Frequently Asked Questions: TopClass’s Award-Winning LMS

General Overview

What is TopClass, and who is it built for? TopClass is an award-winning, cloud-based learning management system (LMS) specifically designed for trade and professional associations, real estate associations, nonprofits, unions, and certification bodies. As part of Advanced Solutions International (ASI), it empowers these organizations to deliver, manage, and automate comprehensive education and certification programs while driving non-dues revenue. It achieves this through automated credit tracking, native AMS integrations, interactive blended learning, and a built-in e-commerce engine designed to drive non-dues revenue.

What makes TopClass different from a generic LMS?

Unlike generic corporate learning platforms, TopClass is purpose-built to handle the unique needs of membership-based organizations. It differentiates itself by offering deep integrations with association management software (AMS) and constituent relationship management (CRM) platforms, as well as robust tools for managing complex certification lifecycles. It provides seamless connectivity to the broader ASI ecosystem, including tools like iMIS, Clowder, and OpenWater.

Furthermore, TopClass features a revenue-focused design with built-in global e-commerce capabilities, allowing organizations to actively drive non-dues revenue through their educational and credentialing offerings.

How is TopClass priced? TopClass's pricing is structured around an annual software license fee that scales based on the number of active learners you have, plus recurring costs for optional add-on modules like certifications, API access, or virtual conferences. Customers pay one-time implementation and consulting fees for system setup and integrations. For exact pricing details, request a demo to discuss your needs with the TopClass team.

What should we expect for the implementation timeline? Implementing a cloud-based LMS like TopClass typically takes between three and six months. Your exact timeline will depend on the complexity of your data migration, integration requirements, and any custom workflows your organization needs configured.

Features

Can I brand the interface and personalize it for my members?

Yes, TopClass provides highly configurable dashboards that you can brand to match your organization’s visual identity. In terms of personalization, the learning dashboard acts as a personal hub for each member. When members log in, they can view their current enrollments, explore relevant courses, and track their specific certifications and achievements.

By integrating TopClass with your CRM or AMS, you can leverage member data to automatically deliver highly personalized learning opportunities tailored to their unique interests, professional roles, and goals.

Is it easy for my members to find the courses they need?

Absolutely. The platform features an attractive course catalog that learners can easily search and filter to find and purchase relevant content. If your organization prefers to use the catalog from your AMS instead of TopClass's native catalog, our robust integrations with many popular systems make that possible. Plus, the personalized learning dashboard acts as a central hub where members can quickly discover courses tailored to their interests and view all of their current enrollments in one place. When enrolled in a recurring virtual instructor-led training (ILT) course, TopClass will automatically guide them to the next upcoming session.

Can we sell courses and handle member discounts directly in the LMS? Yes, TopClass features secure, built-in global e-commerce capabilities. You can easily implement flexible monetization strategies, including multi-tier pricing for members vs. non-members, discount codes, course bundles, and multi-currency transactions.

Can I add quizzes or polls to my existing video content? Yes, TopClass allows you to transform standard video files and recorded presentations into interactive learning tools. You can easily embed polls and quizzes directly into your videos. These features are great for conducting knowledge checks and keeping your learners engaged.

What kind of quizzes and exams can I build?

TopClass allows you to build a wide variety of flexible online assessments, including timed quizzes, proctored exams, surveys, and evaluations. When building these exams, you can use several different question formats, including true/false, multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and free-form questions. The system handles automated grading. Plus, administrators have flexible controls to grant extra time on tests, override attempt limits, and provide customized feedback.

Is there a way for members to chat and network within courses? Yes, TopClass strongly supports collaborative learning. Organizations can easily set up discussion forums, online communities, cohort-based classes, and social sharing options.

Does TopClass support blended learning and virtual events? Yes, TopClass supports both blended learning and virtual events. The platform is designed to deliver a mix of self-guided study, online courses, microlearning, and instructor-led training. The platform enables a flipped learning approach where members can engage with videos and readings online before attending a live event, and then return to the platform afterward to maintain their momentum. For virtual events, TopClass seamlessly integrates with leading video conferencing tools like Zoom, GoTo Webinar, and Microsoft Teams to help you produce engaging online conferences and webinars.

