How do you level up skills fast in The Sims 4?
Do the activity that builds the skill, again and again. Then add the helpers that EA lists: a mentor, the right traits, the right rewards, and the right lot. EA says that the more your Sim does the actions of a skill, the faster the skill levels up.
This guide follows two EA Help pages that we opened on the day that we wrote this post. One is the general skills guide. The other is the Cooking skill guide, which we use as an example. Each skill has its own EA page with its own tips.
What is a skill, and how many levels does it have?
A skill shows how good your Sim is at one activity. EA says that most skills have 10 levels. These are major skills. Minor skills have 5 levels. A piano player at level 1 sounds worse than one at level 8.
How do you see the progress?
A green progress bar appears above the head of your Sim. It fills while your Sim builds the skill. To see all skills, enter Live Mode, open the Sim Panel, and select the Skills tab. The skill that your Sim builds now is lit up.
What are the ways to build a skill?
EA lists these ways for almost all skills.
- Read a skill book.
- Attend a skill-building class, if you own the Discover University expansion pack.
- Use the Sharing is Caring Hobby Whiteboard, if you own the Businesses and Hobbies expansion pack.
- Do the activity itself.
Some skills build without effort. EA says that your Sim builds Charisma just by talking with other Sims. With the Lovestruck expansion pack, romantic interactions build the Romance skill. Most skills need active work. Your Sim sings at a microphone to build Singing. Your Sim makes breakfast to build Cooking.
Are skill books fast?
No. EA says that books are slower than other methods. The Cooking guide adds a limit: books only take your Sim to level 9 of a skill. To buy a book, select a bookshelf and choose Purchase Books. Then show all, and choose Skill.
How do skill classes work?
In the Cooking guide, EA says that a class is a rabbit-hole activity. Your Sim leaves the lot and returns after the class. You cannot control your Sim in that time. Skill classes run only between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
How does mentoring work?
At level 5 in certain skills, your Sim can mentor other Sims. Not all skills allow it. Hover over a skill in the Skills tab to check. EA says that a Sim who is mentored builds the skill faster. A better mentor teaches faster. A level 10 piano player teaches faster than a level 6 piano player.
How do you offer mentoring?
- Select a Sim in the middle of the activity, and choose Offer Mentoring.
- Select a skill object, such as a piano, and choose Offer Mentoring.
- Select a skill object, and choose Offer Paid Mentoring to earn simoleons.
EA says that paid mentoring works only for Sims from outside the household of the mentor.
How do you ask for mentoring?
While your Sim works on a skill, select the mentor and choose Ask for Mentoring. You can also select a skill object, choose Ask for Mentoring, and then select the mentor.
What does a hobby class need?
With the Businesses and Hobbies expansion pack, a Sim can host a lecture at the whiteboard. EA gives three rules. The Sim must be a teen or older. The Sim must be at level 5 or higher in a major skill, or at level 3 or higher in a minor skill. A higher level of the host means faster learning for the guests and a higher price per class.
Which traits and rewards help?
Your Sim earns satisfaction points when it completes aspirations and wants. You spend them in the Rewards Store. To find it, enter Live Mode, open the Sim Panel, and open Aspirations.
| Reward or trait | What it does | Cost that EA lists |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Sim | More skill progress in the morning | 1,000 satisfaction points |
| Night Owl | More skill progress at night | 1,000 satisfaction points |
| Speed Reader | Faster reading of skill books | 1,000 satisfaction points |
| Super Mentor | Better mentoring, and more money from paid mentoring | 1,000 satisfaction points |
| Savant | All skills build much faster | 4,000 satisfaction points |
| Quick Learner | All skills build much faster | A bonus trait from a completed aspiration |
| Practice Makes Perfect | Slow at first, then faster as the Sim improves | A personality trait from Create a Sim |
EA also lists the Gloomy trait, which boosts creative skills with a Sad moodlet, and the Muser trait, which boosts skills in an Inspired mood. Child Sims can earn extra traits in play, for example Inspired Childhood Artist for the Painting skill. EA lists this one at 100 satisfaction points.
Which lot traits help?
You edit lot traits in Build Mode. Open the Venue Info menu at the top left, then select the question mark to open the Traits Panel. EA lists two traits that help all skills.
- Peace and Quiet: This trait comes with the Jungle Adventure game pack. Sims build skill faster when they read skill books.
- Study Spot: This trait comes with the Discover University expansion pack. It gives all Sims a skill-building boost.
Other lot traits help one skill. In the Cooking guide, EA names Chef’s Kitchen, from the City Living expansion pack, and Homey. Both make Sims build Cooking faster.
What are Skill Mastery Perks?
At a high skill level, your Sim has a chance to earn a Skill Mastery Perk. The perk appears as a chance card. You accept it or you decline it. EA says that a Sim can earn up to 4 perks, and that the game has 18 in all.
Here are some examples from the EA list. Skillful Sleep lets a Sim build skills while it sleeps. Stellar Stamina makes a Sim lose energy very slowly. Spacebender lets a Sim teleport. Secret Spice raises the quality of food and drinks. Elder Sims can give one of their perks to an other Sim when the relationship is high.
What is the cheat for skills?
The EA Cooking guide gives this pattern: stats.set_skill_level major_homestylecooking 7. It sets the Cooking skill of the selected Sim to level 7. Replace the number with the level that you want. First press Control + Shift + C and type testingcheats true.
EA prints a space after major_ on that page. If the code does not work in your game, check the spelling. Each skill has its own name in the code, and EA gives it on the page of that skill. For more codes, read Sims 4 cheats.
Does LifeSim have skills?
Not as a list of levels. LifeSim is a free game in the browser. You live one life in a real city, and you do not tap a skill bar to 10.
If you want skill trees, mentors, and perks, play The Sims 4. For other life sims with a different pace, read games like The Sims.
Questions
Can teens build skills?
It depends on the skill. EA says that elder, adult, young adult, and teen Sims can build Cooking. Toddlers and children have their own skill guides.
What is the fastest way to build one skill?
Do the activity. EA calls cooking itself the quickest way to build the Cooking skill.
Do skill books reach level 10?
No. EA says that books take a Sim only to level 9 of a skill.