Question
How is compliance evaluated when using “Expire the learning record on,” particularly across multi-year cycles or after the cycle configuration is changed?
Answer
When “Expire the learning record on” is enabled:
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Compliance is determined by verifying whether the course was completed at least once within the applicable compliance cycle
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This evaluation is based on the completion date of the learning record, and independently of the expiration date stored on the learning record
How Does the System Determine the Current Compliance Cycle
The system’s current compliance cycle is the cycle whose end date has not yet passed. The system determines the cycle by:
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Identifying the next applicable cycle end date
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Working backward based on the configured cadence length
Example #1
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Cycle end date: December 31
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Cadence: Every year
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Today’s date: February 14 2025
The system’s current compliance cycle is January 1, 2025 → December 31, 2025
Example #2
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Cycle end date: March 31
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Cadence: Every year
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Today’s date: February 14 2025
The system’s current compliance cycle is April 1, 2024 → March 31, 2025
Example #3
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Cycle end date: March 31
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Cadence: Every 2 years
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Today’s date: February 14 2025
The system’s current compliance cycle is April 1, 2023 → March 31, 2025
How Fixed Expiration Works
With “Expire the learning record on,” the expiration date of a learning record is calculated based on:
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The configured cycle end date (for example, December 31), and
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The cycle window in which the completion occurred
Example #4
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Cycle end date: December 31
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Cadence: Every year
Anyone completing the course in 2025 (any date) would have a learning record expiring on December 31, 2025.
Important Clarification for Multi-Year Cycles
In multi-year cadences (for example, every 2 years), the system uses sliding compliance cycles. With sliding compliance cycles:
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Cycles are not global
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The applicable compliance cycle is determined relative to the year in which the user last completed the course, by working backward from the configured cycle end date based on the cadence.
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Different users may be evaluated against different cycle windows, even under the same configuration, if they complete the course in different years
This means the start and end dates of a compliance cycle are determined relative to the year in which the user previously completed the course. As a result, different users may be evaluated against different cycle windows, even though the same cadence and cycle end date are configured.
Example #5
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Cycle end date: December 31
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Cadence: Every 2 years
If user A completes the course on May 10, 2024, their learning record expires December 31, 2024. Their 2-year compliance cycle is set to January 1, 2023 → December 31, 2024
If user B completes the course on August 18, 2025, their learning record expires December 31, 2025. Their 2-year compliance cycle is set to January 1, 2024 → December 31, 2025
Both users are compliant for a 2-year cycle, even though those cycles have different start and end years.
How Compliance Is Evaluated
To evaluate compliance, the system asks: As of today, was the course completed at least once in a way that satisfies the current compliance cycle?
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If yes, the user is compliant and does not have to repeat the course during that cycle.
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If no, the user must complete the course before the end of that cycle is reached
A learning record must first expire before a subsequent completion can meaningfully establish compliance for a new cycle. You can read more about this topic in the Understanding Learning Record Expiration Options article.
What Happens If the Compliance Cycle Is Changed
Changing the compliance cycle (for example, from December 31 to March 31) affects future compliance calculations, but it does not modify existing learning records.
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Existing learning records are not updated
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Their expiration dates remain exactly as originally calculated
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No records are extended, shortened, or reissued
How Are Compliance and Due Dates Calculated After a Cycle Change
After a cycle change, the compliance and due dates are evaluated as follows:
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The system determines the current compliance cycle based on cadence and cycle end date
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It verifies whether a user completed the course at least once during that cycle
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This verification is performed regardless of the expiration date stored on the learning record
Example #6
Original Configuration
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Cycle end date: December 31
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Cadence: Every year
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User completed the course on June 15, 2024
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Learning record expires December 31, 2024
Cycle Change
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Cycle end date is changed to March 31
Today’s Date
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February 14, 2025
Outcome
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The existing learning record still expires on December 31, 2024 following the cycle change
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The system checks whether the course was completed during the current 1-year compliance cycle (April 1, 2024 → March 31, 2025)
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Because the completion occurred within that cycle, the user is considered compliant
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The next due date for this user becomes March 31, 2026, based on the new configuration
Example #7
Original Configuration
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Cycle end date: December 31
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Cadence: Every 2 years
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User completes the course on June 15, 2024
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Learning record expires December 31, 2024
Cycle Change
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Cycle end date is changed to March 31
Today’s Date
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February 14, 2025
Outcome
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The existing learning record still expires on December 31, 2024 following the cycle change
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The system checks whether the course was completed during the current 2-year compliance cycle (April 1, 2023 → March 31, 2025)
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Because the completion occurred within that cycle, the user is considered compliant
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The next due date for this user becomes March 31, 2027, based on the new configuration
Only once an existing learning record expires can a subsequent completion meaningfully establish compliance for a new cycle, at which point the system uses the updated cycle configuration to calculate the next due date.