Export SCORM 1.2 unless your LMS supports SCORM 2004 3rd or 4th Edition and the course needs something 1.2 cannot do. SCORM 1.2 is the most widely adopted eLearning standard and tracks what SCORM.com calls the "Big 4": completion, score, duration and satisfaction1. SCORM 2004 earns its place in 4 cases: resume data beyond 1.2's 4,096 characters (64,000 in 3rd and 4th Edition), separate completion and pass statuses, fuller question data, or sequencing between SCOs (sharable content objects, the separately tracked pieces of a course)12.

Check 2 things before you pick 2004. Core Moodle does not support it3, and SCORM 2004 2nd Edition allows 4,000 characters of resume data, fewer than SCORM 1.24. ADL, which created SCORM, now recommends xAPI and cmi5 for new e-learning acquisitions and says SCORM is still in wide use5.

What is the difference between SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004?

SCORM 2004 splits the learner's status into 2 fields, holds more resume data in 3rd and 4th Edition, records fuller interaction data and adds sequencing between SCOs. SCORM 1.2 is simpler: SCORM.com calls it "the easiest to implement and start tracking the 'Big 4'"12.

WhatSCORM 1.2SCORM 2004Source
ReleasedOctober 20012nd Edition July 2004, 3rd Edition October 2006, 4th Edition March 2009SCORM.com versions6; ADL5
AdoptionThe most widely adopted eLearning standard3rd and 4th Editions have "significant adoption rates"; 3rd is the most widely used 2004 editionSCORM.com16
Status tracking1 field, cmi.core.lesson_status: passed, completed, failed, incomplete, browsed, not attempted2 fields: cmi.completion_status (completed, incomplete, not attempted, unknown) and cmi.success_status (passed, failed, unknown)Run-time reference2
Resume (suspend) data4,096 characters4,000 in 2nd Edition; 64,000 in 3rd and 4thRun-time reference2; Articulate4
Bookmark fieldcmi.core.lesson_location, 255 characterscmi.location, 1,000 charactersRun-time reference2
Interaction dataVery limited capability for interaction details; the learner's response is write onlyFull question and answer text, and objectives; the response can be read backSCORM.com1; run-time reference2
Rollup to the summaryHandled by the LMSSignaled by the courseSCORM.com1
Sequencing between SCOsNoneThe Sequencing and Navigation bookSCORM.com67
Core MoodleSupported since Moodle 2.1Not supportedMoodle Docs3
Storyline 360 exportYes2nd, 3rd and 4th EditionArticulate8; Rustici9
Pick it whenYour LMS takes nothing else, or the course fits 1 status field and 4,096 charactersYour LMS lists 3rd or 4th Edition and the course needs one of the 4 cases aboveThe rows above

If your learner finishes the course and fails its quiz, you need 2 values to report that. cmi.core.lesson_status holds one at a time; SCORM 2004 has a field for each2.

Which is newer, SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004?

SCORM 2004 is newer. SCORM 1.2 came out in October 2001, and the most recent release is SCORM 2004 4th Edition, from March 200965.

Before its release, SCORM 2004 was called SCORM 1.3, a name "no longer in official use"6. Skip anything labeled 2004 "1st Edition": SCORM.com says it "isn’t deployed or usable"6.

Newer has not meant more used. SCORM.com still calls SCORM 1.2 "the industry workhorse"6. ADL has moved past both: on its page archived 13 December 2025, it "now recommends xAPI and cmi5 solutions for new e-learning acquisitions and implementations", alongside the Defense Department's instruction DoDI 1322.265.

Which SCORM 2004 edition should you pick?

Pick 3rd or 4th Edition, whichever your LMS lists in writing. If resume room is your reason for 2004, avoid 2nd Edition: it allows 4,000 characters, against 4,096 in SCORM 1.242. Storyline 360 asks for the edition as its own step: "For SCORM 2004, you’ll need to choose the Edition"9.

