24 May 2026
What Is AICC in eLearning? Definition, How It Works, and When to Use It
maestro
Author
AICC (Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee) is the first eLearning interoperability standard, created in 1988 to allow digital courses to run across multiple learning platforms without being rebuilt for each system. AICC uses the HTTP-based AICC/CMI Protocol (HACP) to exchange learner data between a course and an LMS over HTTP. The AICC committee dissolved in December 2014, but AICC content remains in use across legacy aviation, defence, and government training environments.
L&D professionals encounter AICC when working with legacy training content from Skillsoft, OpenSesame, and MindEdge, when procuring for aviation, defence, or government organisations, and when migrating older course libraries into modern LMS platforms. SCORM, xAPI, and cmi5 all derive their core concepts of content packaging and learner data exchange from the framework AICC established between 1988 and 2014. Understanding AICC requires knowing what problem it solved, how its communication protocol works, and exactly where it fits within the current eLearning standards landscape.
What is AICC in eLearning?
AICC in eLearning is a set of technical guidelines published by the Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee that define how digital training content communicates with a Learning Management System, how courses are packaged for cross-platform delivery, and how learner progress data is recorded. AICC is the earliest formal eLearning interoperability standard, predating SCORM by 12 years. AICC established the foundational principle that digital training content built by one vendor operates on a learning platform built by a different vendor, without requiring the content to be rebuilt.
The full AICC meaning is Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee, a non-profit organisation formed in 1988 by aircraft manufacturers Boeing, Airbus, and McDonnell Douglas. Its mandate was to reduce the cost and duplication of computer-based training materials across an industry where training standards are safety-critical and where every airline had previously used incompatible proprietary systems.
AICC produced 9 technical guidelines called AGRs (AICC Guidelines and Recommendations) between 1989 and 2001. The 2 AGRs that define eLearning compliance are AGR-006 (Computer Managed Instruction) and AGR-010 (Web-Based Computer Managed Instruction). AGR-006 governs computer-based training delivered over any medium including CD-ROM, intranet, and internet. AGR-010 specifically governs web-based eLearning delivered through a browser and defines the HACP protocol used for LMS communication.
What is the history of AICC?
The AICC was formed in 1988 at a point where aviation training costs were escalating because every airline and training provider maintained incompatible proprietary systems. A training module built for United Airlines' system required complete reconstruction before it could run on Boeing's system or American Airlines' platform. The AICC's founding objective was to establish technical standards that eliminated this duplication and allowed training content to move freely between platforms.
The 4 significant milestones in AICC history are:
- 1988: the AICC is formed. Initial focus on CD-ROM-based training and standardising the physical format and data structure of computer-based training materials.
- 1993: the first published version of AGR-006 establishes Computer Managed Instruction standards for content delivered on physical media and early network systems.
- 1998: the AICC extends its standards to web-based delivery with AGR-010, introducing the HTTP-based AICC/CMI Protocol (HACP) to allow courses hosted on external servers to communicate with an LMS over HTTP.
- December 2014: the AICC formally dissolves due to declining membership as SCORM becomes the dominant industry standard. The committee transferred its document archive and the cmi5 effort to the ADL Initiative, where they remain publicly accessible. The AICC dissolution does not render existing AICC content non-functional.
AICC's influence extended far beyond aviation. By the late 1990s, financial services, healthcare, defence, and government organisations had adopted AICC-compliant content and LMS platforms. Courseware providers including Skillsoft and MindEdge built substantial libraries of AICC-packaged content. Those libraries remain in use in organisations that have not migrated to SCORM or xAPI, particularly where the LMS is a legacy system from the 1990s or early 2000s.
What are the 2 AICC compliance guidelines?
AICC compliance is defined by 2 core guidelines: AGR-006 and AGR-010. Both specify standards for how eLearning content and learning management systems interact, but they address different delivery environments and use different communication mechanisms.
