{"id":73151,"date":"2026-01-27T07:59:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T07:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.totara.fortyapp.com\/articles\/recertification-cycles\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T07:59:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T07:59:06","slug":"recertification-cycles","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/staging.totara.fortyapp.com\/us\/articles\/recertification-cycles\/","title":{"rendered":"How to efficiently manage recertification cycles at scale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This blog post explores <\/span>how\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>latest recertification workflows launched in Totara Version 20 (V20) help you efficiently manage recertification cycles and\u00a0<\/span>maintain<\/span>\u00a0compliance over time.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Why\u00a0do\u00a0recertification cycles matter for compliance and risk management?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In highly regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, hospitality and manufacturing, L&D certifications are essential for maintaining compliance. They\u00a0provide\u00a0clear, auditable proof that employees have completed required training and meet\u00a0regulatory\u00a0standards.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They help standardise competence across roles, support ongoing compliance through recertification, enable accountability and traceability, and reduce organisational risk – ensuring organisations can demonstrate compliance confidently during audits and inspections.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why are multi-year recertifications so important in highly regulated environments?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Achieving a certification is\u00a0a great way\u00a0to document and prove\u00a0your\u00a0staff\u00a0have the knowledge to stay compliant in\u00a0a specific\u00a0field or topic. But certifications\u00a0are rarely\u00a0a\u00a0\u2018once\u00a0and done\u2019\u00a0event.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is because maintaining compliance over time is critical. Whether for patient and staff safety, or for continued operational success, certifications often have an expiry date and need renewing to meet either your internal or regulatory needs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do recertification workflows help L&D increase compliance and reduce regulatory risk?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Compliance requirements can be complex \u2013 they can span many roles, timeframes, and even multiple regulatory bodies. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Without structured, automated workflows, organisations risk missed renewals, inconsistent training records, and increased administrative burden. Managing complex\u00a0certification\u00a0requirements, for\u00a0numerous\u00a0roles\u00a0and large numbers of staff, is challenging without the right technology to back you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Well-designed recertification workflows ensure that certifications are renewed at the right intervals, refresher training is delivered proactively, and evidence is retained over several years – supporting audit readiness, patient safety (for example, <\/span>for a healthcare-focused LMS<\/span><\/a>), and workforce continuity.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They also reduce manual tracking, free up L&D and compliance teams, and provide leaders with confidence that staff remain qualified to practise on an ongoing basis, rather than a single moment in time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u00a0are\u00a0certifications?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

A certification is a series of learning activities, often covering several topics that relate to a particular theme, e.g. Health and Safety in the Workplace.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Totara, a certification is a\u00a0learning pathway that typically\u00a0contains\u00a0a\u00a0series of courses, and sometimes seminars.\u00a0An individual course\u00a0may\u00a0contain\u00a0multi-modal learning activities, including interactive SCORM content,\u00a0videos,\u00a0scenario setting, quizzes and more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Certifications allow you to\u00a0adapt\u00a0the pathway\u00a0to the individual learners, keeping content relevant\u00a0and\u00a0focused.\u00a0For example, new starters may be mandated to complete all learning activities within a course,\u00a0and all courses within a certification.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More experienced learners, or those who demonstrate knowledge with high-pass rates on the initial course activities, may be able to skip other introductory-level topics.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Example<\/p>\n

Learners can be\u00a0automatically\u00a0assigned and enrolled onto certifications\u00a0to maximise\u00a0L&D\u00a0efficiency.\u00a0This could be by job role, region, or by creating custom audiences, e.g.\u00a0to assign onboarding to\u00a0new starters.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crucially, certifications have an expiry date, which allows your certifications to be time-bound. This makes certifications an essential tool for compliance management.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do recertifications work in Totara?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Totara V20<\/a>\u00a0introduces\u00a0recertification workflows that offer flexible solutions to the challenge of managing multi-year certification\u00a0cycles.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Admins can now automate and select\u00a0an appropriate recertification\u00a0path for learners.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Admins had to create separate certifications for each group or expiry pattern.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When a\u00a0certification\u00a0expired,\u00a0learners were always reassigned to the primary path. To reassign a certification expiry to a\u00a0recertification path, admins had to manually intervene (requiring a status change to \u2018certified window is open\u2019\u00a0and then changing the due date).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Totara V20:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>A single certification can manage multiple paths, expiry rules, and reinstatement behaviours.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Tailor certification renewal requirements to your exact requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n

You can now define which\u00a0courses\u00a0are\u00a0required\u00a0as refresher training\u00a0to complete a recertification.\u00a0<\/span>For example,\u00a0learners may complete an introductory path and full training in year one, then shorter, focused refresher paths in following years – or progress through paths as levels, building deeper knowledge over time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This maximises compliance efficiency \u2013 freeing up staff time by focusing on the essential topics that matter most.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Improved visibility and progress status keep deadlines in mind<\/span><\/h3>\n

Improved UI means key certification milestones are visible to\u00a0learners,\u00a0with prompts to guide actions\u00a0and accurately track progress.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learners now\u00a0benefit\u00a0from a redesigned certification experience that makes it easy to see progress and\u00a0what’s\u00a0coming up next\u00a0at a glance. Learners can clearly see what training they need to progress, preventing early or unnecessary training, ensuring all progress is correctly tracked and completed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This\u00a0reduces\u00a0the chance of deadlines being missed.\u00a0This is important as in\u00a0sectors such\u00a0as\u00a0healthcare,\u00a0where\u00a0lapsed\u00a0certifications\u00a0can cause\u00a0a\u00a0drop-off in overall compliance rates.\u00a0Managing this is an essential way of\u00a0maintaining\u00a0compliance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Flexible reinstatement options if a deadline is missed<\/h3>\n

Reinstatement\u00a0controls\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u2013 If a learner misses a recertification deadline, you can now choose what happens next:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n