Yes. When assigning a course or learning path, you can set a due date for completion. Learners will receive reminders as the due date approaches, and your reports will flag any learners who are overdue. Due dates can be edited after assignment.

• Public catalogue: Visit Alison.com and use the Course Catalogue / Search to browse all public Alison courses.
  
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• Admin / LMS catalogue: From the LMS Admin dashboard use the course library or course search to view courses available for assignment to your learners.

• Certificate course: usually shorter, focused on a single topic or skill. On completion you can claim a standard Alison certificate (or a co-branded certificate on LMS+ if eligible).
  
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• Diploma course: longer and more comprehensive, made up of multiple modules and assessments; diplomas represent deeper learning and typically take more time to complete than a certificate course.

Course length varies by type and subject:

• Certificate courses: commonly range from several hours to multiple days of study, depending on the number of modules.
  
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• Diploma courses: are more substantial and typically require significantly more study time and assessments.

Each course page displays an estimated completion time or study hours and always check the course details for an accurate estimate.

CPD UK (CPD Certification Service) is an independent organisation that reviews and accredits courses against recognised CPD standards. Courses accredited by CPD UK have been assessed for quality and relevance to professional development.

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. It is a process used to maintain and develop professional skills and knowledge throughout a person’s career. CPD accreditation indicates that an independent reviewer has evaluated a course and confirmed it meets professional learning standards and benchmarks.

Many Alison courses are accredited. In particular, a large number of Alison courses hold CPD (Continuing Professional Development) accreditation through CPD UK. Accreditation status and any other formal recognitions are shown on each individual course page, always check the course details to confirm accreditation.

An assigned course is one you as the manager have pushed to a learner. It appears in their Assigned Learning, is tracked in your assignment reports, and can have a due date attached.

A self-enrolled course is one the learner has chosen independently from the Alison catalogue. It appears in the learner's Self-Enrolled tab and in your Self-Enrolled reports, but it does not count against any assignment targets or due dates you have set.

What courses are available within Alison's LMS?

Alison’s LMS includes a broad catalogue of Alison courses across topics such as leadership, communication, project management, digital skills, compliance, language, and technical skills. The catalogue contains:

• Certificate courses - multi-module courses that issue a standard Alison certificate on successful completion.
  
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• Diploma courses - longer, more in-depth programmes made up of multiple modules and assessments.

Yes. Learners accessing the LMS can self-enrol in any publicly available Alison course via their Learner Dashboard. These self-enrolled courses are not assigned by you and are undertaken voluntarily by the learner.

Self-enrolled course activity is visible to you as the Super Admin or Admin in the Self-Enrolled reports tab. Group Managers can see self-enrolled activity for learners within their group.

If you are on LMS+, you can choose to sponsor certificate purchases for self-enrolled courses, but you are not required to do so unless you have agreed to this with the learner.

Alison courses are produced by Alison’s content team in collaboration with subject-matter experts. For accredited courses, Alison works with external accrediting partners (for example, CPD UK) to ensure courses meet professional standards. LMS+ customers can also publish their own courses using Alison’s Publishing tool.

Administrative roles help you delegate LMS management responsibilities across your organisation. Depending on the role, users can manage learners, groups, learning assignments, and reporting.

Both the Super Admin and Admins with the appropriate permissions can assign, update, or remove Admin and Group Manager roles.

Important: Administrative roles can only be assigned to users who have already joined your LMS. If you want to grant Admin or Group Manager access to someone, you must first invite them to the LMS and ensure they have accepted the invitation.

There are several ways to manage administrative access within your LMS.

From the Roles & Permissions page

The Roles & Permissions page provides the quickest way to manage administrative access.

To access this page, click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the LMS and select Roles & Permissions.

Assign Role

To assign an administrative role, click Assign Role at the top of the page.

In the pop-up window, select the role you want to assign and choose the user. You can quickly locate users by searching for their name or email address.

Note: If you assign a user as a Group Manager from this page, you will still need to assign them to one or more groups separately.

Remove Role

The Assigned Roles section displays all users with administrative access.

To remove a role, locate the user, click the three-dot menu beside their name, and select Remove Access.

Note: If you remove Group Manager access from a user who manages one or more groups, those groups will automatically be assigned to the Super Admin until another Group Manager is appointed.

From Manage Teams page

You can also manage administrative access directly from the Manage Teams section of your LMS.

The Manage Teams page displays all users currently linked to your organisation.

Assign Role

Locate the user you want to update using the search bar.

Click the three-dot menu next to their name and select the role you want to assign, such as Admin or Group Manager.

Remove Role

To remove administrative access, find the user, open the three-dot menu, and select Remove Admin or Remove Group Manager, depending on the role currently assigned.

