xAPI vs SCORM: what's the difference?
SCORM packages a course to run in a browser and stores a small set of results, such as completion and score, inside the LMS that launched it. xAPI records detailed learning activity as statements in a Learning Record Store, in an open format other systems can query. cmi5 brings the two together with a standard LMS launch for xAPI courses.
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SCORM, xAPI and cmi5 compared
| Question | SCORM | xAPI | cmi5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A packaging and runtime standard for LMS content | A specification for recording learning experiences as statements | An xAPI profile that defines how an LMS launches and tracks xAPI courses |
| Where data is stored | Inside the LMS | In a Learning Record Store | In a Learning Record Store |
| Typical data in practice | Completion, pass or fail, score, time | Detailed interactions, decisions, media use, attempts | xAPI detail, plus standard launch, session and completion rules |
| Data portability | Tied to the LMS's own format | Open format, queryable through a standard API | Open format, queryable through a standard API |
| Launch | LMS only, in a browser | Any environment that provides the LRS details | Standardised LMS launch |
What each one records
What many SCORM courses report in practice
- Completion status
completed - Pass or fail
passed - Score
80 - Total time
00:42:10
SCORM can also record interactions, but they stay inside the LMS, in its format, and many LMSs don't report on them.
What an xAPI course can record
- Each lesson and section a learner opens, and when
experienced - Every answer, including the wrong option they picked
answered - Video and audio: plays, pauses, seeks, progress
played · seeked - Assessment attempts, scores and outcomes
passed · failed - Session start, duration and exit
initialized · terminated
The labels on the right are standard xAPI verbs, as a Learning Record Store shows them.
Which to choose
SCORM is still enough when
- Your LMS supports nothing else
- Completion and a score are all you need to report
- The course rarely changes
Choose xAPI and cmi5 when you want to
- Analyse what learners did, not just whether they completed
- Keep learning data in a Learning Record Store you control, independent of any one LMS
- Combine learning data with other business data
- Build on current standards rather than legacy ones
Moving from SCORM to xAPI
Check your LMS
Ask whether it supports cmi5, or xAPI launch links.
Choose an LRS
Use the one built into your LMS, or a stand-alone Learning Record Store.
Convert your courses
Import your SCORM packages as editable courses.
Export and deliver
Export cmi5 or xAPI packages and upload them to your LMS.
Still on a SCORM-only LMS? A SCORM-to-xAPI bridging service can wrap an xAPI course so a SCORM LMS can launch it, while the statements still go to your Learning Record Store. New to the standards? Start with what xAPI is.
Frequently asked questions
Is SCORM obsolete?
No. SCORM is still widely used and most LMSs support it. Its limits are what it records and where the data lives, which is why teams that need more detail choose xAPI and cmi5.
Can an xAPI course run in a SCORM LMS?
Not on its own. A SCORM-to-xAPI bridging service can wrap an xAPI course in a SCORM package so a SCORM LMS can launch it, while the xAPI statements go to your Learning Record Store.
Is xAPI harder to set up than SCORM?
It needs one more piece: a Learning Record Store to receive the statements. With cmi5, a supporting LMS provides the LRS connection at launch, so delivering a course works much like SCORM: upload the package and assign it.
Which should I use for a new course?
Choose cmi5 if your LMS supports it, for an LMS launch with xAPI tracking. Choose an xAPI package for launch links, portals and other environments that supply the LRS details. Choose SCORM only when your LMS supports nothing else and completion and score are all you need.
What is the difference between SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004?
SCORM 2004 added sequencing and navigation rules, and records more than SCORM 1.2, such as separate completion and success status. Both store their data inside the LMS.
Related pages
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