What kind of reports can I pull, and can I automate them? TopClass includes an advanced reporting and analytics engine that can query any data point within the LMS. You can leverage out-of-the-box tools to pull a wide variety of reports, including:

Learner Progress and Histories: Track overall student status, training histories, and specific learning milestones.
Assessment Performance: View detailed exam results, test performance, and survey responses.
Certification and CE Tracking: Access certification status, path-level progress reports, and continuing education (CE) credit hours.
Financial and Administrative Data: Monitor course purchases and generate audit logs.

Individual learners have access to a downloadable “My Credits Report.” This serves as a personal hub where they can view, filter by date or type, and export their earned credits to PDF or Excel for certification renewals or employer. Additionally, reporting can be fully automated, allowing you to deliver real-time reports directly to the stakeholders who need them.

Certifications & Continuing Education

Can the system automatically send out certificates or digital badges? Yes, the LMS includes automated credential issuance. You can set the system to award beautifully branded certificates, digital badges, and micro-credentials the moment a member completes a program or learning path. It integrates with badging platforms like Credly so learners can easily share their metadata-rich digital credentials on social media and professional networks.

Can we track Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and external credits?

Yes, TopClass allows you to track both Maintenance of Certification (MOC) rules and external credits. For MOC, the platform lets you configure flexible certification tracks tied directly to CE requirements and MOC rules to enforce ongoing learning standards. For external credits, users can easily import credits earned from outside activities into TopClass to maintain a complete and accurate educational record.

Are learners notified when their certification is about to expire? Yes, learners are automatically notified when their certification is about to expire. TopClass features a rules-based notification wizard that automatically sends email notifications to candidates about their pending competencies and re-certification requirements. Administrators can set specific lifecycle rules for certification expiry and renewals, helping members stay compliant.

Integrations & Technological Infrastructure

Will TopClass connect with our AMS or CRM?

It’s highly likely! TopClass offers native, two-way integrations with many popular AMS and CRM systems, such as iMIS, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, HubSpot, YourMembership, GrowthZone, MemberSuite, and Protech. If your organization uses a system that does not have a pre-built integration, TopClass offers an extensive REST API that can connect the platform to nearly any other system.

For learners, these integrations enable a single sign-on (SSO). For administrators, the integration automatically syncs information between the systems. User profiles, course purchases, and learning achievements—such as completed CE credits and certifications—are all sent back to your CRM or AMS in real-time.

Can I upload my existing SCORM or xAPI courses?

Absolutely. The platform is fully compatible with industry-standard eLearning formats, allowing you to seamlessly import third-party or legacy training content built with SCORM and Tin Can (xAPI). Additionally, TopClass supports AICC-compliant certification courses. By supporting these standards, TopClass ensures that your pre-built educational materials remain viable and accessible across different devices and platforms without needing to be recreated from scratch.

Do my members need a separate password, or do you support SSO? Your members will not need a new password. By integrating TopClass with your AMS or CRM, learners can use the same login credentials for both your main website and the LMS. This allows members to easily purchase and access training directly from your membership site.

How does TopClass protect membership and financial data? TopClass is a cloud-based SaaS solution hosted on highly secure, enterprise-grade infrastructure. It undergoes regular security audits and complies with strict modern data privacy standards to ensure your sensitive membership and transaction data are thoroughly protected. It leverages secure eCommerce integrations with trusted payment processors like Stripe, Authorize.Net, and Payflow Pro and enforces strong password rules.

Administration & Content Management

Can we manage live webinars and in-person events alongside online courses?

Yes, TopClass provides a unified backend for managing all your learning formats. Administrators can seamlessly manage live virtual events, in-person training, and asynchronous online courses. For in-person activities, you can easily display full location addresses within the Learning Center, so members always know exactly where they need to go.

Does TopClass work well on mobile devices?

Yes, the platform features a fully responsive design. Whether they are commuting or attending a conference, your learners can easily access their dashboards, consume training, and track their progress from any desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

Does TopClass support multiple languages for our international members?

Yes, TopClass is well-equipped to support international members by offering a number of different languages out of the box. This built-in multilingual support allows you to easily localize your educational content and roll out the platform across multiple regions simultaneously. International learners can easily self-select their preferred language setting right from their dashboard.