diff --git a/course/format/classes/stateactions.php b/course/format/classes/stateactions.php
index 935c6e6690b..31c3b0968ff 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/stateactions.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/stateactions.php
@@ -247,11 +247,11 @@ class stateactions {
             if (!empty($modinfo->sections[$section->section])) {
                 foreach ($modinfo->sections[$section->section] as $modnumber) {
                     $cm = $modinfo->cms[$modnumber];
-                    $updates->add_cm_delete($cm->id);
+                    $updates->add_cm_remove($cm->id);
                 }
             }
             course_delete_section($course, $section, true, true);
-            $updates->add_section_delete($sectionid);
+            $updates->add_section_remove($sectionid);
         }
 
         // Removing a section affects the full course structure.
diff --git a/course/format/classes/stateupdates.php b/course/format/classes/stateupdates.php
index a3921da0082..a1b095bf74c 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/stateupdates.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/stateupdates.php
@@ -128,9 +128,21 @@ class stateupdates implements JsonSerializable {
     /**
      * Add track about a section deleted.
      *
+     * @deprecated since Moodle 4.1 MDL-74925 - please call add_section_remove() instead.
      * @param int $sectionid The affected section id.
      */
     public function add_section_delete(int $sectionid): void {
+        debugging('add_section_delete() is deprecated. Please use add_section_remove() instead.', DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
+
+        $this->add_update('section', 'remove', (object)['id' => $sectionid]);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add track about a section removed.
+     *
+     * @param int $sectionid The affected section id.
+     */
+    public function add_section_remove(int $sectionid): void {
         $this->add_update('section', 'remove', (object)['id' => $sectionid]);
     }
 
@@ -178,9 +190,21 @@ class stateupdates implements JsonSerializable {
     /**
      * Add track about a course module deleted.
      *
+     * @deprecated since Moodle 4.1 MDL-74925 - please call add_cm_remove() instead.
      * @param int $cmid the affected course module id
      */
     public function add_cm_delete(int $cmid): void {
+        debugging('add_cm_delete() is deprecated. Please use add_cm_remove() instead.', DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
+
+        $this->add_update('cm', 'remove', (object)['id' => $cmid]);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add track about a course module removed.
+     *
+     * @param int $cmid the affected course module id
+     */
+    public function add_cm_remove(int $cmid): void {
         $this->add_update('cm', 'remove', (object)['id' => $cmid]);
     }
 
@@ -188,7 +212,7 @@ class stateupdates implements JsonSerializable {
      * Add a valid update message to the update list.
      *
      * @param string $name the update name
-     * @param string $action the update action (usually update, create, delete)
+     * @param string $action the update action (usually update, create, remove)
      * @param stdClass $fields the object fields
      */
     protected function add_update(string $name, string $action, stdClass $fields): void {
diff --git a/course/format/tests/external/update_course_test.php b/course/format/tests/external/update_course_test.php
index 355e14923ba..56d64f889bd 100644
--- a/course/format/tests/external/update_course_test.php
+++ b/course/format/tests/external/update_course_test.php
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class update_course_test extends \externallib_advanced_testcase {
                 'action' => 'format_do_something',
                 'expected' => [
                     'count' => 1,
-                    'action' => 'delete',
+                    'action' => 'remove',
                     'visible' => null,
                 ],
                 'expectexception' => false,
diff --git a/course/format/tests/fixtures/format_theunittest_stateactions.php b/course/format/tests/fixtures/format_theunittest_stateactions.php
index 207f83acfb0..379fd929f64 100644
--- a/course/format/tests/fixtures/format_theunittest_stateactions.php
+++ b/course/format/tests/fixtures/format_theunittest_stateactions.php
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class stateactions extends core_actions {
         ?int $targetcmid = null
     ): void {
 
-        $updates->add_cm_delete(array_pop($ids));
+        $updates->add_cm_remove(array_pop($ids));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/course/format/tests/stateactions_test.php b/course/format/tests/stateactions_test.php
index 56c1f14c057..b0733c9885b 100644
--- a/course/format/tests/stateactions_test.php
+++ b/course/format/tests/stateactions_test.php
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class stateactions_test extends \advanced_testcase {
                 'cm' => [],
                 'count' => 0,
             ],
-            'delete' => [
+            'remove' => [
                 'course' => [],
                 'section' => [],
                 'cm' => [],
@@ -236,10 +236,10 @@ class stateactions_test extends \advanced_testcase {
         // Format results in a way we can compare easily.
         $results = $this->summarize_updates($updates);
 
