Re-certification - Next Due Date Calculation

If a user completes a course of a course template on which he is enrolled for re-certification, the status display for this person in the course template changes to "Successfully completed". If the follow-up course is created based on the course template manually or automatically, the system checks whether the user has the status "Successfully completed" on the course template and the user is a member of a group for which re-certification is activated. 

When calculating the next due date for any possible group setup, the core target is to avoid gaps in the validity of the achieved certification. The next due dates are calculated under the premise to best utilising the period of validity of achieved compliance.

When entering the re-certification cycle with the second course, the next due date calculation differs from the calculation when the learner is already in the cycle. There are two ways to calculate the next due date based on the chosen “Deadline type”. Possible deadline types are “Due date based on conclusion” as well as “Always valid on DD/MM”. Details of both are described in the following.

Next Due Date calculation for deadline type ”Due date based on conclusion”

If the next due date is to be calculated based on the date of conclusion, this is done using the following formula:

"Next due date" = "Date of most recent completion" + "Re-certification interval"

Example

Recertification interval 12 Months
Date of conclusion course 1: 31.08.2025
Next due date: 31.08.2026
Date of conclusion course 2: 15.07.2026
Next due date course 3: 15.07.2027

--> This means that over the years, the due date always falls on a different day, depending on the date of conclusion of the previous course.

If a user has not yet completed any courses in the template, no next due date is set. To deal with this case and enable the learner to continue the re-certification cycle following settings must be configured accordingly:

• “Automatic status change after due date” with “Days for status change after due date” (in days)

• “Change status to” (selection of status: passed, failed or cancelled).

• “Re-enrol cancelled and failed users”, if “Automatic status change after due date” is selected.

Next due date calculation based on deadline type “Always valid on DD/MM”

The calculation of the next due date based on deadline type “Always valid on DD/MM” ensures a renewing of the certification within the defined re-certification interval compared to the last due date.

For re-certification intervals < 12 months

The following graphic visualises an example of next due date calculation in case of a re-certification interval of 6 months:

The next due date for the 2nd course is already taking the interval of 6 months into account as it will be for the 3rd and any further courses in the re-certification cycle. At the same time, it is ensured that each user will land on the defined DD/MM either with the following course.

For the illustrated example, the calculation process is as follows:

• After the completion of the first course on 20.04.25, the next due date is calculated.

• It finds the defined DD/MM which is in the future and after the due date of the first course (01.05.25). The date is 30.03.26.

• The system checks whether 30.03.26 is at a maximum, and the defined re-certification interval of 6 months in the future to avoid certification gaps.

• As 30.03.26 is 10 months after the initial due date, this would cause a certification gap of 4 months in the illustrated case.

• The system incrementally calculates back from the expected DD/MM the defined interval. In the given cases, it subtracts 6 months from 30.03.26 to come to 30.09.25 and checks again whether that date is at a maximum the defined re-certification interval of 6 months in the future to avoid certification gaps. As this 30.09.25 - 1.5.25 is less than 6 months, this date is taken as the next due date for the users as it does not cause any certification gaps and still ensures that the users can after the next course completion, land on the defined DD/MM 30.03. for the following course as expected.

For re-certification intervals equal 12 months

The following graphic visualises an example of next due date calculation in case of a re-certifcation interval of 12 months:

The next due date for the 2nd course is already taking the interval of 12 months into account as it will be for the 3rd and any further courses in the re-certification cycle. Thereby, it is ensured that each user will land on the defined DD/MM on the next course.

For the illustrated example, the calculation process is as follows:

• After the completion of the first course on 20.04.25, the next due date is calculated.

• It finds the defined DD/MM which is in the future and after the due date of the first course (01.05.25). The date is 30.09.25.

• For a chosen interval of 12 months, that date will always be at a maximum of the defined re-certification interval of 12 months in the future.

• The system will therefore take that determined date 30.09.25 as the next due date for the user as any later date with further 12 months in the future would cause certification gaps.