The later editions mostly changed sequencing6, though the resume data limit also rose from 4,000 to 64,000 characters between 2nd and 3rd Edition24. 3rd Edition (October 2006) added user interface requirements for LMSs, so sequencing and navigation work the same way across systems6. 4th Edition (March 2009) "contains further disambiguation of the sequencing specification and also adds a few new features"6, among them Completion Threshold Controls, which track completion percentage7.

SCORM.com says 3rd is "the most widely used" 2004 edition and recommends adopting 4th6; ADL points anyone who must use SCORM to 4th5. If your LMS says "SCORM 2004" and names no edition, ask its administrator: no source read for this page says how an LMS handles an edition it does not list.

Does the 4,096-character resume limit matter for your course?

The resume limit matters only if your course stores more resume data than your SCORM version allows and your LMS enforces that limit4. Suspend data "Provides space to store and retrieve data between learner sessions"2; in a Storyline course it is how the learner comes back to the same place4.

For SCORM 1.2, the maximum suspend data size is defined at 4096 characters. Some authoring tools like to use that bucket to store things like bookmarking and interactions. If you have a big course, you are going to run out of space quickly. SCORM 2004 is set at 64000 characters.

SCORM.com (Rustici Software), "The difference between SCORM 1.2 vs. SCORM 2004"1

The same page puts an asterisk on the 64,000: "Only use SCORM 2004 3rd and 4th Editions for this."1

For Storyline users, Articulate says suspend data is compressed, so "you probably won't exceed the threshold, even if your LMS imposes one", and adds that "Many LMSs don't enforce limits on the suspend data"4. Other authoring tools were not checked for this page; ask yours whether it compresses.

The bookmark has its own field, 255 characters in 1.2 and 1,000 in 20042, though some tools keep it in suspend data anyway, as the quote says1.

If your course does run out, Articulate lists 3 fixes: disable the resume feature, cut slides until resume works, or republish for SCORM 2004 3rd or 4th Edition4. Only the third keeps every slide and the resume feature, and it needs an LMS that lists 3rd or 4th Edition.

Is SCORM 2004 better for reporting?

Yes, if your report needs completion and pass as separate facts, or the learner's answers. SCORM 1.2's single cmi.core.lesson_status "Indicates whether the learner has completed and satisfied the requirements for the SCO"2. SCORM 2004 splits it into cmi.completion_status and cmi.success_status: whether the learner completed the SCO, and whether they mastered it2.

On questions, SCORM 1.2 "has very limited capability in its data model for accepting details about interactions", while SCORM 2004 "enhances interactions, allows for objectives and has full question and answer text"1. In 1.2, cmi.interactions.n.student_response is write only, so a course cannot read an earlier answer back; in 2004, learner_response is read and write2.

The data model sets what a course may send2; your LMS decides what to display, and this page has not seen your report screens. If your client's compliance report has a Passed column and a Completed column, the course has to send 2 values, and only SCORM 2004 has a field for each2.

Do you need SCORM 2004 sequencing?

Only if your course is split into several SCOs and you want the LMS to control the order between them10. Sequencing "is what happens between SCOs and outside of SCOs": it decides what comes next and which navigation controls the learner sees7. SCORM.com's example rule: "a learner can’t take a final test until he has completed all of the courseware material"6.

SCORM.com's developer overview reads it this way: sequencing "is not applicable to SCORM courses that consist of just one big SCO", because navigation inside a SCO is left to the content developer10. Most 1.2 content was built as "a single monolithic SCO"6.

To check your package, open imsmanifest.xml at the root of the zip, the file that holds the data about your course10. Each sequencing activity corresponds to an item in it7, so the item list shows how many pieces the course has.

The item count does not settle the question by itself: an item can be a group of SCOs rather than a SCO, and sequencing is optional, with defaults that give an adequate experience when no rules are set7. SCORM.com calls sequencing "a VERY complicated specification"1.

Does Moodle support SCORM 1.2 or 2004?

Moodle supports SCORM 1.2, not SCORM 2004. Moodle's SCORM FAQ, last edited 16 April 2024 and unchanged in the Moodle 5.3 docs on 9 October 2026, says 1.2 is supported in Moodle 2.1 or higher and "passes all the tests in the ADL Conformance test suite 1.2.7"3.