-        // The state actions does not use create or delete actions because they are designed
+        // The state actions does not use create or remove actions because they are designed
         // to refresh parts of the state.
         $this->assertEquals(0, $results['create']['count']);
-        $this->assertEquals(0, $results['delete']['count']);
+        $this->assertEquals(0, $results['remove']['count']);
 
         // Validate we have all the expected entries.
         $expectedtotal = count($expectedresults['course']) + count($expectedresults['section']) + count($expectedresults['cm']);
diff --git a/course/format/tests/stateupdates_test.php b/course/format/tests/stateupdates_test.php
index d3eca691e60..e15f6415363 100644
--- a/course/format/tests/stateupdates_test.php
+++ b/course/format/tests/stateupdates_test.php
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ class stateupdates_test extends \advanced_testcase {
             $this->assertEquals($action, $update->action);
             $this->assertEquals('section', $update->name);
             // Delete does not provide all fields.
-            if ($action == 'delete') {
+            if ($action == 'remove') {
                 $this->assertEquals($section->id, $update->fields->id);
             } else {
                 $this->assertEquals($expected, $update->fields);
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ class stateupdates_test extends \advanced_testcase {
         return array_merge(
             $this->add_section_provider_helper('put'),
             $this->add_section_provider_helper('create'),
-            $this->add_section_provider_helper('delete'),
+            $this->add_section_provider_helper('remove'),
         );
     }
 
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ class stateupdates_test extends \advanced_testcase {
      */
     private function add_section_provider_helper(string $action): array {
         // Delete does not depends on user permissions.
-        if ($action == 'delete') {
+        if ($action == 'remove') {
             $studentsections = [0, 1, 2];
         } else {
             $studentsections = [0, 1];
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class stateupdates_test extends \advanced_testcase {
      * @dataProvider add_cm_provider
      * @covers ::add_cm_update
      * @covers ::add_cm_create
-     * @covers ::add_cm_delete
+     * @covers ::add_cm_remove
      *
      * @param string $action the action name
      * @param string $role the user role name
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ class stateupdates_test extends \advanced_testcase {
             $this->assertEquals($action, $update->action);
             $this->assertEquals('cm', $update->name);
             // Delete does not provide all fields.
-            if ($action == 'delete') {
+            if ($action == 'remove') {
                 $this->assertEquals($cm->id, $update->fields->id);
             } else {
                 $this->assertEquals($expected, $update->fields);
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ class stateupdates_test extends \advanced_testcase {
         return array_merge(
             $this->add_cm_provider_helper('put'),
             $this->add_cm_provider_helper('create'),
-            $this->add_cm_provider_helper('delete'),
+            $this->add_cm_provider_helper('remove'),
         );
     }
 
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ class stateupdates_test extends \advanced_testcase {
      */
     private function add_cm_provider_helper(string $action): array {
         // Delete does not depends on user permissions.
-        if ($action == 'delete') {
+        if ($action == 'remove') {
             $studentcms = [0, 1, 2, 3];
         } else {
             $studentcms = [0];
diff --git a/course/format/upgrade.txt b/course/format/upgrade.txt
index 8707452361c..e284e13ba24 100644
--- a/course/format/upgrade.txt
+++ b/course/format/upgrade.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ This files describes API changes for course formats
 
 Overview of this plugin type at http://docs.moodle.org/dev/Course_formats
 
+=== 4.1 ===
+* New \core_courseformat\stateupdates methods add_section_remove() and add_cm_remove() have been added to replace
+  the deprecated methods add_section_delete() and add_cm_delete().
+
 === 4.0 ===
 * New core_courseformat\base::uses_course_index() to define whether the course format uses course index or not.
 * New core_courseformat\base::supports_components() to specify if the format is compatible with reactive components.
diff --git a/phpunit.xml.dist b/phpunit.xml.dist
index f2ef3acee87..34dd79c3558 100644
--- a/phpunit.xml.dist
+++ b/phpunit.xml.dist
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@
     <testsuite name="core_course_testsuite">
       <directory suffix="_test.php">course/tests</directory>
     </testsuite>
+    <testsuite name="core_courseformat_testsuite">
+      <directory suffix="_test.php">course/format/tests</directory>
+    </testsuite>
     <testsuite name="core_privacy_testsuite">
       <directory suffix="_test.php">privacy/tests</directory>
     </testsuite>