1 - You have general knowledge about some aspects of the Skill. You are beginning to learn the tools associated with your Skill and how to use them to complete simple, routine tasks. Your best work is in a structured environment with supervision, predetermined processes, and established criteria to judge output against.

2 - You have gained a working, fundamental knowledge of your skill. While you know there’s still plenty of information left to learn, you understand the basics. You can solve basic problems and complete tasks on your own but when a complex issue arises you most likely need some help.

3 - You have extended your knowledge beyond the fundamentals and into the theory of your Skill domain. You are comfortable using the tools of the trade as you continue to develop your technical Skills. You can work independently on new challenges, know enough to be self-critical, and know the difference between good and great work. You are also good at setting goals and measuring progress.

4 - You are a skilled practitioner that uses a broad range of methods to solve problems: From planning to execution. You can tackle specialized tasks and apply your Skills to complex problems that might require a new process or approach. You can work independently on complex projects, and when those projects are complete, you are able to look at your work and accurately evaluate whether it was successful or unsuccessful.

5 - You have robust and specialized knowledge about your Skill. You have a proven track record of success and bring a wide range of cognitive and practical Skills to the table to solve new and complex problems. You can lead an initiative and see it through to the end.

6 - You have mastered the knowledge, theory, tools, methodology, and processes of your Skill domain. Not only can you apply them successfully to pretty much any problem—large or small, simple or complex—you can also clearly communicate these concepts to others.

7 - You are an innovator and your work is highlighted as your industry's best. You use tools in such a complex and experimental way that others look to you for best practices. You are the one setting the trends that others will follow. You also likely have one or two areas of expertise that are highly specialized or advanced.

8 - Your knowledge and unique vision of the field are highly sought after. You have a grasp on what the future of your domain will hold and how it might affect people, tools, technology, processes, and the world as a whole. You are recognized as a world-class leader in your field. You are also developing new standards, practices, and innovating beyond the majority of your peers.