Certificate Requests
Certificate Requests
Portal:
/lms· Desk: Learning workspace
Overview
LMS Certificate Request schedules evaluator-led certification sessions for courses or cohorts that require live assessment beyond online quizzes. Learners book a slot; evaluators conduct reviews (often via Google Meet); upon success, staff issue LMS Certificate records.
Use certificate requests when policy demands human verification—presentations, practical demos, or oral exams—common in instructor-led cohort programs rather than self-paced compliance modules.
When certificate requests apply
Enable evaluation requirements on LMS Course or LMS Batch settings (evaluation end date, evaluator assignment). When enabled, completing online content alone does not issue a certificate—the learner must:
- Submit LMS Certificate Request choosing date/time slot.
- Attend evaluation session.
- Receive evaluator approval and certificate issuance.
Self-paced mandatory HR training typically skips this flow and uses auto-certification on progress completion.
Request lifecycle
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Request submitted, awaiting evaluation |
| Completed | Evaluation done; certificate may be issued |
| Cancelled | Learner or admin cancelled |
Validation rules on insert:
- Evaluator auto-set from course/cohort evaluator mapping (
get_evaluator) - Slot not double-booked for evaluator
- Evaluator not unavailable (respect Course Evaluator unavailability dates)
- Member cannot duplicate active requests per course/cohort rules
- Timezone captured for scheduling clarity
Notifications email evaluator and member on creation.
Learner: booking a slot
- Complete prerequisite course content in
/lms. - Open course Certification tab when evaluation required.
- Click Schedule Evaluation / Request Certificate.
- Select Date, Start Time, End Time from available slots.
- Confirm Evaluator (read-only, assigned by system).
- Submit request—status Pending.
Google Meet link may populate on confirmation when integrated. Add session to personal calendar.
If slot unavailable, choose another date after evaluator unavailability window.
Evaluator: conducting sessions
Evaluators (Batch Evaluator, assigned Course Evaluator):
- Monitor
/app/lms-certificate-requestlist filtered to their user. - Open request on scheduled date—note Google Meet Link.
- Conduct evaluation per rubric (outside LMS or using linked assignments/quizzes).
- Mark request Completed or leave notes on linked evaluation documents.
- Issue LMS Certificate manually or via workflow when criteria met.
Evaluators should not approve requests for learners who failed mandatory quizzes—verify LMS Quiz Submission pass status first.
Administrative configuration
Course Evaluator records map evaluators to courses with optional unavailability ranges.
LMS Batch assigns default evaluators for cohort members.
Set evaluation windows with Evaluation End Date so requests cannot schedule after program cutoff.
Configure email templates for request confirmations and reminders in Email Template list.
Mapping to HR processes
Certificate requests mirror HR interview scheduling patterns but stay in LMS. After certificate issuance:
- File PDF under Employee Document
- Update Employee Compliance for programs requiring evaluator sign-off
HR onboarding Employee Compliance items (I-9, background check) still live in HR—not LMS certificate requests.
Tips
- Publish evaluator availability windows before cohort start.
- Limit concurrent requests per evaluator with slot validation already built-in.
- Record Google Meet links consistently for audit trails.
- Cancel stale Pending requests after evaluation end date passes.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Slot already booked | Pick different time; another member holds slot |
| Evaluator unavailable | Select date outside unavailability range |
| Cannot submit duplicate | Complete or cancel existing request |
| No evaluator assigned | Configure Course Evaluator for course |
| Meet link missing | Check Google Workspace integration settings |
Frequently asked questions
Does LMS training completion automatically update Employee Compliance?
No. Smooth LMS tracks learning progress, quiz scores, and certificates. Smooth HR Employee Compliance is updated separately by HR when a regulatory or policy requirement is satisfied. Download LMS PDFs and attach them to Employee Document, then mark the matching compliance row Complete with the correct renewal date.
Where should quiz PDFs be stored for audits?
Use Employee Document on the employee record with an appropriate Employee Document Type (for example Training Record or Policy Acknowledgment). Include the Quiz Submission Report PDF exported from LMS. For organization-wide retention policies, align document type expiry settings with Employee Compliance renewal periods.
Which desk workspace manages LMS content?
Open the Learning workspace from the app switcher. Desk paths use /app/list name slugs—for example /app/lms-quiz and /app/lms-enrollment. Learners consume training at /lms on the same site.
