When reviewing training data, you may notice that Completion Rate and Compliance Rate don’t always match — and that’s completely expected. These two metrics are designed to answer different questions, each providing valuable insight into training progress and compliance status.
This article walks you through how each rate works, why the numbers may differ, and how to interpret them correctly so you can confidently explain what you’re seeing in your dashboards.
Completion Rate
Completion Rate reflects how many courses you have currently completed.
Only current completions are included. If a course was completed in the past but that completion is no longer considered current, it won’t count toward Completion Rate. Retired and archived but still non‑deleted courses are included only where they are still considered in the user’s current enrollments.
Think of Completion Rate as a snapshot of recent, up-to-date course completions.
Compliance Rate
Compliance Rate shows whether you are currently compliant with your assigned compliance courses.
How compliance is determined depends on the course setup:
Courses that award certificates
You are considered compliant as long as your certificate is active (not expired), even if you completed the course earlier.Courses without certificates
Compliance is based on current completion, similar to Completion Rate.
Compliance Rate focuses on meeting requirements, not on when the course was last completed.
Why the Two Rates Are Different
Completion Rate and Compliance Rate measure different things:
Completion Rate looks at current course completions.
Compliance Rate looks at whether compliance requirements are currently met — often through active certificates.
Because of this, it’s normal for the two percentages to vary.
Why Compliance Rate Can Be Higher Than Completion Rate
You may see a higher Compliance Rate when:
You completed a compliance course in the past
Your certificate is still active
The course has been reassigned, but the certificate has not expired
In this case, even without a new completion, you remain compliant — and the course continues to count toward Compliance Rate.
Why Different Dashboards Show Different Percentages
Each dashboard is designed with a specific purpose in mind:
Training Dashboard (All Courses) → shows Completion Rate
Training Dashboard (Compliance Courses) → shows Compliance Rate
Compliance Dashboard → shows Compliance Rate
Because these dashboards track different metrics, seeing different percentages is expected and intentional.
How Expired or Overdue Courses Affect Compliance
Expired certificates
The course is considered non-compliant.Active certificates
The course remains compliant, even if a reassignment exists.
This ensures that compliance status reflects valid certifications rather than reassignment timing.
How to Interpret Compliance Rate
Compliance Rate answers a simple but important question:
“Do I currently meet my compliance requirements?”
It does not measure how many courses were completed recently. Instead, it confirms whether all required compliance criteria are actively met at this moment.
Key Takeaway
When reviewing training data:
Use Completion Rate to understand current course completions
Use Compliance Rate to confirm whether compliance obligations are met
Expect differences between dashboards — each one highlights a different perspective
Understanding how these metrics complement one another ensures accurate interpretation of training and compliance data.