On 2004, the FAQ warns that "some SCORM 2004 packages may appear to work", that native development has stopped, and that "bugs reported against SCORM 2004 in the Moodle Tracker are closed as won't fix"3. Instead, the FAQ points to a Rustici Software plugin that connects Moodle to Rustici's commercial SCORM Cloud service3.

Moodle's SCORM activity page reads more broadly: teachers can "upload any SCORM or AICC package"11. Of the 2 pages, only the FAQ names versions3.

For any other LMS, ask for its version and edition list in writing. A bare "SCORM compliant" tells you little: ADL defines conformance per version, tested "on an honor system", and no longer offers certification5.

Where do xAPI and cmi5 fit?

xAPI and cmi5 are the successors to SCORM, not a third SCORM version. xAPI, released 26 April 2013, sends statements built on actor, verb and object to a Learning Record Store (LRS), which can stand alone or sit inside an LMS6. cmi5, released 1 June 2016, is "a companion specification to xAPI" with rules for a traditional LMS6; Rustici sums it up as "cmi5 = xAPI + LMS."12

Storyline 360 exports both8. Moodle's FAQ lists "Tin Can" support through third-party plugins such as logstore xAPI, and the copy archived on 6 November 2024 does not mention cmi53.

If you searched "SCORM 1.2 vs 2004 vs xAPI", only your client's administrator can say whether their LMS imports a cmi5 or xAPI package. The sources read for this page do not say which LMSs do.

How to do it yourself

You need the LMS's documentation or its administrator, your authoring tool, and a free SCORM Cloud trial account from Rustici Software9. Storyline 360 is the worked example because its documentation was read for this page. In other tools, look for the same 3 choices of version, edition and status wording.

  1. Get the accepted versions in writing. Articulate's advice is the same: "Ask your LMS administrator if you’re not sure which standard to use."8 For Moodle, the SCORM FAQ answers it: 1.2 yes, 2004 no3.
  2. List what the course must report. Completed and passed as separate facts? The answer to each question? Resume across sessions on a long course? 1 module unlocking the next? Each yes points to SCORM 2004 3rd or 4th Edition. If every answer is no, SCORM 1.2 covers the Big 41210.
  3. Set the export. In Storyline 360, choose Publish, then LMS, then Reporting and Tracking, and pick the standard from the Report to an LMS drop-down; for SCORM 2004, also pick the Edition98. Rustici's general practice is never to start a course ID with a number, and the Identifier usually becomes the course ID9. Do not change the Identifier when you republish a course already in the LMS8. Choose the LMS Reporting option, the status wording your LMS will show8. Publish to your local hard drive, then Zip8.
  4. Test on SCORM Cloud, then on the real LMS. Rustici points to SCORM Cloud if you have no test server9. View Project only opens the course in your browser9; "it’s best to upload the published course to your LMS/LRS for proper testing"8. If the LMS asks for a launch file, Storyline's is index_lms.html8.
  5. Run the resume test. Exit halfway and come back. This is where it stalls: if the course reopens at the start, do not expect the suspend_data string in the LMS debug log to explain it, because Storyline compresses that string and it "isn't human-readable"4. Work through Articulate's 3 fixes, the last of which is a republish for SCORM 2004 3rd or 4th Edition4.
  6. Check the status the LMS records. Many authoring tools write a mastery score into imsmanifest.xml by default, and in Moodle, with "Mastery score overrides status" enabled, a raw score below it sets the status to "failed"3. Pass the quiz once and fail it once with your 2 test learner accounts, then read both records.
  7. Write down the version, edition and Identifier next to the source file, so the next republish matches.
TaskWho can do itRough time
Check versions with the LMS (step 1)Course producer with the LMS administrator15 to 30 minutes, longer if the administrator asks the vendor
Decide what to track (step 2)Producer with the course owner15 minutes
Export settings (step 3)Whoever builds the course10 minutes
SCORM Cloud and LMS tests (steps 4 to 6)The same person, with 2 test learner accounts30 minutes a round

These are working estimates for 1 course, not vendor figures. A course with several SCOs and sequencing rules takes longer, because you have to walk every path.

