SCORM Content

Who this guide is for: Tenant administrators who upload and manage eLearning content packages in EmbayLMS.

Overview

SCORM is the most widely used format for eLearning content. It packages an interactive course — videos, slides, quizzes, and more — into a single .zip file that any SCORM-compatible LMS can run. EmbayLMS supports SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 (all editions), xAPI (Tin Can), and cmi5. You do not need to understand the technical details to upload and manage content — this guide walks you through every step.

Prerequisites

• Tenant Admin or Instructor role
• A valid SCORM package in .zip format (exported from an authoring tool such as Articulate Storyline, Rise, Adobe Captivate, or iSpring)

1 — What Is SCORM? (Plain Language)

When a subject matter expert creates an eLearning course using an authoring tool, they export it as a SCORM package — a .zip file containing all the course files and a manifest that tells the LMS how to launch the course and record what the learner does (completion, score, time spent).

EmbayLMS acts as the SCORM runtime. When a learner opens a SCORM course:

1. EmbayLMS launches the course in a sandboxed frame.
2. The course communicates completion, score, and progress back to EmbayLMS in real time.
3. EmbayLMS stores this data and marks the course complete when the right conditions are met.

SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 are the two common versions. Both are supported. Your authoring tool will specify which version it exported.

2 — Uploading a SCORM Package

1. Navigate to Admin Panel → Courses → [course name] → Modules.
2. Open the module where you want to add SCORM content, or click Add module.
3. Click Add content → SCORM / xAPI package.
4. Click Upload package and select your .zip file (maximum size: 500 MB).
5. EmbayLMS validates the package (see §3 for what is checked and common errors).
6. Once validation passes, the package is uploaded and a preview thumbnail is generated.
7. Configure the completion settings (see §4).
8. Click Save.

The package is stored on AWS S3 and delivered via CloudFront. Learners stream the content — they do not download the .zip.

Supported versions: SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 (1st–4th edition), xAPI (Tin Can), cmi5.

3 — Upload Validation

EmbayLMS checks every package before saving it. Validation typically takes 10–30 seconds for packages under 100 MB and up to 2 minutes for larger packages.

What is checked

Common validation errors and fixes

4 — SCORM Completion Settings

Once a package is uploaded, configure how EmbayLMS determines when the learner has completed the module.

4.1 SCORM 1.2 completion

SCORM 1.2 uses the cmi.core.lesson_status data element. EmbayLMS considers the module complete when this value is set by the course to one of the following (configurable):

To configure:

1. Open Admin Panel → Courses → [course] → Modules → [module] → Settings.
2. Under Completion trigger, select the desired option.
3. Click Save.

4.2 SCORM 2004 completion

SCORM 2004 uses two separate elements:

• cmi.completion_status — tracks whether the learner has finished the content (completed / incomplete).
• cmi.success_status — tracks whether the learner passed (passed / failed / unknown).

EmbayLMS lets you configure the combination that counts as complete:

4.3 Score threshold (optional)

If your course reports a score, you can set a minimum passing score. Learners who score below the threshold will not be marked complete even if the SCORM lesson_status says passed.

1. Open Module Settings → Completion.
2. Enable Minimum score and enter the threshold (e.g., 80 for 80%).
3. Click Save.

5 — Suspend Data and Resumption

No configuration is required. EmbayLMS automatically saves a learner’s position in a SCORM course after every SCORM commit event.

• When a learner closes the course and returns later, EmbayLMS restores their exact position, quiz progress, and any saved state using cmi.suspend_data.
• This applies to SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004.
• Resume works across devices — a learner can start on their desktop and continue on a mobile device.

Note for admins: If a learner reports losing their progress, check whether their browser blocked cookies or whether the session timed out before the course could commit. See §8 for troubleshooting.

6 — xAPI and cmi5 Content

xAPI (also called Tin Can) and cmi5 content packages are uploaded using the same workflow as SCORM.

1. Navigate to Admin Panel → Courses → [course] → Modules → Add content → SCORM / xAPI package.
2. Upload the .zip file. EmbayLMS detects whether the package is xAPI (tincan.xml) or cmi5 (cmi5.xml) automatically.
3. xAPI statements are sent to EmbayLMS’s built-in LRS (Learning Record Store).
4. Completion is determined by the cmi5.defined.completed and cmi5.defined.passed xAPI verbs (cmi5) or by a custom completion verb configuration (xAPI).

For complex xAPI reporting needs or integration with an external LRS, contact EmbayLMS support.

7 — Content Versioning

When a course needs to be updated (regulatory content refreshed, branding changed, bugs fixed), you can upload a new version of the SCORM package without losing existing learner records.

7.1 Upload a new version

1. Navigate to Admin Panel → Courses → [course] → Modules → [module].
2. Click Content → Replace package.
3. Upload the new .zip file.
4. EmbayLMS validates the new package (same checks as initial upload).
5. Choose a version strategy:

6. Click Save.

7.2 What happens to in-progress learners

7.3 View version history

Navigate to Admin Panel → Courses → [course] → Modules → [module] → Version history to see all versions, the upload date, who uploaded each version, and how many learners are on each version.

8 — Troubleshooting

Content does not launch (blank screen or loading spinner)

1. Check that the learner’s browser is not blocking pop-ups — SCORM content launches in a new window or tab. The learner should allow pop-ups for your EmbayLMS domain.
2. Confirm the package is valid by re-running validation (Module → Content → Re-validate package).
3. Try the Test launch button in the module editor to launch the content as an admin and check for console errors.
4. If the package uses Flash (very old SCORM 1.2 content) — Flash is no longer supported in modern browsers. The content must be re-exported from the authoring tool in HTML5.

Content launches but completion is not recording

1. Confirm the Completion trigger is set correctly (see §4). A mismatch between what the course reports and what EmbayLMS is listening for is the most common cause.
2. Confirm the learner is completing the full course — some authoring tools only set lesson_status = completed on the final slide.
3. Check the SCORM debug log: Admin Panel → Courses → [course] → [learner’s name] → SCORM session log. This shows every value the course sent, including lesson_status and completion_status, and the timestamp of each commit.
4. If the course reports failed and your completion trigger requires passed, the learner must pass a quiz embedded in the content before the module will mark complete.

Learner lost their progress after returning to the course

1. Check the SCORM session log for a suspend_data entry. If none exists, the course did not save state on exit (some older courses only commit on LMSFinish).
2. Confirm the learner’s browser allows cookies for the EmbayLMS domain. Blocked cookies prevent session state from being stored.
3. If the course author did not implement cmi.suspend_data, position cannot be restored — this is a limitation of the source content, not EmbayLMS.

Upload validation fails — “Manifest not found”

The .zip file likely has an extra top-level folder wrapping all content. When you unzip the file, the imsmanifest.xml should be immediately visible — not inside a subfolder. Re-export from your authoring tool or manually re-zip selecting the contents of the folder (not the folder itself).

Configuration Reference

Related Guides

• Course Management
• Learning Paths
• Reports & Compliance