How to Convert PowerPoint to SCORM

Turn your PowerPoint into online training without starting from scratch.

You’ve created a killer PowerPoint training, and it’s perfect for the live training next week. But then, your boss throws you a curveball. “Actually, can you convert this into SCORM so we can use it for online training, too?” Cue the record scratch and frantic googling. Is SCORM a file type? Special software? New program? Are you going to have to redo all that work?

Here’s the good news. You don’t need to be a technology expert, and you don’t need to recreate your entire presentation. While PowerPoint doesn’t have a built-in option to convert your presentation to a SCORM file, there’s an easy solution. This step-by-step guide will help you convert your existing PowerPoint content into something your company’s learning management system (LMS) can deliver and track. You’ll learn how to use course authoring software to convert the file and how to get started without getting overwhelmed.

Introduction to SCORM and PowerPoint

What is SCORM?

SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model. It’s a complicated name for a quite simple purpose. In reality, SCORM is just a set of technical standards that helps an online course communicate with an LMS, or Learning Management System—the system your company uses to assign and track training.

You may have used an LMS to complete new employee orientation or annual safety training. SCORM standards ensure LMS can pull reports about the course, like whether you finished it and passed the quiz. Think of SCORM  as a set of rules that helps the course behave as it should in the training system for both learners and the admins who need performance information.

Why convert PowerPoint to SCORM?

A SCORM-compliant course file makes it easier to deliver training and measure learner performance. Imagine your company needs 200 employees to learn a new procedure. You already have a PowerPoint that explains it, so why not email the slides?

How would you know who reviewed them? What if your manager wants proof that everyone completed the training and passed the quiz?

A SCORM file makes it possible to track those metrics. You can use the content you’ve already created in PowerPoint, upload it to a course authoring software, convert it to SCORM, and deploy it to your LMS. Employees then work through the course independently while the LMS records their progress and results. Now, you can give your boss a performance report that wouldn’t have been possible if you’d emailed the PowerPoint file.

Benefits of using SCORM content in an LMS

The biggest benefit of uploading SCORM content into your LMS is knowing what happens after you assign the training. The LMS can record course completion, progress, and quiz scores, depending on how you set  it up. That’s especially useful for onboarding, required training, or company-wide updates.

SCORM also gives compatible learning systems a common format for launching and tracking courses. Your employees get a consistent learning experience because everyone gets the same course and knows what they need to complete. To put it in very basic terms, your course covers what they need to learn, and SCORM handles tracking.

Learn more about SCORM from our post, What is SCORM: A Complete Guide for E-Learning Professionals.

Preparing your PowerPoint for conversion

Before you get started, review your presentation as if you were seeing it for the first time. Most PowerPoints are designed for in-person instruction. The presenter does a lot of training work: they add examples, answer questions, and fill in any gaps in the slide deck text. When employees take training independently, the slides need to stand on their own. These quick checks will help you get the slides ready for easy conversion.

Optimize slides for e-learning

Ask yourself: Would this slide make sense without me there to explain it? If not, add a short explanation or example. A crowded slide might work better as two smaller sections, and an outdated slide might not belong in the new course at all.

Keep the information employees actually need, and put it in a clear order. You don’t need to reproduce every slide perfectly. Your goal is to help someone understand the material without a presenter.

Add interactive elements and multimedia

Online training can do more than reproduce slides in SCORM-friendly format. Suppose your presentation lists ways to respond to an unhappy customer. Instead of showing only the list, you could give employees a scenario about a fictional customer complaint and ask what they would do next.

A short video, clickable example, or quick question might also help. You don’t have to build these in PowerPoint. Just note where they would be useful, then add them in your authoring tool. Choose activities that help people understand the topic better and skip busy work that doesn’t support the learning objectives.

Check accessibility and design consistency

Review your slides for readable fonts, clear contrast between text and backgrounds, and consistent headings. Give meaningful image descriptions and include video captions where needed.

These details help more people use the training comfortably. Check them again after conversion, because changing the format won’t automatically fix accessibility issues. Some course authoring software, like Articulate’s Storyline, includes a built-in accessibility checker to make accessibility checks seamless before you convert the file to SCORM.

Step-by-step guide: converting PowerPoint to SCORM

You don’t need to memorize technical settings to understand the process. The exact screens vary by tool, but most PowerPoint to SCORM projects follow these five stages.

Step 1: Choose your authoring tool

PowerPoint doesn’t include a SCORM publishing option. You’ll need a course authoring tool, which is software used to create online training.

Look for something that fits your budget, is beginner-friendly, and publishes the SCORM version your LMS supports. Not sure which SCORM version you need to look for? Ask the person who manages your company’s LMS. You will also need to think about whether you want to keep the original slide layout or use import your slide content as the baseline for an interactive course.

Step 2: Import your PowerPoint slides

Depending on the tool you choose, you might import the actual slides or use the information in your presentation to create a new course. For example, Articulate AI can help turn your existing PowerPoint content into an editable course draft, while other tools let you bring in the original slides. The result may not look exactly like your original PowerPoint, and that’s okay. The best part is neither approach requires you to start with a blank page.

Read through the content, check that important details are still there, and add explanations or images where needed. Put yourself in the learner’s position. Could they understand the course without you walking them through it?

Step 3: Add quizzes, interactivity, and navigation

Decide what employees need to practice, demonstrate, or do as they move through the training. For example, use a scenario-based interaction grounded in a realistic situation to let them practice making a decision. Try a single multiple choice question or a quiz to demonstrate mastery of a policy. A. Include transitions and clear navigation to help them understand what comes next.

Not every section needs an activity. If your company requires a passing score, though, you’ll need a graded quiz that can report results to the LMS.

Step 4: Publish as a SCORM package

When the course is ready, choose the correct version of SCORM for your LMS, often SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004. You’ll also designate what counts as complete, such as finishing the lessons or passing a quiz.

Once you’ve made your selections, use the authoring tool to create a ZIP file with the course and the information the LMS needs. That ZIP file is your SCORM package.

Step 5: Upload to your LMS and test

Upload the package to your LMS, or send it to the person who manages the LMS. Before assigning it to employees, open the course yourself. Can you move through the lessons as expected? Do the activities work? Does the LMS record completion and quiz scores correctly?

A quick test can catch problems before anyone else takes the course. Once everything works, your training is ready to share.

Your PowerPoint is a great place to start

Converting PowerPoint to SCORM may sound technical, but the goal is practical: use information you already have to create training your company can deliver and track. You don’t need to become a software expert or recreate every slide. Start with the presentation, think about what employees need to understand, and let the authoring tool handle the rest.

Ready to turn your PowerPoint into online training? Start a free trial and test this process for yourself.