AGR-006: Computer Managed Instruction
AGR-006 is the primary AICC standard governing the structure of computer-based training content regardless of delivery medium. AGR-006 defines 4 elements: the file structure for AICC course packages, the data elements that courses report to a learning management system (including lesson status, score, and session time), the format of the course descriptor files that tell the LMS how to launch and manage the content, and the communication interface between content and LMS.
An AGR-006 compliant AICC course package contains a set of descriptor files in plain text format. These files include a .crs file (course structure), a .des file (descriptor), a .au file (assignable unit), and optionally .cst and .ort files for objective and relationship data. The LMS reads these files to understand the course structure before launching the content.
AGR-010: Web-Based Computer Managed Instruction
AGR-010 extends AGR-006 specifically to web-based eLearning by defining the HTTP AICC Communication Protocol (HACP) for browser-delivered courses. AGR-010 solved a specific technical problem that AGR-006 did not address: how a course hosted on an external content server communicates with an LMS hosted on a different server. SCORM uses JavaScript to communicate within the same browser window, which means SCORM content and the LMS must coexist in the same browser session. AGR-010's HACP protocol communicates via HTTP POST requests between servers, enabling the course and LMS to reside on entirely separate hosting environments.
This remote-hosting capability was a significant architectural advantage in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Content providers could host AICC courseware on their own servers, update it independently, and serve it to multiple LMS clients without distributing a new content package to each organisation. Skillsoft and other commercial content libraries operated exactly this model, serving AICC content to corporate LMS platforms via HACP while retaining control of the source content on their own infrastructure.
How does AICC communicate with an LMS?
AICC communicates with a Learning Management System using the HTTP-based AICC/CMI Protocol (HACP), which sends plain-text name-value pair messages between the course server and the LMS server via HTTP POST requests. This architecture differs from SCORM's JavaScript API approach. In a SCORM course, the content and the LMS share the same browser session and communicate via JavaScript function calls. In an AICC course, the browser-based course sends HTTP POST messages to the LMS server, and the LMS responds with plain-text data containing course state and learner information.
The HACP communication sequence follows 4 steps for each learner session:
- GetParam request: the course sends an HTTP POST to the LMS with the learner identifier, requesting current course state data (lesson status, score, lesson location, and suspend data from any previous session).
- LMS response: the LMS returns a plain-text response containing the stored learner state data for that course assignable unit.
- PutParam requests during the session: as the learner progresses through the course, the content sends periodic PutParam HTTP POST messages to the LMS, reporting updated values for lesson status, score, time, and location.
- ExitAU request: when the learner closes the course, the content sends an ExitAU message to the LMS, signalling session end and triggering final data storage.
AICC's HTTP-based communication provides a security advantage over SCORM's JavaScript model in restricted network environments. HACP operates over HTTP/HTTPS, which travels through standard web traffic channels and is compatible with firewall configurations that block cross-origin JavaScript. Aviation, defence, and government LMS deployments frequently operate in environments with strict firewall rules, making HACP's HTTP communication architecture more compatible than SCORM's JavaScript API in those contexts.
What data does AICC track?
AICC tracks 4 primary data elements for each learner session: lesson status, assessment score, session time, and lesson location (bookmark). AICC tracking is less granular than SCORM 2004 tracking. AICC does not provide question-level interaction data, does not separate completion and success into independent fields, and does not support advanced sequencing rules. These limitations explain why AICC was superseded by SCORM 1.2 for most new course development from 2001 onwards.
| AICC Data Element | What It Records | AICC Format | Equivalent in SCORM 1.2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson Status | Completion and pass/fail outcome combined | passed, failed, completed, incomplete, browsed, not attempted | cmi.core.lesson_status (same 6 values) |
| Score (raw) | Numeric score achieved by the learner | Decimal value between 0 and 100 | cmi.core.score.raw |
| Session Time | Duration of the current learner session | HH:MM:SS format | cmi.core.session_time |
| Lesson Location | Where the learner stopped in the course | Free text string, up to 255 characters | cmi.core.lesson_location |
AICC inherits the same completion-and-success ambiguity as SCORM 1.2: a learner who views all content but fails the assessment receives a status of 'failed' rather than a combined 'completed/failed' record. This limitation is resolved in SCORM 2004, which separates completion_status and success_status into independent fields.
