Quick Answer
Pinnacle Series can assign, allow self-enrolment for, and report on Skills assessments and Exams, but cannot assign, self-enroll in, or report on Surveys or Skills audits, which remain KnowledgeSmart-only end to end; separately, whether Pinnacle Series can assign content at all depends on the KnowledgeSmart integration being configured, while whether a learner signs in through Pinnacle Series or KnowledgeSmart directly depends on the separate KnowledgeSmart User Sync setting.
What This Article Helps With
This article summarizes what Pinnacle Series can and cannot do with each of the four KnowledgeSmart content types, and explains the two separate settings that govern this - whether the KnowledgeSmart integration is configured, and whether KnowledgeSmart User Sync is enabled. It applies to Pinnacle Series Administrators and KnowledgeSmart Administrators working across both platforms. This is a quick reference rather than a how-to guide - each capability links to the article covering its setup or use in full.
What Pinnacle Series Can Do, by Content Type
| Invite from KnowledgeSmart | Assign from Pinnacle Series | Self-enroll from Pinnacle Series | Report from Pinnacle Series | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skills assessments | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exams | Yes | Yes | Yes | Score only - no grade band, not distinguishable from assessments |
| Surveys | Yes | No | No | No |
| Skills audits | Yes | No | No | No |
Surveys and Skills audits are KnowledgeSmart-only, end to end. Whether or not your account is integrated, they are always invited from the KnowledgeSmart Invites menu, and their results are only available in KnowledgeSmart - see How to invite users to a Skills assessment, Survey or Skills audit.
Pinnacle Series treats Exams and Skills assessments identically for assigning and self-enrolling - the process is the same for both, and Pinnacle Series does not distinguish between them when assigning. The difference only shows up in what the learner receives and where it's reported: an Exam produces a certificate and a grade band, visible in KnowledgeSmart under My Exams, rather than the benchmarked score report a Skills assessment produces - see Self-inviting to a KnowledgeSmart Skills assessment, Exam, Survey or Skills audit.
Two Separate Settings Control This
Whether Pinnacle Series can assign content and whether a learner signs in through Pinnacle Series are governed by two different settings, not one. It's easy to assume they're the same thing, since both are configured from the same dialog — but an organization can have one without the other.
| Your setup | Can Pinnacle Series assign or self-enroll a Skills assessment or Exam? | Where does the learner sign in? |
|---|---|---|
| KnowledgeSmart only - integration not configured | No | KnowledgeSmart, for all four content types |
| Integrated, KnowledgeSmart User Sync not enabled | Yes | KnowledgeSmart, for all four content types |
| Integrated, KnowledgeSmart User Sync enabled | Yes | Pinnacle Series, for Skills assessments and Exams only - Surveys and Skills audits still sign in via KnowledgeSmart |
What makes a Skills assessment or Exam assignable from Pinnacle Series. This depends on whether the KnowledgeSmart integration is configured - specifically, whether a valid KnowledgeSmart API key has been entered and saved under Integrations > Configure in the Pinnacle Series Admin Portal. Once that's done, Assessment appears in the Assign New dropdown in Assignment Management, and Skills assessments and Exams mapped to a learning path become available for self-enrolment - see Configure Pinnacle Series for KnowledgeSmart Integration.
What makes an invite link sign in through Pinnacle Series. This depends on a separate, deliberate setting in the same Configure KnowledgeSmart dialog: Synchronize Users with KnowledgeSmart (KnowledgeSmart User Sync). Saving the API key does not turn this on by default - it's a distinct step. Once enabled, a Skills assessment or Exam invite link opens a Pinnacle Series sign-in page instead of a KnowledgeSmart one, and the learner doesn't need a separate KnowledgeSmart password for that route.
The integration can be configured without User Sync. An organization can have the integration configured - so Pinnacle Series can assign Skills assessments and Exams - without ever turning on User Sync. In that case, invite links for every content type, including Skills assessments and Exams, still open the KnowledgeSmart sign-in page, and the learner needs their KnowledgeSmart username and password.
Surveys and Skills audits are unaffected by User Sync. Their invite links always carry a KnowledgeSmart URL and always open the KnowledgeSmart sign-in page, regardless of whether the integration is configured or User Sync is enabled - see How to customize a Survey invite email and How to customize a Skills audit invite email.
Helpful Tips
- For the full setup steps for both settings, see Configure Pinnacle Series for KnowledgeSmart Integration.
- For how a learner experiences each sign-in path, see User journey - Skills assessments, User journey - Surveys, and User journey - Skills audits.
- For the self-service options available for each content type, see Self-inviting to a KnowledgeSmart Skills assessment, Exam, Survey or Skills audit.
- For reporting detail beyond the table above, see KnowledgeSmart Skills assessment results analysis in Power BI.
Common Questions
Can I assign a Survey or Skills audit from Pinnacle Series?
No. Only Skills assessments and Exams can be assigned or self-enrolled from Pinnacle Series. Surveys and Skills audits are always invited from the KnowledgeSmart Invites menu, whether or not your account is integrated.
My organization is integrated, but assessment invites still open the KnowledgeSmart sign-in page - why?
KnowledgeSmart User Sync is most likely not enabled. The integration being configured only controls whether Pinnacle Series can assign the assessment - it doesn't change where the learner signs in. That's a separate setting, enabled in the same Configure KnowledgeSmart dialog.
Does turning on the integration automatically turn on KnowledgeSmart User Sync?
No. Saving the API key configures the integration, but User Sync is a separate, deliberate step in the same dialog - it is not switched on by default.
Can Pinnacle Series report on Exam results the same way it reports on Skills assessments?
Partially. Exam results do appear in Pinnacle Series reporting, but only as a score, with no marker separating them from Skills assessments - the grade band an Exam awards is not shown. Use KnowledgeSmart for Exam certification records.