This article describes Smart Skills as team members use them. If you are an administrator or team manager, see Smart Skills for Administrators.  Smart Skills are available in enterprise accounts.

This article contains the following sections:

• What are Smart Skills
• How are Smart Skills Different from Skills
• Where to Find Smart Skill Results
• What's Next?

What are Smart Skills

Smart Skills represent technology competencies that you need for your job.

Smart Skills are a special kind of skill that are:

• Measured by Smart Assessments
• Taught by programs

When you take a Smart Assessment, the platform shows you the number of stars you earned for the Smart Skill. This number of stars is your starting point, and the number you want to achieve is your goal.

Your manager can choose your goal number of stars as part of the process of assigning you a skills-driven program. Alternatively, the platform can retrieve your goal number of stars from your job role, if you are assigned one.

Regardless of where your goal number of stars comes from, the skills-driven program can automatically choose training content to take you from your current number of stars to your goal.

When you start the program, you take a Smart Assessment to find your starting score on each Smart Skill. Your score can range from 0 to 3 stars. Once you've completed the Smart Assessment, the platform places you at the point in the training that you're ready for.

You can skip all the content for scores lower than yours. For example, if you need 2 stars in a skill, and you scored 1 star on the Smart Assessment, you can save time by skipping the content for 0 stars and jump straight to the 1-star content. If you score 2 stars on the skill (in other words, the goal for your job role), you can skip all the content about that Smart Skill.

Once your manager assigns you training, a link to it appears on your dashboard. Click the link to open the program. Here you can see the list of Smart Skills and continue your training.

How are Smart Skills Different from Skills

If you are a long-time QA user, you know that the concept of "skills" is central to the platform. Skills make up a sophisticated and comprehensive hierarchy of technology competencies, and many features depend on them.

The Skills Readiness Solution requires a different approach to assessing and training skills, so Smart Skills were created. Smart Assessments assess Smart Skills, and programs train Smart Skills.

Skills still exist in the platform, though, and they are still central to features like: 

• Skill Profile
• Exams
• Quizzes
• Lab challenges

Where to Find Smart Skill Results

You can find your Smart Skill competency level in two places:

• By opening the skills-driven program your manager assigned to you. From the dashboard, click My Training in the menu on the left to find your program.
  
  
• By opening your Skill Profile. From the dashboard, hover over your profile picture or initials in the upper right corner and choose Skill Profile from the menu that appears.
  
  

Note: Smart Skills do not appear in your Skill Profile until you have a score for at least one skill. If you do not see Smart Skills on your Skill Profile, open your assigned program and complete at least one Smart Assessment.

What's Next?

If you have any problems or questions about Smart Skills, we're happy to help! Contact your administrator or support@cloudacademy.com.