Create a SCORM File

You need two things to create a ready-to-use SCORM package:

1. A SCORM-capable authoring tool, where you structure and design your online course, add interactions, and define the completion criteria.
2. A compatible learning management system, where you provide the course to learners and record their progress or results.

During export, the authoring tool creates a ZIP file containing all required components. Upload this file to the LMS unchanged. Do not unzip the package or rename individual files beforehand, as this may break references within the package.

If you would first like to understand how the standard is structured and how SCORM communicates with an LMS, read our introductory article “SCORM Explained Simply.”

Many authoring tools let you choose between SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 when exporting. The right version depends primarily on your LMS and your reporting requirements.

SCORM 1.2 is widely used and supported by a large number of learning platforms. It is often sufficient for standard online courses that need to report progress, completion, and a basic test result.

SCORM 2004 provides a clearer distinction between completion and success status, among other features, and offers more advanced sequencing and navigation options. Before exporting, check whether and to what extent your LMS supports these features.

Do not automatically select the newer version. First, ask your LMS provider or consult the technical documentation to determine which SCORM version is recommended for your platform. If you produce courses for multiple learning platforms, test every relevant combination of SCORM version, export configuration, and LMS.

Do not start with the export format. Start with the learning task. What should participants know or be able to apply after the course? What prior knowledge do they have? And how will you determine whether the learning objective has been achieved?

A clearly defined learning objective helps you reduce content, select appropriate interactions, and set meaningful completion criteria.

Review existing presentations, PDFs, guides, videos, and documents. Divide the material into manageable chapters or learning modules. Reusable modules make future updates easier and can be used in additional courses.

Do not transfer existing materials without reviewing them. A presentation slide is not automatically an effective learning page. Shorten lengthy passages, add examples, and guide learners through the topic with a clear and logical flow.

Create the course structure in the authoring tool and combine text, images, videos, interactions, and questions. Pay attention to:

• clear navigation,
• short, easy-to-understand learning units,
• responsive display on different devices,
• accessible or accessibility-conscious design,
• clear feedback for exercises and tests,
• a consistent corporate design.

Modern authoring tools provide templates, reusable modules, and AI features to support this process. This means you do not have to program HTML or the SCORM interface yourself.

Before exporting, define when the course should be considered attempted, completed, or passed. Depending on the authoring tool and LMS, you may use criteria such as:

• all required pages have been viewed,
• a specified percentage of the course has been completed,
• a final test has been completed,
• a specified score has been achieved,
• an explicit completion action has been triggered.

Document this logic. This allows you to determine clearly during subsequent testing whether the LMS receives the correct status.

Select the SCORM version supported by the target LMS. Also check the course title, language, launch behavior, and, where available, settings for navigation, resizing, or result reporting.

Use a clear file name, for example, “workplace-safety-basics-v1.zip.” Consistent naming prevents confusion when multiple versions of a course are in circulation.

Start the export in the authoring tool. The result is usually a ZIP file containing the course files and a manifest file that allows the LMS to identify the package content and structure.

Upload the generated ZIP file directly to the LMS. Only unzip or modify the package if you fully understand how the change will affect the manifest, file paths, and communication with the LMS.

A technically valid package does not guarantee that the course will behave as intended in actual use. Clarify the following points in advance:

• Should the LMS store only the completion status or also a test result?
• What score is required to pass?
• Can learners reopen the course after completing it?
• Should the course resume at the last visited location?
• Are there required chapters or questions?
• Which language and course title should appear in the LMS?
• Should the course open in a new window or within the learning platform?

Available options vary by authoring tool and LMS. Document the configuration that has been tested successfully and use it as a standard for future courses.

Always test the course in the actual target LMS. A preview in the authoring tool verifies the instructional and visual presentation, but it does not test the complete communication with your learning platform.

Recommended Test Procedure

1. Upload the ZIP package to the LMS as a new test course.
2. Assign the course to a test account.
3. Launch it from a learner's perspective.
4. Complete only part of the course and then close the course window.
5. Open the course again and check whether it resumes at the expected location.
6. Complete the course with a passing result.
7. Check the completion status, score, and, where applicable, time spent in the LMS.
8. Repeat the test with a failing result and in a second browser or on another device.

For important or mandatory training, also test with different user roles and in an environment that closely reflects production. Document the SCORM version, export date, authoring tool version, LMS, and test result.

The ability to export a ZIP file is not enough on its own. What matters is how efficiently your team can produce high-quality learning content that remains easy to maintain over time.

Pay particular attention to:

• support for SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004,
• easy course creation without programming skills,
• responsive and accessible output,
• templates and interactive content elements,
• questions, tests, and configurable completion logic,
• collaboration, review, and approval,
• centralized content reuse,
• translation and variant management,
• controlled use of AI,
• additional publishing options such as xAPI or web links,
• traceable versions and reliable support.

A basic authoring tool may be sufficient if you only need to create a single course. As soon as multiple people, brands, target audiences, language versions, or regularly updated courses are involved, centralized content management and integrated processes become much more important.

Knowledgeworker Create supports SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004. You build the course in a web-based authoring environment and then publish courses or individual learning modules as SCORM packages for your LMS.

The authoring tool is particularly suitable for businesses that want to do more than export a SCORM file and need to organize the entire production process efficiently. Features include:

• AI-powered creation and revision of learning content,
• conversion and continued use of existing PDFs and PowerPoint files,
• responsive and accessible courses,
• collaborative creation, review, and approval,
• centralized content reuse,
• integrated translation and management of multilingual courses,
• publishing as SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, or xAPI.

This allows the LMS to remain responsible for assignments, learners, and records, while Knowledgeworker Create handles the creation, maintenance, and publication of your learning content.