--- title: "Assigning Requirements to a Certification" slug: "assigning-requirements-to-a-certification" updated: 2025-01-03T16:35:01Z published: 2025-01-03T16:35:01Z canonical: "support.smarteru.com/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.smarteru.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Assigning Requirements to a Certification The requirements assigned to a certification determine which courses and actions a user must complete. To assign a [requirement](/v1/docs/requirements) to a [certification](/v1/docs/certifications): 1. Be sure that the [certification has been added](/v1/docs/adding-a-certification). 2. From the Add/Edit Requirements section of the workscreen, select the requirement you would like to assign to the certification. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/7efaadab-fef6-4186-806a-2ca14c9ce9ea/Images/Documentation/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification-image-yxa7l2uc.png) 1. To view the requirement's details or [change its settings](/v1/docs/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification#settings), expand the requirement's accordion. Information about the requirement, including its assigned courses and actions, are displayed. Administrators can click a course name to view the course's details in the Courses Dashboard. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/7efaadab-fef6-4186-806a-2ca14c9ce9ea/Images/Documentation/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification-image-y7ur3mex.png) 1. Click **Save**. ## Settings ### Mandate Level Select one of the following: - Mandatory - The requirement is required for the certification. - Recommended - The requirement is not required, but recommended for the certification. If you select this option, you can specify the [minimum number of requirement blocks](/v1/docs/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification#learner-must-complete-at-least-n-requirement-items) that need to be completed for the requirement. This is particularly helpful for managing electives as part of the certification process. - Optional - The requirement is optional for the certification. If you select this option, you can specify the [minimum number of requirement blocks](/v1/docs/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification#learner-must-complete-at-least-n-requirement-items) that need to be completed for the requirement. This is particularly helpful for managing electives as part of the certification process. If the Mandate Level for a requirement is *Recommended* or *Optional*, users who are assigned the requirement will NOT be automatically enrolled in the requirement's courses even if the [course's **Auto** setting](/v1/docs/editing-a-blocks-courses#automation-enrollment) is checked. We recommend enabling the [**Self-Enroll** setting for requirement courses](/v1/docs/editing-a-blocks-courses#selfenroll) that are either recommended or optional. ### Learner Must Complete at Least n Requirement Items This setting is only applicable when the **Mandate Level** setting is *Recommended* or *Optional*. Enter the minimum number of [requirement blocks](/v1/docs/requirement-blocks) that must be completed. Be sure to enter a number that is equal to or less than the number of blocks in the requirement. If you specify a number that is greater than the number of blocks in the requirement, users will not be able to meet the requirement. ## Settings: Override Expiration Status The Override Expiration Status setting enables you to control whether you want to override the [requirement's expiration setting](/v1/docs/requirement-expiration). ### Unchecked If the Override Expiration Status setting is unchecked, the [requirement's expiration settings](/v1/docs/requirement-expiration) will be used to determine a user's certification status. If a user's requirement status expires, the user's certification status will change to *Unmet* to reflect the expired requirement. In addition, any courses or actions added to the requirement will cause the certification status of users who have met the certification to change to *Unmet*. For example, suppose a user completes a certification on February 1, 2018. On March 1, 2018, a course and action are added to one of the certification's requirements. With the Extend Expiration Date setting disabled, the user's certification status will change to *Unmet* until they complete the course and action. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/7efaadab-fef6-4186-806a-2ca14c9ce9ea/Images/Documentation/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification-image-cj5zoski.png) ### Checked Checking the Override Expiration Status setting is useful in situations when you want to override the [requirement's expiration settings](/v1/docs/requirement-expiration) either indefinitely, or for a period of time. If you check the [**Override Expiration Status** setting](/v1/docs/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification#extend-expiration-date-options), you will need to select either the [*Permanent*](/v1/docs/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification#permanent) or [*Sticky Until*](/v1/docs/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification#sticky-until) option. ### Extend Expiration Date Options #### Permanent The *Permanent* option overrides the requirement's expiration settings indefinitely. For example, you might want to override a requirement's expiration of 365 days. With the *Permanent* option selected, the requirement will never expire, even if you add courses or actions to the requirement. Or, you may want to update a requirement, but don't want to de-certify any users who have already earned the certification. If courses or actions are added to the requirement, users who have met the certification will not need to complete the additional courses or actions. For example, if a user completes a certification on February 1, 2018 and a course and action are added to the certification's requirements on March 1, 2018, the user's certification status will remain *Met*. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/7efaadab-fef6-4186-806a-2ca14c9ce9ea/Images/Documentation/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification-image-ol002cf6.png) #### Sticky Until The *Sticky Until* option overrides the requirement's expiration settings for the specified period of time. You can use this option to either extend the length of time users' certifications have a *Met* status, or force a status change on a requirement that doesn't expire. The Sticky Until dates have no impact on requirements that are unmet at the time the certification is updated. If you select this option, you will need to specify the following: - Sticky Until Date - the date that the requirement will expire. - Sticky Warning Date - the date that the user's requirement status will change to *Warning*. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/7efaadab-fef6-4186-806a-2ca14c9ce9ea/Images/Documentation/assigning-requirements-to-a-certification-image-j6omungs.png) The table below summarizes how the Sticky Until option affects the requirement's expiration date. | If | Then | | --- | --- | | User has not met requirement when certification is updated | Their requirement's status will be unchanged. When the user completes all of the certification's requirements, the expiration will be re-calculated based on that date. | | User has met requirement when certification is updated | They will have until the Sticky Until Date to complete any new courses or actions added to the requirement. The requirement's new expiration date will be re-calculated based on the date the requirement is completed. Refer to the [Certification Updated, Requirement Expires, Sticky Until Example](/v1/docs/expiration-date-examples#certification-updated-requirement-expires-sticky-until-example-) on the [Expiration Dates Examples](/v1/docs/expiration-date-examples) page. | | Requirement does not expire | If the requirement doesn't expire, an expiration date for the requirement will be set based on the Sticky Until Date. Refer to the [Certification Updated, Requirement Doesn't Expire, Sticky Until Example](/v1/docs/expiration-date-examples#certification-updated-requirement-doesnt-expire-sticky-until-example) on the [Expiration Dates Examples](/v1/docs/expiration-date-examples) page. | ## Related - [Adding a Certification](/adding-a-certification.md) - [Expiration Date Examples](/expiration-date-examples.md) - [Learning Plan Automation](/learning-plan-automation.md) - [Learning Plans Dashboard](/learning-plans-dashboard.md) - [Requirements](/requirements.md)