The Sims 4 Skills: Mentoring, Skill Mastery Perks, and how to level up

4 min read

Overview

Want your Sim to master music, dominate fitness, or become a creative powerhouse? Skills are how they get there. In this guide, you’ll learn how to level up skills, mentor other Sims, unlock rare Skill Mastery Perks, and use Rewards to gain an edge.

Table of Contents

What are Skills?

Most skills have 10 levels; these are major skills. Minor skills have 5 levels. Your Sim’s skill level shows how good they are at that activity. For example, a Sim playing the piano at level 1 won’t sound as good as a Sim who’s a level 8! The more your Sim participates in actions related to a skill, the faster they’ll level up.A green progress bar will appear above your Sim’s head and gradually fill up as they’re building a skill. You can also check their progress by:
  1. 1
    Entering Live Mode.
  2. 2
    Selecting the Sim Panel (bottom left).
  3. 3
    Selecting the Skills tab.
    • The skill your Sim is currently building will be lit up.  
Here, you can check how many skills your Sim has and what level they are in each skill.

How to build skills

Skills for Toddler and Child Sims work a little differently. Check out our guides for help.
With almost all skills, your Sim can read a skill book, attend a skill-building class (if you own The Sims 4 Discover University), or use the Sharing is Caring Hobby Whiteboard (if you own The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies).Some skills can be built passively. For example, Sims can build the Charisma skill just by talking with other Sims. Similarly, romantic interactions will build the Romance skill (if you own The Sims 4 Lovestruck). But for most skills, your Sim will need to work actively on them, like singing at a microphone to build the Singing skill, or making breakfast to build the Cooking skill. Want more specifics? Check out our individual skill guides to get tips and tricks for each skill, learn what unlocks at each level, and figure out cheats! 

Mentoring

When your Sim reaches level 5 in certain skills, they can Mentor other Sims in that skill. Not all skills are Mentorable. Open the Skills tab in the Sim Panel and hover over a skill to check. When a Sim is being Mentored, it speeds up how quickly they build that skill. The higher the Mentor’s skill level, the faster the Mentee will learn! For example, a Sim who’s a level 10 in the Piano skill will teach someone faster than a Mentor who’s a level 6.To Mentor another Sim:
  • select the Sim when they’re in the middle of the skill-building activity and choose Offer Mentoring
  • select a skill-building object (like a piano) and choose Offer Mentoring 
  • select a skill-building object (like a piano) and choose Offer Paid Mentoring to earn Simoleons from Mentoring. This only works on Sims from outside the Mentor’s Household.
To ask for Mentoring:
  • when working on a skill, select the Mentor and choose Ask for Mentoring
  • select a skill-building object and choose Ask for Mentoring, then select the Mentor.

The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack

If you own The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack, there are other ways your Sims can build skills and earn perks. 

Hobby Classes and Lectures

Take Mentoring to the next level with the Sharing is Caring Hobby Whiteboard. Using the Whiteboard, Sims can either host or listen to a lecture. Alternatively, they can go to a Hobby Class Social Event to learn, or even run one themselves to earn some extra Simoleons!
 For some Hobby Classes, you may need the Skill Object nearby. For example, if your Sim is teaching the Pottery skill, you’ll need a pottery wheel and kiln. 
To host a lecture, a Sim must be:
  • a Teen or older
  • level 5 or higher in a major skill
  • level 3 or higher in a minor skill. 
The higher the lecturing Sim’s skill level, the quicker the attendees will build skill and the more they can charge per class.