The mistakes that cost the most

  1. Exporting SCORM 2004 to an LMS that only partly handles it. In Moodle, "some SCORM 2004 packages may appear to work"3. Native development has stopped, and bugs reported against SCORM 2004 are closed as won't fix3.
  2. Choosing 2004 2nd Edition for resume room. It allows 4,000 characters, fewer than SCORM 1.2's 4,09642.
  3. Changing the Identifier on a republish. Articulate says not to8. Its article does not say what breaks if you do, and this page does not guess.

Questions people also ask

Is SCORM 1.2 or 2004 better? Neither in general. SCORM 1.2 is more widely adopted and simpler; SCORM 2004 3rd and 4th Edition add a second status field, 64,000 characters of resume data, fuller interaction data and sequencing12.

Which is newer, SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004? SCORM 2004. Its 4th Edition, from March 2009, is the most recent release; SCORM 1.2 dates from October 200165.

Does Moodle use SCORM 1.2 or 2004? SCORM 1.2. Moodle's SCORM FAQ says SCORM 2004 is not supported in Moodle3.

What is the SCORM 1.2 suspend data limit? 4,096 characters, against 4,000 in SCORM 2004 2nd Edition and 64,000 in 3rd and 4th Edition24.

Should I export xAPI or cmi5 instead of SCORM? Only if your LMS imports and tracks it. ADL recommends xAPI and cmi5 for new acquisitions5, and Storyline 360 exports both8.

  1. SCORM.com (Rustici Software), "The difference between SCORM 1.2 vs. SCORM 2004", undated, read 9 October 2026. https://scorm.com/scorm-explained/business-of-scorm/comparing-scorm-1-2-and-scorm-2004/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. SCORM.com (Rustici Software), "SCORM Run-Time Reference Guide", data model for SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 2nd, 3rd and 4th Editions, undated, read 9 October 2026. https://scorm.com/scorm-explained/technical-scorm/run-time/run-time-reference/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. Moodle Docs 5.3, "SCORM FAQ", section Supported Versions and page footer (last edited 16 April 2024), read live 9 October 2026; the mastery score and manifest passages read in the Internet Archive copy of the Moodle 4.5 docs of 6 November 2024, which has the same last-edited date. https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/SCORM_FAQ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Articulate, "Storyline: Exceeding SCORM Suspend Data Limits", updated 16 January 2026, read 9 October 2026. https://www.articulatesupport.com/article/exceeding-scorm-suspend-data-limits ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. ADL Initiative, "Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)", read 9 October 2026 in the Internet Archive copy of 13 December 2025, because adlnet.gov refused connections that day. https://adlnet.gov/past-projects/scorm/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. SCORM.com (Rustici Software), "Evolution of SCORM", undated, read 9 October 2026. https://scorm.com/scorm-explained/business-of-scorm/scorm-versions/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. SCORM.com (Rustici Software), "Sequencing and Navigation", undated, read 9 October 2026. https://scorm.com/scorm-explained/technical-scorm/sequencing/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  8. Articulate, "Storyline 360: Publishing a Course for LMS/LRS Distribution", updated 7 October 2026, read 9 October 2026. https://www.articulatesupport.com/article/Storyline-360-Publishing-a-Course-for-LMS-LRS-Distribution ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. Rustici Software, "How to create a SCORM package with Articulate Storyline 360", undated, read 9 October 2026. https://rusticisoftware.com/resources/how-to-create-a-scorm-package-with-articulate-storyline/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  10. SCORM.com (Rustici Software), "SCORM 2004 Overview for Developers", undated, read 9 October 2026. https://scorm.com/scorm-explained/technical-scorm/scorm-2004-overview-for-developers/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  11. Moodle Docs 5.0, "SCORM activity", last edited 30 July 2021, read 9 October 2026 in the Internet Archive copy of 7 June 2025. https://docs.moodle.org/500/en/SCORM_activity ↩︎

  12. xAPI.com (Rustici Software), "cmi5 solved and explained", undated, read 9 October 2026. https://xapi.com/cmi5/ ↩︎