CaSS
What it is
CaSS is an open-source platform for describing competencies and moving competency data between systems that use different structures. It helps organizations connect competencies with learning resources, including courses, assessments, books, and games, through framework alignments. CaSS can maintain competency profiles, transcripts, badges, and credentials for training, credentialing, and career management. It supports importing and exporting competencies as linked data and offers a REST JSON-LD API, a JavaScript library for browser and Node.js environments, and adapters for IMS CASE, Open Badges, xAPI, and JSON-LD. Assessment evidence may include scored xAPI events, self-declarations, completed activities, supervisor observations, or tests. Organizations can configure who may view, access, and edit competencies. Deployment options include public or private cloud and federated architectures. CaSS is free under the Apache 2.0 license, with code available for self-hosting.
For and against
For
- Free and open source under Apache 2.0.
- Stores profiles, transcripts, badges, and credentials.
- Supports several competency exchange formats and adapters.
- Offers configurable access controls.
- Can be self-hosted or used through hosted SaaS.
Against
- Some deployment and security choices require configuration.
The verdict
CaSS brings competency data, evidence, and related resources into a shared system that can exchange information across platforms. Organizations can use the open-source software themselves or inquire about Eduworks’ hosted service.
Who it suits
CaSS suits organizations building competency-based education, training, credentialing, or career-management systems. Its APIs, adaptable access controls, and self-hosting option may also fit teams connecting competency data across platforms.
On the record
- Access controls
- The product offers configurable controls over who can view, access, and edit competencies.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- API and integrations
- The current developer overview describes a REST JSON-LD API, a JavaScript library for browser and Node.js environments, and adapters including IMS CASE, Open Badges, xAPI, and JSON-LD.docs.cassproject.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Competency exchange
- CaSS uses global identifiers and APIs to define and share competencies across systems.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- Competency records
- CaSS can store competency-based profiles, transcripts, badges, and credentials for training, credentialing, and career management.cassproject.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- CaSS can be deployed as a public or private cloud based solution, and its open source code can be used to host an instance.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- Discovery
- CaSS supports finding learning resources, including courses, assessments, books, and games, through competencies and framework alignments.cassproject.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Formats and APIs
- CaSS supports importing and exporting competencies in common formats and describes API integrations with learning management systems and sources such as O*NET.cassproject.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Funding and project history
- The project began in 2015 with funding from the US Department of Defense Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative, which the page says continues to support and fund CaSS.cassproject.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Hosted offering
- Eduworks offers hosted, customizable, supported CaSS software as a service to businesses, academic institutions, and government agencies; the page gives no price and directs interested parties to email.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- Hosted service
- Eduworks offers CaSS as hosted, customizable, supported software as a service to businesses, academic institutions, and government agencies.cassproject.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Import and export
- CaSS supports importing and exporting competencies in commonly used formats as linked data, and describes integration with learning management systems and O*NET through APIs.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- Interoperability
- CaSS is designed to translate and exchange competency data between systems with different structures.cassproject.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- License
- CaSS is released under the Apache 2.0 license for commercial and noncommercial adoption and modification.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- Mission and audience
- The project aims to support competency based education, training, and credentialing through open source infrastructure and tools.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- Open source
- CaSS is released under the Apache 2.0 license for commercial and non-commercial adoption and modification, and code is available to host an instance.cassproject.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Profiles and credentials
- CaSS stores and provides access to competency based profiles, transcripts, badges, and credentials for training, credentialing, and career management.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- Project history
- The project began in 2015 with funding from the US Department of Defense Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative, which the page says continues to support and fund it.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- CaSS provides a common language and translation method for competencies, evidence of attainment, and associated resources.cassproject.org · read 9 Oct 2026
