SCORM 2004 4th Edition Certification.
Why do the links for SCORM Adopters and SCORM Certified Products go to another site?
We are in the process of migrating some of our web capabilities. Sorry for any confusion this causes in the interim.
My question isn’t in this FAQ and I need an answer. How can I get help?