Skill Mastery Perks 

When a Sim reaches a high level of a skill, they have a chance at earning a Skill Mastery Perk, which can give them some unique abilities. These are rare and appear as a chance card pop-up, where you can choose to accept or decline the Perk. Elder Sims can bestow one of their Skill Mastery Perks on another Sim if they have a high relationship.Sims can earn up to 4 Skill Mastery Perks. There are 18 total Skill Mastery Perks available.
  • Active Aura: Channel your Sims’ skill experience into an aura that helps nearby Sims build active skills faster.
  • Aspirational Creator: Earn Satisfaction Points from crafting excellent quality objects.
  • Aspirational Thinker: Earn Satisfaction Points when spending time practicing mental skills.
  • Creative Aura: Channel your Sims’ skill experience into an aura that helps nearby Sims build creative skills faster.
  • Final Touch: Increase the quality of objects with just one touch. 
  • In the Zone: Enter into moments of serious focus where you don’t need to worry about Needs.
  • Mental Muscles: Build muscle with brain bower! If your Sim neglects building their mental skills, they’ll lose muscle definition. 
  • Mental Aura: Channel your Sims’ skill experience into an aura that helps nearby Sims build mental skills faster.
  • Pigeonholed (Mental): Your Sim will build mental skills much faster, but will have a harder time building other skills.
  • Pigeonholed (Creative): Your Sim will build creative skills much faster, but will have a harder time building other skills.
  • Pigeonholed (Active): Your Sim will build active skills much faster, but will have a harder time building other skills.
  • Pigeonholed (Social): Your Sim will build social skills much faster, but will have a harder time building other skills.
  • Powerful Performer: Sims will build a relationship with an audience much faster, and spectators’ negative emotions will disappear. 
  • Second Wind: Sims will get Energized when exercising, so they can keep going!
  • Secret Spice: Sims can increase the quality of their food and drinks with a dash of spice.
  • Skillful Sleep: Sims can build skills while they sleep!
  • Spacebender: Sims will gain the ability to teleport from one place to another. 
  • Stellar Stamina: Sims will lose energy very slowly and never get Dangerously Tired.

Rewards Store

Some Rewards can help your Sim build skills. As Sims complete Aspirations and Wants, they’ll earn Satisfaction Points. These can be spent in the Rewards Store. To find the Rewards Store:
  1. 1
    Enter Live Mode.
  2. 2
    Select the Sim Panel at the bottom right.
  3. 3
    Open Aspirations.  
Note: Some Rewards are Pack-specific.
  • Morning Sim: Sims build extra skill in the morning. 
    • 1,000 Satisfaction Points
  • Night Owl: Sims build extra skill at night.
    • 1,000 Satisfaction Points
  • Speed Reader: Sims read books faster. This is useful for reading skill books to build skill. 
    • 1,000 Satisfaction Points
  • Super Mentor: Sims will be even more efficient when Mentoring other Sims, and they’ll earn more Simoleons with Paid Mentoring.
    • 1,000 Satisfaction Points
  • Savant: Sims gain all skills much faster. 
    • 4,000 Satisfaction Points
  • Mastery Perk Bestower: This potion bestows a Skill Mastery Perk of your choosing on a Sim. 
    • 8,000 Satisfaction Points

Traits and Lot Traits

Traits and Lot Traits can add ways for your Sims to build their skills more quickly.

Traits

Traits can be set in Create a Sim, unlocked through gameplay, or bought in the Rewards Store. Child and Toddler Sims can also earn extra Traits through gameplay that can help with skill building. Check out our Toddler and Child skill guides for more info. Personality Traits are selected in Create a Sim.
  • Gloomy: Sims with this Trait get a boost to their Creative skills when they have a Sad Moodlet.
  • Practice Makes Perfect: Sims with this Trait may be slower to build skills at first, but will build skills faster than usual as they improve.
Bonus Traits are earned through completing a Sim’s Aspiration.
  • Muser: Sims with this Trait will get a boost to their skills when in an Inspired Mood.
  • Quick Learner: Sims with this Trait will build all skills much faster.

Lot Traits

Lot Traits can be edited in Build Mode in the Venue Info menu found at the top left of the screen. With the Venue Info menu open, select the question mark icon to view the Traits Panel. This will bring up any Traits your Lot currently has so you can edit them.Many Lot Traits help with specific skills; you’ll find info on Lot Traits within each skill article. There are some that help with skill building across all skills:
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