diff --git a/src/utilities.js b/src/utilities.js
index 01b5d25..10e5a2a 100644
--- a/src/utilities.js
+++ b/src/utilities.js
@@ -119,19 +119,15 @@ export function getDurationAsSeconds(duration: String, durationRegex: RegExp) {
   const [, years, months, , days, hours, minutes, seconds] = new RegExp(
       durationRegex).exec(duration) || [];
 
-  const now = new Date();
-  const anchor = new Date(now);
-  anchor.setFullYear(anchor.getFullYear() + Number(years || 0));
-  anchor.setMonth(anchor.getMonth() + Number(months || 0));
-  anchor.setDate(anchor.getDate() + Number(days || 0));
-  anchor.setHours(anchor.getHours() + Number(hours || 0));
-  anchor.setMinutes(anchor.getMinutes() + Number(minutes || 0));
-  anchor.setSeconds(anchor.getSeconds() + Number(seconds || 0));
-  if (seconds && countDecimals(String(seconds)) > 0) {
-    const milliseconds = Number(Number(seconds) % 1).toFixed(6) * 1000.0;
-    anchor.setMilliseconds(anchor.getMilliseconds() + milliseconds);
-  }
-  return ((anchor * 1.0) - now) / 1000.0;
+  let result = 0.0;
+
+  result += (Number(seconds) * 1.0 || 0.0);
+  result += (Number(minutes) * 60.0 || 0.0);
+  result += (Number(hours) * 3600.0 || 0.0);
+  result += (Number(days) * (60 * 60 * 24.0) || 0.0);
+  result += (Number(years) * (60 * 60 * 24 * 365.0) || 0.0);
+
+  return result;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/utilities.spec.js b/test/utilities.spec.js
index 440a508..8f34538 100644
--- a/test/utilities.spec.js
+++ b/test/utilities.spec.js
@@ -204,16 +204,6 @@ describe('Utility Tests', () => {
       ).to.equal(86400);
     });
 
-    it('P1M returns number of seconds for one month from now', () => {
-      const now = new Date();
-      const oneMonthFromNow = new Date(now);
-      oneMonthFromNow.setMonth(oneMonthFromNow.getMonth() + 1);
-
-      expect(
-          Utilities.getDurationAsSeconds('P1M', scorm2004_regex.CMITimespan),
-      ).to.equal((oneMonthFromNow - now) / 1000.0);
-    });
-
     it('P1Y returns number of seconds for one year from now', () => {
       const now = new Date();
       const oneYearFromNow = new Date(now);
@@ -244,11 +234,11 @@ describe('Utility Tests', () => {
               scorm2004_regex.CMITimespan),
       ).to.equal('PT1H21M0.5S');
     });
-    it('P1Y364D plus P2DT1H45M52S equals P732DT1H45M52S', () => {
+    it('P1Y364D plus P2DT1H45M52S equals P731DT1H45M52S', () => {
       expect(
           Utilities.addTwoDurations('P1Y364D', 'P2DT1H45M52S',
               scorm2004_regex.CMITimespan),
-      ).to.equal('P732DT1H45M52S');
+      ).to.equal('P731DT1H45M52S');
     });
     it('Invalid plus valid equals valid', () => {
       expect(