Sims who have maxed out any skill receive a certificate which can be sold for §1,000 (price will drop after some time) or hung up proudly on their wall. Skills still have 10 levels of proficiency. In The Sims 3, skills have been expanded, and something roughly similar to the talent badges from The Sims 2 has been worked into the skill system.

If a Souvenir Rack has five Far East Souvenirs on it, all nearby sims will build skills faster. All skill building is also boosted during the fall season. If Seasons is installed, drinking a veggie cocktail will aid in skill building, and drinking eggplant juice will give a random skill point. All 7 main skills (Cooking, Cleaning, Mechanical, Logic, Creativity, Body, and Charisma) are covered by at least one object. In The Sims 2, certain aspiration reward objects such as Smart Milk, the Thinking Cap, and the SimVac can also aid in the building of skills, as do the career reward objects which focus on one skill. In The Sims 2, The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, however, any age group from toddlers on up can gain at least some skills. In The Sims, only adults can earn skill points. Skills are talents that Sims need in their everyday life and to advance in their working career.