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Most Asked Questions
learner account
premium subscription
learning
certificates
payments
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career building tools
accreditation
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alison app
technical help
Most Asked Questions
learner account
premium subscription
learning
certificates
payments
orders
career building tools
accreditation
affiliate programme
refer-a-friend programme
alison app
technical help
How can I assign a course to a group? (Available for LMS+ Groups)
From the Admin dashboard navigate to Groups and open the target group.
Click Assign Course (or use the Group actions menu).
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.
Can I set a due date on a course or learning path assignment?
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.
Can learners self-enrol in courses outside of what I assign them?
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.
What is the difference between assigning a course and a learner self-enrolling?
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.
Diploma courses - longer, more in-depth programmes made up of multiple modules and assessments.
Are the courses accredited?
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.
What is CPD (Continuing 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.
Who is CPD UK?
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.
How long are the courses?
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.
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.
What is the difference between a Certificate and Diploma course?
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).
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.
Where can I see all the courses available?
Public catalogue: Visit Alison.com and use the Course Catalogue / Search to browse all public Alison courses.
Admin / LMS catalogue: From the LMS Admin dashboard use the course library or course search to view courses available for assignment to your learners.
Who develops Alison courses?
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.
What format do Alison courses follow?
Alison courses typically combine a mix of:
Video lessons
Reading materials
Presentations / slides,
Interactive elements (quizzes, checkpoints), and
Final assessments
What accessibility standards do Alison courses meet?
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.
How can I assign a course to an individual?
In the LMS Admin dashboard go to Courses or search for the course you want to assign.
Open the course details and click Assign (or use the Assign Course action).
Select Individual and choose the learner(s) from your team list.
Set assignment options: due date/deadline, reminders, and any custom instructions.
Confirm Assign.
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.
Why did I receive a ‘Request an Assignment’ notification from my learners?
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.
How do I unassign a Learning Path?
(Also covered in the Learning Paths section)
Go to the Learning Path
Find the assignment and choose Unassign (or Remove assignment) from the menu.
Confirm the unassignment.
Important: You cannot unassign a Learning Path (or course) that has been completed or where certificates have already been allocated.
What happens if I unassign a course when my learner(s) have already started it?
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.
Completed / certificate allocated: The LMS generally prevents unassignment once a course is completed or a certificate has been allocated - this preserves historical records.
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.
What analytics and reporting on course assignments are available?
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.
Completion rates: counts and percentages of learners who completed the course.
Time indicators: estimated study time and time spent (where tracked).
Overdue & deadlines: learners who are on time or overdue against assigned dates.
How can I create Learning Paths and assign them to users?
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.
How do I edit or delete Learning Paths?
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.
Can I assign Individual Courses to my team members?
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.
What are the different ways to add team members to the LMS?
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.
How can I invite team members to the LMS?
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!
How do I deactivate a team member?
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.
What types of reports can I access on the manager dashboard?
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.
How do I manage and view a team member's learning progress and certificates?
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.
How do I access and download reports?
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.
Everyone's different, and so are their questions. Speak to our team directly and they'll personally answer all your questions, no matter what they are.
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