The suitability of 52 items for measuring Blackboard course management system success was investigated with the aim of validating the Blackboard CMS success scale in an educational context. Through a survey, the Blackboard course management system (BCMS) success scale was administered to 503 students at the University of Botswana. Data collected were subjected to factor and reliability analysis. A total of 13 items were dropped from the pooled items resulting in the retention of 39 items on the final version. The scale has a Cronbach aloha reliability co-efficient of 0. 91. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the items on the final version of the scale loaded on eight factors accounted for 75% of the total scale variance. The reliability of each factor was as follows: Criterion Measure, r = 0.68; 87 System Quality, r = 0.68; Content Quality, r = 0.61; Service Quality, r = 0.50; Teaching and Learning Quality, r = 0.60; Self-Regulated Learning, r = 0.74; Intention to Use/Usage, r = 0.53; User Satisfaction r = 0.61; Net Benefits, r = 0.75. The empirical results emphasized the importance of assuming a multi-dimensional analytical approach. Therefore, it is important for educational institutions implementing Blackboard CMS to put emphasis on various system success levels. Theoretically, this study contributes significantly to the identification of educational oriented factors (teaching and learning quality, students' self-regulated learning) that may lead to Blackboard CMS by modifying the factors pioneered and revised by Delone and Mclean (1992, 2003). In summary, the study discovered that content quality, system quality, support service quality, teaching and learning quality, self-regulated learning, intention to use, user satisfaction, and net benefits are important dimensions for measuring Blackboard CMS success. The final instrument indicates adequate reliability and validity across educational context in e-learning systems. The study outcome implied that the Blackboard success measure developed in this study can be used to compare success for e-learning systems with specific factors (i.e., content quality, system quality, support service quality, teaching and learning quality, self-regulated learning, user satisfaction and net benefits). If any tertiary education institution implementing e-learning finds itself lacking in any of these dimensions or factors, then it may do a more detailed analysis and take necessary corrective actions. The Blackboard CMS success scale was designed to be applicable across a broad spectrum of e-learning systems and to provide a common framework for comparative analysis. Finally, implication for theory on the determining the success of any e-learning course management system and limitations of the study are provided. (Contains 6 tables.)