You’re staring at your Sim. They’ve been practicing the violin for three straight days, and frankly, the screeching is becoming unbearable. Their hygiene is in the red, they've passed out twice on the floor, and they still haven't reached level 10. We’ve all been there. Sometimes you just want to tell a story without the sixty-hour grind of making a digital human learn how to bake a decent brownie. That’s where Sims 4 all skill cheats come in.
Cheating in The Sims isn't really "cheating" in the traditional sense; it’s more like being the director of a movie who decides their lead actor is suddenly a world-class surgeon. It changes the pace. It lets you skip the boring parts. Honestly, without these codes, playing through the 100 Baby Challenge or trying to build a perfect legacy family would be a nightmare of micromanagement.
Getting the Basics Out of the Way First
Before you can actually use any Sims 4 all skill cheats, you have to wake up the game's cheat console. If you don't do this, you’re just typing gibberish into a box for no reason.
On a PC or Mac, you’re going to hit Ctrl + Shift + C at the same time. If you’re on a console—PlayStation or Xbox—hold down all four shoulder buttons (L1, L2, R1, R2 or LB, LT, RB, RT) simultaneously. A thin white bar will pop up in the top left corner. This is your gateway to godhood.
Now, type testingcheats true and hit enter.
You should see a message saying "Cheats are enabled." If you don't see that, try testingcheats on. Sometimes the game is picky. One thing to keep in mind for console players: enabling cheats will disable your ability to earn Trophies or Achievements on that specific save file. If you’re a completionist, you might want to think twice, or just keep a separate "clean" save for your serious play.
The Secret Formula for Every Skill
Most people get overwhelmed because they think they have to memorize a hundred different codes. You don't. There is a specific syntax the game uses for almost every skill in the game. Once you understand the pattern, you can basically guess the cheats for new expansion packs before they’re even officially documented.
The skeleton of the code is: stats.set_skill_level [Skill Name] [Level].
The [Level] part is easy. It’s usually a number from 1 to 10. If you want your Sim to be a master, you put 10. If you want them to be mediocre, put 5. The [Skill Name] part is where it gets a bit weird because the internal names used by developers don't always match the names you see in the game menus.
The Heavy Hitters: Base Game Skills
Let's look at the ones you’ll use the most. For Cooking, the code is stats.set_skill_level Major_HomestyleCooking 10. Notice the underscore and the "Major" prefix? That's the part that trips people up. If you just type "Cooking," nothing happens.
If you want to be a gourmet chef, it’s stats.set_skill_level Major_GourmetCooking 10.
Fitness is a weird one. It doesn't use the "Major" tag. You just type stats.set_skill_level Skill_Fitness 10. Want to be a master programmer? stats.set_skill_level Major_Programming 10. It’s mostly about trial and error with those internal names.
Why Some Skills Refuse to Work
Ever tried to max out your toddler’s skills and felt like the game was gaslighting you? That’s because toddlers and children have their own specific naming conventions. They don't use the "Major" tag because, well, a four-year-old isn't exactly majoring in Rocket Science yet.
For a toddler's Communication skill, you’d use stats.set_skill_level Skill_Toddler_Communication 5. Note that toddler skills usually cap at 5, not 10. If you try to put a 10 at the end of a toddler cheat, the game might just ignore you or crash the command.
Children’s skills like Mental or Motor use stats.set_skill_level Skill_Child_Mental 10. It’s all about the prefixes. If you’re struggling with Sims 4 all skill cheats, 90% of the time it’s because a single underscore is missing or you’ve used the adult prefix for a kid.
Expansion Pack Skills: The Growing List
The Sims 4 has been out since 2014. That is a decade of DLC. Every time a new pack drops—whether it's Cottage Living, High School Years, or Lovestruck—new skills are added to the database.
Take Cottage Living. If you want to be the best at Cross-Stitch, the code is stats.set_skill_level Skill_CrossStitch 5. Notice how it only goes to 5? Minor skills often have a lower ceiling.
Then there’s the Vampires pack. To master Vampire Lore, you use stats.set_skill_level Major_VampireLore 15. Yes, 15. It’s one of the few skills that breaks the "level 10" rule. This is why "complete" lists of Sims 4 all skill cheats are often twenty pages long; the developers aren't always consistent with their own rules.