How does AICC compare to SCORM, xAPI, and cmi5?
AICC, SCORM, xAPI, and cmi5 are 4 distinct eLearning interoperability standards that address the same core problem (enabling digital training content to communicate learner data to a tracking platform) using different technical architectures, communication protocols, and data models. Compozer exports all 4 standards: AICC, SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 3rd Edition, SCORM 2004 4th Edition, and xAPI/Tin Can API from the Lite plan at A$19/month.
| Standard | Created | Protocol | Tracks Where | Remote Hosting | Offline Support | Still Updated | Compozer Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AICC | 1988, dissolved 2014 | HTTP POST (HACP) | LMS only | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| SCORM 1.2 | 2001, ADL | JavaScript API | LMS only | No | No | No (stable) | Yes |
| SCORM 2004 | 2004-2009, ADL | JavaScript API | LMS only | No | No | No (stable) | Yes |
| xAPI | 2013, ADL | REST API (JSON) | LRS + LMS + offline | Yes | Yes | Active | Yes |
| cmi5 | 2016, ADL | REST API (xAPI profile) | LMS-launched xAPI | Yes | Partial | Active | Yes |
AICC vs SCORM
The primary technical difference between AICC and SCORM is the communication protocol: AICC uses HTTP POST messages between servers, while SCORM uses a JavaScript API within the browser window. This means AICC courses can be hosted on a server that is separate from the LMS, while SCORM courses must reside within the same browser session as the LMS. SCORM 1.2 replaced AICC as the dominant standard from 2001 because SCORM's JavaScript architecture is simpler to implement, requires no server-side HACP endpoint, and produces a single self-contained .zip file that uploads directly to the LMS without any additional configuration.
SCORM 1.2 tracks the same 4 data elements as AICC (completion, score, time, location) using identical lesson_status values. The practical tracking capability difference between AICC and SCORM 1.2 is minimal for basic compliance and completion reporting. The architectural difference (HTTP vs JavaScript) is the more significant distinction for organisations with firewalled LMS environments.
AICC vs xAPI
xAPI (Experience API, also called Tin Can API) represents a fundamentally different approach from both AICC and SCORM. xAPI tracks any learning activity anywhere, storing data in a Learning Record Store (LRS) rather than an LMS, using a REST API and JSON statement format ('Actor Verb Object'). AICC and xAPI share the remote-hosting concept (both allow content to reside on servers separate from the tracking platform), but xAPI extends tracking beyond the browser to mobile apps, physical simulations, and offline activities. AICC cannot track any learning that occurs outside a browser session connected to the LMS.
AICC vs cmi5
cmi5 is a 2016 ADL specification that defines how xAPI statements are structured for LMS-launched courses. cmi5 is the modern successor to AICC for the specific use case of LMS-delivered, remotely-hosted course content. Where AICC uses HTTP POST and plain-text name-value pairs, cmi5 uses xAPI's JSON statement model over a REST API, providing richer data and better mobile support. Organisations migrating from AICC infrastructure towards a modern standard adopt cmi5 rather than SCORM because cmi5 preserves the remote-hosting architecture that AICC introduced.
Why does AICC still matter in 2026?
AICC remains relevant in 2026 for 3 specific contexts: legacy course libraries from commercial providers, aviation and defence procurement requirements, and cross-origin content hosting where the course and the LMS reside on different domains. The AICC committee's dissolution in 2014 did not make existing AICC content non-functional. It stopped the production of new AICC guidelines and ended formal support for the standard, but courses packaged to AGR-006 and AGR-010 specifications continue to run on AICC-compliant LMS platforms without modification.