• Please note that there is no automation to manage users who are overdue in the course completed before.

For re-certification intervals > 12 months

The following graphic visualises an example of next due date calculation in case of a re-certification interval of 24 months:

The next due date for the 2nd course is already taking the interval of 24 months into account as it will be for the 3rd and any further courses in the re-certification cycle. At the same time it still is ensured that each user will land on the defined DD/MM with the next course.

For the illustrated example, the calculation processes as follows:

• After course completion of the first course on 20.04.25, the next due date is calculated.

• The system adds the defined interval of 24 months to the initial due date and calculates 1.5.27 as the latest date the user must complete the following course.

• To fulfil the demand that the next due date should land on the defined DD/MM 30.09. The system finds the DD/MM which is nearest to the calculated latest next completion date 01.05.27 which is the 30.09. the year before, concretely the 30.09.26. This date ensures both allowing the user the longest possible time before a next course completion is needed as well as ensuring the users next due date is landing on the defined DD/MM and not causing a certification gap.

Next due date calculation when entering the re-certification cycle for DD/MM (2nd course)

If the conclusion date of the first course is before DD/MM of the same year → the next due date is DD/MM of the same year.

If the conclusion date of the first course is after DD/MM of the same year → the next due date is DD/MM of the next year

Example:

If the next due date is calculated based on DD/MM.
Re-certification Settings:
Deadline type: Always valid on DD/MM
Deadline 31/12
Recertification Interval: 12 Months

Date of Assignment: 01/04/2025
Initial Due date: 01.05.2025
Conclusion of Course 1: 20.04.2025
Calculated next due date: 31/12/2025

--> this means for the second course because initial due date was on the 1st of May, the next due will be on the 31st of December the same year, even if the recertification cycle is 12 months. This is only for the second course, because if the next due date would be in the upcoming year there is a gap because the between the initial due date and the next due date would be a period of 20 months, and not 12 months like the settings. To get into the cycle when the Initial dead line DD/MM and the recertification deadline type are different a short period is possible between first and second course is considered. From the 3rd course the cycle then is always correctly 12 months like configured.

Next due date calculation when the learner is already in the re-certification cycle for DD/MM

Then the next due date is calculated for the user. This is done depending on the type of deadline:

"Always valid on DD/MM":

"Next due date" = “Deadline in DD/MM” + "Re-certification interval"

Calculation of next due date when there is no initial due date

It is possible to configure the re-certification that no initial due date is set. This can be done be entering 0 as days to finish in combination with the Initial due date based on “Fixed due date” or “Due date based on DD/MM”.

The next due date is calculated like the following:
If the re-certification is based on DD/MM the next due date will be the next based on when the learner has completed the initial course.

Example 1
Recertification is always due on DD/MM 31/09
Recertification interval: 12 months
Initial course has no due date

Learner 1 completes the initial course on 15th of July, that means the next due date is set to the 31st of September the same year.
Learner2 completes the initial course on 15th of October, the means the next due date is set to the 31st of September the following year.

It is based on the rule that the 12-month interval should not be exceeded.

Example 2
Recertification is based on conclusion

Recertification interval: 12 months
Initial course has no due date

Learner 1 completes the initial course on 15th of July, that means the next due date is set to the 15th of July the next year.
Learner 2 completes the initial course on 15th of October, that means the next due date is set to the 15th of October the next year.

Calculation of next due date, enrolment date and due date

Recertification cycle has been explained in more detail here:

“Later date applies” approach

To ensure that users have at any time the minimum of “days to finish” available from course enrolment to course due date a general “later date applies” approach compares the initial or next due date to the calculated date by enrolment date plus days to finish at the moment of enrolment. The later date will be set as (initial) course due date for the user. This approach is applied for the calculation of the initial due date, the course due date for the first course as well as for all course due dates of following courses. It is not applied for the calculation of the next due date. See the following table for details.