Acting and Media Production
In Get Famous, the Acting skill is a big deal. Type stats.set_skill_level Major_Acting 10. If you’re trying to be a YouTuber (or "Media Producer" in-game), use stats.set_skill_level Minor_Media 5.
The Niche Stuff
- Parenting (Parenthood):
stats.set_skill_level Major_Parenting 10 - Archaeology (Jungle Adventure):
stats.set_skill_level Major_Archaeology 10 - Fabrication (Eco Lifestyle):
stats.set_skill_level Major_Fabrication 10 - Robotics (Discover University):
stats.set_skill_level Major_Robotics 10
The Danger of Over-Cheating
I’ve seen it happen. You spend twenty minutes entering every single Sims 4 all skill cheats code. Your Sim is now a genius, a world-class athlete, a master chef, and can play the pipe organ like a pro. Then you realize... you’re bored.
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The Sims is fundamentally a game about struggle. If you take away the struggle completely, you’re basically just playing with a dollhouse where nothing ever happens. My advice? Use cheats to skip the skills that don't fit your story. If you're playing a "Rags to Riches" story, maybe don't cheat your way to level 10 Fishing immediately. It kills the satisfaction of finally catching that rare sturgeon.
However, if you're building a specific character—like a retired secret agent—it makes total sense that they would already have maxed-out Fitness and Logic. Use the cheats to establish a backstory, not just to win the game. There is no "winning" in The Sims anyway.
Advanced Maneuvers: Skill Books and Mods
If typing long strings of text into a console makes your hands cramp, there are other ways. On PC, the "MC Command Center" mod (often called MCCC) is the gold standard. It’s a tool created by Deaderpool that basically puts a user interface over the cheat console. Instead of typing, you just click on your Sim, go to the "Flags" or "Cheat" menu, and select which skill level you want. It’s much faster.
But let’s say you’re a "purist" who doesn't want to use mods or console commands. You can still "cheat" the system using the In-Game Rewards Store.
By spending Satisfaction Points—which you earn by completing small whims or major aspirations—you can buy the "Savvy Scholar" or "Night Owl" traits. These aren't technical cheats, but they make your Sim learn skills so fast it feels like cheating. Combine those with a "Tiny Home" (from the Tiny Living stuff pack) and your skill-building speed is quadrupled. You’ll hit level 10 in a day without ever opening the command console.
Troubleshooting: Why It's Not Working
You typed it perfectly. You checked the spelling. You’re sure testingcheats is on. Why isn't the skill level moving?
- The Sim must be active. You have to be currently controlling the Sim you want to change.
- Case sensitivity. While the console isn't usually case-sensitive, sometimes it acts up. Try
Major_Handinessinstead ofmajor_handiness. - Hidden Skills. Some skills in the game are "hidden," like the Skating skill or the Work Ethic skill. You can't always see these in the UI, but the cheats still work on them.
- Mods interfering. If you have outdated mods, they can break the cheat console entirely. This usually happens right after a big game update from EA.
A Quick List for Reference (The "Always Used" Ones)
stats.set_skill_level Major_Writing 10stats.set_skill_level Major_Gardening 10stats.set_skill_level Major_Charisma 10stats.set_skill_level Major_Logic 10stats.set_skill_level Major_Mischief 10stats.set_skill_level Major_Guitar 10stats.set_skill_level Major_VideoGaming 10
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Session
Instead of just maxing everything, try "Character Sculpting." Give your Sim a level 8 in their "hobby" and a level 3 in their "job" to represent someone who is talented but lazy. It makes the gameplay feel way more organic.
If you're on a console, keep a physical note or a digital notepad on your phone with your top five Sims 4 all skill cheats. Typing with a controller is a slow, painful process, so having those specific strings ready to go will save you a lot of frustration.
The most important thing is to remember that the cheat console is a tool for creativity. Whether you’re trying to build a perfect world or just want to stop your Sim from burning down the kitchen for the fifth time, these codes give you the control you need.
Go ahead and enable those cheats. Your Sim was never going to finish that painting anyway.
Next Steps for Mastery:
- Open your game and test the testingcheats true command to ensure your console is responsive.
- Pick one "bottleneck" skill—like Handiness or Logic—and use the
stats.set_skill_levelcommand to jump to level 4. - Observe how the new social interactions or crafting options unlock immediately, allowing you to bypass the early-game repetitive animations.