How do new hires get enrolled in mandatory training?
When Employee Onboarding is created in HRMS, the LMS integration enrolls the employee user in every published Mandatory course and creates LMS Training Assignment rows with default due dates. Ensure the Employee record has a linked User with the LMS Student role.
What is the difference between an LMS Certificate and HR compliance?
An LMS Certificate proves course completion inside Smooth LMS. Employee Compliance in Smooth HR tracks regulatory obligations (training renewals, I-9, background checks) with scheduled expiry alerts. Course certificates do not automatically appear on the HR compliance ledger—HR attaches LMS PDFs to Employee Document and updates Employee Compliance when policy requires.
Can managers view their team's quiz scores?
Managers with Moderator or Course Creator roles can open LMS Quiz Submission list views filtered by course and member. The Statistics dashboard summarizes average assessment scores by course. For official personnel files, export PDFs and store under the employee's HR documents rather than sharing desk login credentials.
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| LMS Course | Training container with chapters, lessons, and assessments |
| LMS Enrollment | Links a User (employee) to a course with progress tracking |
| LMS Quiz | Assessment document composed of linked questions |
| LMS Quiz Submission | Record of one learner attempt with scored results |
| LMS Training Assignment | Due-date tracker for assigned mandatory training |
| LMS Certificate | Issued credential after course or evaluation completion |
| Mandatory course | Published course flagged for auto-enrollment on onboarding |
| Cohort (LMS Batch) | Scheduled group of learners with shared live sessions and assessments |
| Employee Document | HR file-cabinet record for attachments on the employee profile |
| Employee Compliance | HR ledger for regulatory and policy compliance status with renewals |
Smooth LMS + Smooth HR capability map
Use Smooth LMS for training delivery and assessments, and Smooth HR for employee files and compliance records — both on the same account.
| Business need | Primary app | How |
|---|---|---|
| Online training library | Smooth LMS | LMS Course with chapters, lessons, video/PDF/SCORM, quizzes, assignments |
| Assign training + track progress | Smooth LMS | LMS Enrollment, LMS Training Assignment, cohort batches, progress dashboards |
| Print completed tests as PDF | Smooth LMS | LMS Quiz Submission → Quiz Submission Report print format |
| Course completion certificates | Smooth LMS | LMS Certificate with customizable print templates |
| Employee file storage | Smooth HR | Employee Document with document types and expiry |
| Regulatory compliance tracking | Smooth HR | Employee Compliance with Compliance Type renewals |
| New hire document collection | Smooth HR | Employee Onboarding portal + e-signatures |
Course completion certificates from LMS are separate from HR compliance records until HR explicitly files them. Attach LMS PDFs to Employee Document or update Employee Compliance when a training record must appear on the official employee file for audits.
LMS roles reference
| Role | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| System Manager | Full desk access; configure LMS Settings, print formats, AI keys |
| Moderator | Manage all courses, quizzes, enrollments, certificates, statistics |
| Course Creator | Author courses, quizzes, assignments; view learner submissions for own content |
| Batch Evaluator | Grade submissions, conduct certificate evaluations, manage cohort assessments |
| LMS Student | Access /lms portal; take quizzes; view own certificates and assignments |
HR users without LMS roles can still manage Employee Document and Employee Compliance records when L&D provides exported PDFs.
Connecting training records to Smooth HR
Smooth LMS and Smooth HR share one account. Completing a course does not automatically update HR compliance—you connect the two when your policy requires it.
| LMS artifact | HR destination | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| LMS Certificate PDF | Employee Document | Store course completion certificate on the employee file |
| Quiz Submission Report PDF | Employee Document | Retain scored test results (safety quizzes, policy acknowledgments) |
| Mandatory training status | Employee Compliance | Track renewal dates, expiry alerts, and audit-ready compliance status |
Recommended workflow: When an employee completes mandatory training and passes required assessments, download the LMS certificate or quiz PDF from the Learning portal or desk, then attach it to an Employee Document or update the corresponding Employee Compliance record. HR Managers can configure Compliance Type with renewal periods so expiring certifications trigger scheduled reminders—complementing LMS Training Assignment due dates.
New hires enrolled via Employee Onboarding may receive automatic LMS enrollments for courses marked Mandatory; HR still uses Employee Compliance for regulatory items (I-9, background checks) that live outside LMS.
Related guides
Last updated: May 2026