You can also manage roles directly from an individual user's profile. Open the user's profile from the Manage Teams page, click All Actions in the top-right corner, and select the appropriate option to assign or remove administrative access.

From the Groups page

If you need to update the Group Manager for a specific group, you can do so directly from the Groups section.

Navigate to Manage Teams → Groups and open the group you want to update.

From the group page, open the All Actions menu to change, or remove the Group Manager.

If you remove a Group Manager and do not assign a replacement, the Super Admin will automatically become the default manager for that group.

The LMS platform uses a role-based access structure to help organisations manage training efficiently and securely. Available roles and administrative permissions depend on your LMS plan.

Roles available on FreeLMS

FreeLMS includes:

• 1 Super Admin

• Up to 10 Learners

If your organisation requires a more advanced management structure, you can upgrade to LMS+ for additional administrative roles and expanded functionality.

Roles available on LMS+

LMS+ plans support multiple role levels, including:

• Super Admin (1 per organisation)

• Admins (number depends on your plan)

• Group Managers (number depends on your plan)

• Learners (unlimited)

Important:

Each user can only hold one administrative role at a time. However, some higher-level roles include permissions that cover lower-level functionality.

Deactivating a team member temporarily removes their access to your LMS while keeping all of their data intact. This includes their learning progress, records, and any certificates they have earned or purchased.

This action is fully reversible, making it a safe way to manage users who no longer need immediate access.

How to deactivate a user

To deactivate a team member:

1. Go to the Manage Teams page

2. Find the user you want to deactivate

3. Click the three-dot menu next to their name

4. Select “Deactivate User”

5. Confirm the action in the pop-up window

Once confirmed, the user’s account will be set to inactive and their access will be removed.

Important to know Deactivation only affects access to your organisation’s LMS All historical learning data remains intact and unchanged Users may still be able to access previously earned certificates via their personal account

Where can I find deactivated users?

By default, the Manage Teams page shows only active and invited users.

To view deactivated users:

• Open the Filters option

• Select “Show Only Inactive”

You will then see a full list of all deactivated users.

How to reactivate a user

Reactivating a user is simple:

1. Go to the list of deactivated users (see above step)

2. Click the three-dot menu next to the user’s name

3. Select “Reactivate User”

Once reactivated, the user will return to the active list. You can then assign learning, manage certificates, and track their progress as usual.

We understand that encountering issues at the start can be frustrating. Below are some common scenarios and how to resolve them:

Learner status remains “Invite Sent”

If a user’s status shows as “Invite Sent”, it means they have not yet accepted the invitation.

You can:

• Resend the invitation from the Manage Teams page

• Or share the invite link directly (e.g. via your internal communication tools)

To resend the invite, click the three dots next to the user’s name and select “Resend Invitation”.

If you continue to experience issues, feel free to contact our support team via email or live chat—we’re here to help.

You can add both existing Alison users (who already have an Alison account) and new users who have not registered on Alison yet.

Depending on how you send the invitation, the registration process may vary slightly:

Email invite

When you invite users via Bulk Upload (Upload a list of emails) or Enter Single Email, they will receive an email containing an invite link.

For new users (not yet registered on Alison)

The registration form will be pre-populated with details entered by the Super Admin.

The learner only needs to create a password to complete their account setup.

For existing users (already registered on Alison)

They will need to confirm their intention to join your LMS.

Learners do this by clicking the invite link and then selecting Activate Your Account.

Direct Invite Link

When you share a direct invite link through your work channels:

• Learners must provide essential information: Job Title, Department, and Role.

• Make sure to guide learners on what details they need to complete before sharing the link.

Email verification step

• If a learner is not logged in or not yet registered, the first screen will ask for their email address.

• This step checks whether the email is already registered on Alison.

• Correct email entry is crucial. Typos may create multiple accounts and cause confusion later.

Next steps based on email check

For new users (not yet registered on Alison)

If the email is not registered on Alison, learners must fill out the full form, including creating a password, to set up their account.

For existing users (already registered on Alison)

If an account is found for the email, the system will prompt the learner to log in.

Once logged in, learners confirm pre-filled details, complete Job Title, Department, and Role, and activate their account.

After Registration/Activation

Once learners complete registration or activation:

• They are fully added to your LMS

• You can start assigning courses or learning paths

• You can monitor their progress

• You can purchase or assign certificates

Inviting users is the next key step after creating your LMS and one of the most important actions in setting up your organisation’s training environment. This step enables your team members to access the platform, participate in learning, and begin their assigned training.

You can invite users directly from your LMS dashboard by navigating to the Manage Teams page in the left-hand menu.

Once opened, click “Add Team Members” and choose how you would like to invite users.

The platform offers three flexible options:

Upload a list of emails (Bulk upload)

This option is ideal if you want to add multiple users at once.