Legacy content from commercial course providers
Skillsoft, OpenSesame, and MindEdge distribute training content in AICC format. Organisations that have licensed content from these providers before 2010 typically hold AICC-packaged course libraries covering compliance, safety, soft skills, and technical training. Migrating those libraries to SCORM requires either repurchasing updated SCORM versions from the content provider or converting AICC packages to SCORM using a conversion tool. Many organisations choose to maintain AICC compatibility in their LMS to avoid repurchase costs.
Aviation, defence, and government procurement
Aviation, defence, and government procurement specifications frequently include AICC compliance as a mandatory requirement, particularly in organisations whose LMS infrastructure dates from before 2005. The US Department of Defense, major airlines, and several European aviation authorities maintain training platforms that list AICC compliance as a supported standard alongside SCORM. An authoring tool that exports AICC allows L&D teams to serve content to these environments without maintaining separate platform-specific content versions.
Cross-origin content hosting requirements
AICC's HTTP-based HACP protocol remains the only eLearning standard that natively supports courses hosted on a content provider's server communicating with a corporate LMS across different domains without browser cross-origin restrictions. SCORM's JavaScript API is subject to browser same-origin policy restrictions that prevent a SCORM course hosted on Domain A from calling the LMS API on Domain B. In environments where the content and the LMS cannot share the same domain or subdomain, AICC's HTTP POST architecture provides compatibility that SCORM 1.2 cannot.
When does AICC still apply in 2026?
Concretely, AICC applies in 4 operational situations in 2026. For all other new course development, SCORM 1.2 is the correct default standard.
- The LMS inventory includes legacy AICC content from Skillsoft, OpenSesame, or MindEdge that has not been migrated to SCORM, and the LMS must continue to track completion and scores for that content.
- The organisation's LMS was built before 2001 and lists AICC as its supported standard without native SCORM support. This applies primarily to aviation maintenance training platforms, military simulation systems, and government-agency LMS platforms built in the 1990s.
- The procurement specification for the LMS or training content explicitly requires AICC compliance alongside SCORM, such as in US DoD SCORM and AICC dual-compliance requirements for contracted training providers.
- The content must be hosted on a separate server from the LMS due to network architecture or content provider agreements, and cmi5 is not yet supported by the LMS. In this situation, AICC's HACP protocol provides the only standards-based mechanism for cross-domain LMS communication.
For all new course development in 2026 where no legacy AICC requirement exists, SCORM 1.2 is the recommended standard for LMS-delivered courses and xAPI is the recommended standard for tracking beyond the LMS. AICC export from an authoring tool provides backwards compatibility with legacy environments without adding cost or complexity to the development process.
Does Compozer support AICC?
Compozer exports AICC alongside SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 3rd Edition, SCORM 2004 4th Edition, and xAPI/Tin Can API on every paid plan (pricing). A course built in Compozer exports as an AICC-compliant package containing the AGR-006 descriptor files and HACP-compatible communication code. The export standard is selected at publish time. No course rebuild is required to switch between AICC, SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, or xAPI. Compozer runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux through any modern browser with no software installation required.
Compozer's AICC export is available from the Lite plan at A$19/month, which includes 10 course creations, 2 Brand Kits, 2 GB cloud storage, Quiz Engine, unlimited exports across all supported standards, and white-labelling. The Freemium plan at A$0 provides 1 course creation with limited export for previewing.
| Compozer Plan | Price | AICC Export | SCORM Export | xAPI Export | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freemium | A$0/month | Limited preview | Limited preview | Limited preview | 1 |
| Lite | A$19/month | Unlimited | Unlimited (1.2 + 2004) | Unlimited | 10 |
| Grow | A$49/mo + A$10/user | Unlimited | Unlimited (1.2 + 2004) | Unlimited | 35 |
| Pro | A$99/mo + A$15/user | Unlimited | Unlimited (1.2 + 2004) | Unlimited | 100 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | Unlimited (1.2 + 2004) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does AICC stand for?
