# Skill Assessment > Builds skill assessment tools with competency levels, evaluation rubrics, and development recommendations. - Skill: `reaperinvest/skill-assessment` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/skill-assessment` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/skill-assessment/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/skill-assessment --- # Skill Assessment ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Build a competency assessment tool to evaluate skills at different proficiency levels - Create rubrics for grading student work, contractor deliverables, or team capabilities - Design self-assessment questionnaires with development path recommendations - Produce evaluation instruments for hiring, training, or certification programs **DO NOT** use this skill for personality tests, customer satisfaction surveys, or general quizzes. This is for measuring specific competencies against defined standards. --- ## Core Principle AN ASSESSMENT IS ONLY USEFUL IF IT CLEARLY DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN SKILL LEVELS AND TELLS THE PERSON EXACTLY WHAT TO DO NEXT — MEASUREMENT WITHOUT A DEVELOPMENT PATH IS JUST A LABEL. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Skill domain** | "What skill or competency area are you assessing?" | No default — must be provided | | **Assessment purpose** | "Is this for hiring, training placement, certification, or self-development?" | Self-development | | **Proficiency levels** | "How many levels? (3, 4, or 5)" | 4 levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert) | | **Assessment format** | "Self-assessment questionnaire, evaluator rubric, or practical test?" | Self-assessment questionnaire | | **Audience** | "Who will be assessed?" | Solopreneurs and small business owners | **GATE: Confirm the brief before proceeding.** --- ## Phase 2: Competency Framework ### Build the Competency Map Break the skill domain into 4-6 sub-competencies. For each: ``` ## Sub-Competency: [Name] | Level | Description | Observable Behaviors | |-------|------------|---------------------| | Beginner | [What this looks like] | [Specific actions they can/cannot do] | | Intermediate | [What this looks like] | [Specific actions] | | Advanced | [What this looks like] | [Specific actions] | | Expert | [What this looks like] | [Specific actions] | ``` ### Level Definition Rules - Each level must be objectively distinguishable from the others - Use observable behaviors, not subjective judgments ("can write a sales page that converts above 2%" vs. "writes good copy") - Each level builds on the previous — no skipping - Expert level should represent top 10% performance, not perfection **GATE: Present the competency framework for approval.** --- ## Phase 3: Build the Assessment ### For Self-Assessment Questionnaires Create 3-5 questions per sub-competency. Each question describes a scenario and offers level-aligned response options: ``` Q: When you need to [skill scenario], you typically: A) [Beginner behavior] — 1 point B) [Intermediate behavior] — 2 points C) [Advanced behavior] — 3 points D) [Expert behavior] — 4 points ``` ### For Evaluator Rubrics Create a scoring grid: ``` | Criteria | 1 - Beginner | 2 - Intermediate | 3 - Advanced | 4 - Expert | Score | |----------|-------------|-----------------|-------------|-----------|-------| | [Criterion 1] | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] | /4 | ``` ### Scoring and Interpretation ``` ## Scoring Guide **Total possible:** [X points] **Beginner:** 0-25% — [What this means + immediate next step] **Intermediate:** 26-50% — [What this means + next step] **Advanced:** 51-75% — [What this means + next step] **Expert:** 76-100% — [What this means + next step] ``` --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Development Recommendations For each proficiency level, provide: - Top 3 skills to develop next - Recommended resources or exercises - Estimated time to reach the next level - One quick win they can implement this week ### 2. Validity Check Review the assessment for: - Every sub-competency is covered by at least 3 questions - No question can be answered "correctly" without actual skill - Questions progress in difficulty within each sub-competency - Language is clear and free of jargon the audience would not know ### 3. Delivery Format ``` ## Assessment Package - Assessment questionnaire (ready to use in Google Forms, Typeform, or PDF) - Scoring guide with level descriptions - Development roadmap per level - Reassessment timeline (recommend retaking every 90 days) ``` --- ## Example 1: Content Marketing Skills Assessment ``` Sub-competencies: Strategy, Writing, SEO, Distribution, Analytics Sample question: Q: When planning content for next month, you typically: A) Write about whatever comes to mind that week B) Follow a basic editorial calendar with planned topics C) Map content to funnel stages with keyword targets for each D) Use data from previous content performance to prioritize topics by revenue impact ``` ## Example 2: Sales Skills Assessment (Evaluator Rubric) ``` | Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |----------|---|---|---|---| | Discovery questions | Reads from a script | Asks open-ended questions | Uncovers pain, budget, and timeline | Identifies unstated needs and links to ROI | ``` --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Vague level descriptions** — "good at writing" is not measurable. Use observable behaviors. - **Too many sub-competencies** — more than 6 makes the assessment exhausting. Combine related areas. - **Leading questions** — do not make the "right" answer obvious. All options should sound reasonable. - **No development path** — labeling someone "beginner" without telling them how to improve is demoralizing. - **Binary scoring** — yes/no questions miss nuance. Use scaled responses. - **Assessment without reassessment** — skills grow. Build in a timeline to retake. --- ## Recovery - **Skill domain too broad:** Ask "If someone mastered just one part of this, which part would matter most to their business?" Start there. - **User wants pass/fail, not levels:** Create a minimum competency threshold with clear criteria. Score above = pass. - **User cannot define expert level:** Ask them to describe the best person they have seen perform this skill. Use that as the expert benchmark. - **Assessment too long:** Cap at 20 questions total. Prioritize the 3 most business-critical sub-competencies.