• Select “Upload a list of Emails” in the pop-up window

• Download the provided CSV template

• Complete the template by filling in all fields

• Upload the completed file and click “Upload file & Add Team to LMS”

Once uploaded, invited users will receive an email invitation. Their status will appear as “Invite Sent” on the Manage Teams page until they accept the invitation.

Enter single email

To invite an individual user:

• Select “Enter Single Email”

• Complete the required fields

• Click “Send Invite”

The user will receive an email invitation and must follow the link to accept it. Until accepted, their status will remain “Invite Sent” on the Manage Teams page.

Copy invite link

You can also invite users by sharing a direct invitation link:

• Generate the invite link

• Share it with individuals or via internal communication channels (e.g. team chat)

Users will need to click the link, register (if they don’t already have an account), and complete the required details to join your LMS.

What happens after users are added?

Once users accept the invitation, they become active in your LMS and gain access to the courses and learning paths you have assigned.

What can I do next?

After your users have been invited, you can:

• Share instructions with your team on how to accept the invitation and join LMS

• Assign courses or learning paths to your team

• Track learner progress and completion rates

• Manage your team’s training activity and performance across the organisation

Groups is an LMS+ feature that lets managers segment learners based on roles, teams, departments, or specific learning objectives. Instead of assigning learning paths and courses to individuals one by one, you can organise learners into named groups and manage training, content delivery, and progress tracking at a group level.

Each group has its own page with tabs for members, assigned learning paths, courses, certificates, and reports — giving you a consolidated view of that group's activity.

Once a group is created, admins can:

• Assign Learning Paths and Courses to all group members in a single action.

• Assign completion certificates across group members.

• Monitor collective progress in a dedicated Reports tab and in All Reports > Group Reports.

• Add or remove members without affecting existing learning records.

How to create groups?

1. Navigate to Groups tab on Manage Teams page

2. Click + Create New Group.

3. Fill in the group details:

   • Group Name(required) — must be unique across your organisation and cannot be the same as your organisation name.

   • Group Description(optional) — up to 500 characters, supports rich text.

   • Group Thumbnail(optional) — PNG, SVG, or JPG, max 500 KB.

1. Click Create & add members to proceed to the next step.

2. Select team members from the list and click Next to finalise.

Tip: If you haven't added any team members to the LMS yet, you'll be prompted to invite them first before completing the group setup. You can also click Skip for Now to create the group without members and add them later.

Editing group details

Updating group information is simple and can be done at any time. To update a group's name, description, or thumbnail:

1. Open the kebab menu on the group card and select Edit Group, OR open the group page and choose Edit Group Details from All Actions.

1. Update the fields as needed.

2. Click Save Changes.

There are no limits on updating group information, giving you the flexibility to modify details whenever necessary.

How do I edit or delete a group?

You can delete a group using the options available in the kebab (three-dot) menu.

Note: If learners have not started the assigned learning, the group assignments will be removed and will no longer appear in reports for either managers or learners. If learners have already made progress, their activity will still be recorded in the “All Reports” section under Learning Paths or Course Assignment reports, and they will continue to have access to the learning through their own accounts.

Head over to the "Learning Paths'' option from the expandable side menu and click on the "Create a New Learning Path" button at the top of the page.

You then have the option of assigning your learners pre-curated Learning Paths, or selecting individual courses to create your own custom Learning Path.

Setting up a custom Learning Path is simple. Choose courses, name the Learning Path, add a description and assign your new custom Learning Path to team members.

You can assign Learning Paths through bulk selection, individual team member selection, or by sharing an invite link manually.

Click on the "View All Reports" option in the expandable side menu to the left, and scroll down to ‘View All Reports.” You can apply filters to review the timeframe for learning and click ‘Download report’ which will save this file in CSV format.

As a Manager, you can oversee and view each team member's learning journey through the side navigation dashboard. Simply navigate to 'Team Members.' On this page you will be able to view all team members. To delve deeper into an individual's learning journey, click on their name or select the 'View Stats' button next to their name.

Each team member has an individual profile page that you can access as a Manager. Here, you can see all their assigned learning, track their progress, view their completed courses, and see the certificates they've earned.

You also have the option to add or remove assigned learning and check detailed stats on their learning achievements. It's a comprehensive view of their learning journey.

On the manager dashboard, you can view four different reports to keep track of your team's progress and achievements. Just go to "View All Reports" in the side navigation menu, and you'll find tabs for:

• Assigned Learning Path Reports

• Assigned Course Reports

• Team Member Reports

• Certificate Reports

You can also search for specific team members and customise the report data based on different time periods using the dropdown menu on the left.

To deactivate a team member, start by navigating to the 'Team Members' section through the side navigation menu. Find the specific team member you want to deactivate and click on 'View Profile.' Once on their profile page, look for the 'All options' dropdown menu and select 'Deactivate User.' This action will change their activation status, preventing them from accessing the organisation's FLMS learner account, but it won’t remove them from your reports. They will still be able to access their certificates and completed learning using a secondary personal email.