AICC stands for Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee. The AICC was a non-profit technical standards committee formed in 1988 by aircraft manufacturers Boeing, Airbus, and McDonnell Douglas to standardise computer-based training materials across the aviation industry. The committee produced 9 technical guidelines called AGRs (AICC Guidelines and Recommendations) before formally dissolving in December 2014.
What is the difference between AICC and SCORM?
AICC uses HTTP POST requests between servers (HACP protocol) to communicate learner data. SCORM uses a JavaScript API within the browser window. The key practical difference is that AICC courses can be hosted on a server separate from the LMS, while SCORM courses must run within the same browser session as the LMS. Both AICC and SCORM 1.2 track the same 4 core data elements: lesson status, score, session time, and lesson location (bookmark). SCORM 1.2 replaced AICC as the dominant standard from 2001 because its JavaScript architecture is simpler to implement.
Is AICC still used in 2026?
Yes, AICC is still used in 2026 in 3 specific contexts: legacy course libraries from commercial providers (such as Skillsoft, OpenSesame, and MindEdge), aviation and defence procurement requirements, and cross-origin content hosting where the course and the LMS reside on different domains. For all new course development where no legacy AICC requirement exists, SCORM 1.2 is the recommended standard.
What is HACP in AICC?
HACP stands for HTTP-based AICC/CMI Protocol. HACP is the communication mechanism defined in AGR-010 that allows an AICC course to exchange learner data with an LMS via HTTP POST messages rather than JavaScript API calls. The HACP session follows 4 steps: GetParam (course requests current learner state from LMS), LMS response (returns stored data), PutParam (course reports updated data during the session), and ExitAU (course signals session end). HACP's HTTP architecture allows courses to reside on a server separate from the LMS.
What data does AICC track?
AICC tracks 4 core data elements: lesson status (passed, failed, completed, incomplete, browsed, or not attempted), assessment score (decimal value 0 to 100), session time (HH:MM:SS format), and lesson location (bookmark, up to 255 characters). AICC does not track individual question responses, does not separate completion and success into independent fields, and does not support sequencing rules. These limitations are the same as SCORM 1.2 and are resolved in SCORM 2004's separate completion_status and success_status fields.
What are AGR-006 and AGR-010?
AGR-006 and AGR-010 are the 2 AICC guidelines that define eLearning compliance. AGR-006 (Computer Managed Instruction) governs the structure of computer-based training content and the data elements that courses report to an LMS, covering content delivered on any medium. AGR-010 (Web-Based Computer Managed Instruction) extends AGR-006 specifically to browser-delivered eLearning by defining the HACP protocol for HTTP-based LMS communication. Content that conforms to both AGR-006 and AGR-010 operates on any AICC-compliant LMS.
Why did the AICC dissolve?
The AICC dissolved in December 2014 due to declining membership participation as SCORM became the dominant eLearning standard and organisations moved their standards focus to the ADL's newer specifications. The dissolution ended production of new AICC guidelines but did not affect the functionality of existing AICC-compliant content or AICC-compliant LMS platforms. The AICC transferred its document archive and the cmi5 effort to the ADL Initiative, where they remain publicly accessible. SCORM's development of more advanced standards including xAPI (2013) had already addressed the cross-domain content hosting use case that AICC's HACP protocol originally solved.
Conclusion
AICC is the first eLearning interoperability standard. Created in 1988 by the Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee, AICC established the foundational principle that digital training content built by one vendor operates on a learning platform built by another. AICC's HTTP-based AICC/CMI Protocol (HACP) allows courses to reside on separate servers from the LMS, a capability cmi5 later formalised using xAPI's modern REST architecture. AICC remains in use in legacy course libraries, aviation and defence LMS environments, and government procurement contexts where AICC compliance is a contractual requirement.
Compozer exports AICC, SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, and xAPI from the Lite plan at A$19/month, covering all active eLearning standards without requiring separate course builds for each format. The Freemium plan at A$0 provides 1 course creation for evaluation with no time limit.