Sims 4 Skill Cheats: Complete Code List for Every Skill

To use skill cheats in The Sims 4, open the cheat console with Ctrl + Shift + C (PC) or L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 (PlayStation) / LB + LT + RB + RT (Xbox), type testingcheats true, then enter your skill cheat using the formula stats.set_skill_level [SkillType]_[SkillName] [1–10]. Replace the number at the end with whatever level you want — you don’t have to jump straight to max. This list covers 70+ skills across all DLC packs, verified as of March 2026.

Five Skill Cheats You Probably Need Right Now

If you landed here mid-gameplay and just need a quick fix, these are the most commonly searched codes. Copy, paste, done.

• Max Cooking: stats.set_skill_level Major_HomestyleCooking 10
• Max Fitness: stats.set_skill_level Skill_Fitness 10
• Max Charisma: stats.set_skill_level Major_Charisma 10
• Max Painting: stats.set_skill_level Major_Painting 10
• Max Programming: stats.set_skill_level Major_Programming 10

Everything else — DLC skills, horse skills, toddler skills, minor skills — is in the full tables below.

Enabling Cheats Before You Start

Cheats won’t work without enabling them first. Here’s how, per platform:

• PC/Mac: Press Ctrl + Shift + C to open the console
• PlayStation: Hold L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 simultaneously
• Xbox: Hold LB + LT + RB + RT simultaneously

Once the console is open, type testingcheats true (or testingcheats on — both work) and press Enter. You’ll see a confirmation message. Then enter your skill cheat code.

One thing worth knowing: skill cheats apply to whichever Sim is currently selected. Switch to the correct Sim first, especially in households with multiple playable characters. Horse skills (from Horse Ranch) also require the horse’s ID number appended to the end of the cheat — more on that in the major skills table.

How Skill Categories and Levels Work

The Sims 4 splits skills into four categories, and the cheat syntax differs slightly between them. Understanding this upfront saves a lot of frustration when a code doesn’t work.

A few major skills — notably Fitness and Natural Living — use Skill_ as their prefix instead of Major_. If a code returns an error, this is usually why. The tables below list exact syntax for every skill so there’s no guesswork.

One more thing: you can set any skill to any level between 1 and its maximum. Replacing the final number in any cheat with, say, 5 instead of 10 sets that skill to the midpoint. Useful if you want progression to feel slightly earned.

All Major Skill Cheats (Max Level 10)

Major skills are the backbone of most careers and aspirations. These cheats set the selected Sim’s skill directly to level 10. For horse skills from the Horse Ranch expansion, you’ll need to add the horse’s ID number after the level — get it by shift-clicking your horse with testingcheats enabled and selecting “Copy Sim ID.”

A note on Mixology: the internal name is Major_Bartending, not Major_Mixology. Using the wrong name is one of the most common reasons this cheat fails. Same goes for Rocket Science — no space in the cheat syntax, despite how it appears in-game.

All Minor Skill Cheats (Max Level 5)

Minor skills cap at level 5 and tend to use more varied prefix formats. A handful — Bowling, Pet Training, Cross-stitch, Archery, Diving, and Entomology — use Skill_ or no prefix at all rather than Minor_. If a code throws an error, check the exact syntax below carefully.

Child and Toddler Skill Cheats

Child skills and toddler skills use age-specific prefixes and won’t work on adult Sims — and vice versa. Select the correct Sim before entering these.

Child skills max out at level 10, the same as major adult skills:

Toddler skills cap at 5, with one exception — Potty tops out at 3:

Maxing toddler skills early matters more than it might seem — high Thinking and Communication carry developmental bonuses into childhood that persist after the age-up transition.

Skipping the Console Entirely: Mod Alternatives

If you’re on PC and find typing cheat codes tedious — especially when building a whole household — two mods make skill management significantly faster. Both are free.

UI Cheats Extension (by Weerbesu) adds right-click functionality directly to skill bars in the Sim panel. Right-click any skill bar and you’ll see options to set it to a specific level instantly, no console needed. It’s the fastest option for one-off adjustments mid-gameplay.

MC Command Center (MCCC, by Deaderpool) is more powerful and handles bulk changes well. Once installed:

1. Click on your Sim and select the MCCC icon to open the menu
2. Choose MC Cheats
3. Select Cheat Sim Info… then Skill Cheats…
4. From here you can max all skills at once, reset them, set individual levels, or randomize — no typing required

The “max all skills” option in MCCC is the closest thing to a single cheat that handles everything simultaneously, which the base game doesn’t offer through console codes alone. Fair warning: always check that your mod versions match your current game patch before loading a save. Outdated mods cause more problems than they solve.