To invite your team members, head to the main dashboard page and look for the header titled "Your Free LMS Dashboard." Right below this header, you'll find a metrics card labelled "Total Team Members." Beneath that, there's a button that says "Invite Team Members." Clicking this button will guide you through the invitation process.

Once invited, your team members will receive an email letting them know that they can now access your organisation’s Free LMS. Once they login, they’ll be welcomed with a short automated tour of the platform to help them navigate the LMS, after which they can get started with the learning you’ve assigned them and learning they find themselves!

There are several methods to add your team members. Start with accessing Learning Paths from the side navigation menu - on the top of this page, click on 'Create Learning Path’ button. This two-step process allows you to both set up a learning pathway and add your team members in one-go. Managers can upload team members through a

• CSV Bulk Upload: If you need to add multiple members simultaneously, our CSV upload feature is ideal. Our easy-to-use template ensures you can capture all required details effectively.

• Single Email Entry: If you're looking to add a team member individually, simply type in their email address.

• Invite Link: Alternatively, you can generate and share an invite link with your team members. By clicking this link, they can directly join the LMS.

After adding them, your team members will have immediate access to the courses and learning paths you've set up for them.

Of course! You can assign one specific course to your team or to specific team members.

Click 'Explore' under the expandable side dashboard to the left and search to find the course you wish to assign. This will take you to the library of 6,000+ preloaded courses in Alison's LMS. Apply filters to find the right course for your team.

Simply click on the top-right of the course card. This will open a drop-down menu where you can click 'Assign' and follow the instructions to assign this course to your team.

Simply select “Learning Paths” from the side navigation menu which will take you to the ‘Manage Learning Paths’ page.

To edit or delete a path, click on the desired Learning Path.

You will be taken to the informational page on the Learning Path to review its name, description, skills attached and courses within them.

Click on the ‘Edit’ button in the top right expandable menu to make changes, or the delete icon, and follow the instructions.

This notification, received via email and visible under your main dashboard's 'Recent Notifications' section, serves as a reminder that your learner has activated their account without any assigned learning paths or individual courses. They may request an assignment to determine whether they require tailored learning for your organisation's needs or if they should self-enrol into any of the 6,000+ courses available on the Alison platform.

The LMS provides course-level and learner-level analytics including:

• Learner progress: who has started, percentage complete per learner, and which modules are in progress.
  
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• Completion rates: counts and percentages of learners who completed the course.
  
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• Time indicators: estimated study time and time spent (where tracked).
  
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• Overdue & deadlines: learners who are on time or overdue against assigned dates.

• Started, not completed: Unassigning removes the active assignment from the learner’s dashboard. The learner’s progress up to that point remains recorded in the learner record and reports, but the assignment is no longer active.
  
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• Completed / certificate allocated: The LMS generally prevents unassignment once a course is completed or a certificate has been allocated - this preserves historical records.
  
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• To preserve continuity: If you want learners to continue with the same course after you change settings, consider reassigning the course, reassignment creates a new assignment instance.

(Also covered in the Learning Paths section)

1. Go to the Learning Path

2. Find the assignment and choose Unassign (or Remove assignment) from the menu.

3. Confirm the unassignment.
   
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Important: You cannot unassign a Learning Path (or course) that has been completed or where certificates have already been allocated.

1. From the Admin dashboard navigate to Groups and open the target group.

2. Click Assign Course (or use the Group actions menu).

3. Choose the course, set deadlines/reminders and confirm assignments.

This assigns the course to every active member of the group and enables group-level reporting. If you’re on Free LMS: group-level assignment is not available; you can assign courses to individual learners or to the organisation as a whole.

1. In the LMS Admin dashboard go to Courses or search for the course you want to assign.

2. Open the course details and click Assign (or use the Assign Course action).

3. Select Individual and choose the learner(s) from your team list.

4. Set assignment options: due date/deadline, reminders, and any custom instructions.

5. Confirm Assign.
   
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Assigned learners receive an email notification; the course appears in their Learner dashboard.

Note: Admins cannot assign courses to their own admin account. To take a course, switch to your Learner dashboard or create a separate learner account and assign the course to that account.

Alison designs courses with accessibility in mind and supports accessible course consumption (for example: video captions/transcripts, keyboard-friendly navigation and readable content formats). For specifics about compliance with particular standards (WCAG, local accessibility regulations) or to request accessibility support for a learner, please contact Alison Support and provide details so the team can advise or make accommodations.

Alison courses typically combine a mix of:

• Video lessons

• Reading materials

• Presentations / slides,

• Interactive elements (quizzes, checkpoints), and

• Final assessments